---
title: "Paul Pogba: Has he lived up to the hype?"
canonical: "https://readmanutd.com/2017/03/06/paul-pogba-lived-hype/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
section: "Articles"
published: "2017-03-06T13:34:03Z"
modified: "2017-03-06T13:34:03Z"
---

# Paul Pogba: Has he lived up to the hype?

The summer transfer window was a crazy one for Manchester United supporters. With the acquisitions of Jose Mourinho, Eric Bailly, Henrik Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, it already promised to be an unforgettable season for the Red Devils… and then Paul Pogba arrive

There was plenty of speculation from the start of the summer about the return of Pogba, of which plenty was taken with a pinch of salt by the majority of the fan base. It started to become more and more realistic to the point that it became a matter of when, and not if. He was finally confirmed as a Manchester United player in the early hours of August 9th, for a record £89million.

But, the question remains; has he lived up to the price tag?

It took a while for Mourinho to find Pogba’s best position, as expected. He was trialed in a deep role, and it was quite obvious that this didn’t suit him and was soon shifted further forward, where he enjoyed a good run of games, grabbing his first goal for the Reds since his return in a 4-1 victory over Leicester City.

![Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmanutd.com/readmanutd/2017/03/631743954.jpg)

He has gone on to bag seven goals and five assists in 38 appearances, not a bad return for his first full season in the United first team. He has scored two brilliant goals, against Fenerbaçhe and Swansea, which capped off two of his best games.

Pogba has come under a huge amount of deserved criticism in recent games, particularly after the game against Liverpool, in which he gave away a penalty and at times looked like a semi-professional player.

Most recently, he has been called out for his performance against Bournemouth, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Pogba started the game well and tested Artur Boruc a handful of times, but in the last 20 minutes, he had what were probably his worst few moments in a United shirt. He stumbled while one-on-one with Boruc and got his feet muddled up in the dying minutes of the game, which was a chance that should have been converted by the French international.

![Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmanutd.com/readmanutd/2017/03/647792490.jpg)It seems as though Pogba has been trying too hard in recent games and he attempts spectacular shots and passes when it is completely unnecessary. However, sometimes these Hollywood moves work and he could easily be in double figures for both goals and assists had it not been for very poor finishing across the board for Manchester United.

To answer the question – ‘has Paul Pogba justified the £89m price tag?’ the answer would be no, and that is completely unsurprising.  Not many players, especially at the age of 23, can be expected to live up to such a price.

Pogba may have had his comeuppance, with all the media hype surrounding his transfer which brought high expectations from everybody, but good things will come from Pogba and he will soon live up to the hype of being the best midfielder in the world.