Is Pogba World Class or Simply Overrated?

For some reason, many football fans regard Pogba as “world-class”. Overall, he has 49 goals and 38 assists in over 200 appearances for Manchester United. That’s 87 goals involvement.

But do these numbers befit a “World Class” midfielder?

Away from numbers, what about his level of consistency? Is it ok for a “World Class” midfielder?

For some other reasons, he plays regularly for both his country and club? Are the coaches seeing something in him that we are not?

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How Pogba Rose To Stardom

Pogba graduated from Manchester United Academy and joined the first team in February 2011 under sir Alex Ferguson’s stewardship.

It turned out that Pogba was not getting enough regular first-team games. Pogba got frustrated and turned down chances to renew his contract. So, he left for Juventus on a free transfer in 2012.

Buffon could see immediately how good Pogba was. After a few training sessions, Buffon said about Pogba:

“We saw how good he was. It cannot have been the same player they saw in Manchester—we thought they needed glasses (in Manchester).”

Pogba lit up Serie A with his performances in Juve’s title-winning campaign. Antonio Conte often deployed Pogba as an attacking left-winger.

In summary, Pogba played 178 matches for Juve, scored 34 goals, and laid on 40 assists. Beyond goals and assists, he was relatively consistent during his time at Juve.

Pogba was so good that he won the Golden Boy award in 2013. Ever since then, he’s had a “world-class” status.

The Reality About Pogba

Manchester United had to sign Pogba back to correct their initial mistake of letting him go for free. They had to pay €105 million for his services. On top of that, he pockets £15,080,000 per year.

But how has Pogba’s performance been since his return to Manchester?

To be fair, Pogba has had some top-class performances in the Manchester United shirt. One notable match is Manchester United’s incredible 3-2 comeback against their city rivals in 2018. Pogba was the star of the show.

It is obvious for anyone to see how talented he is. His talent is never in doubt!

But what about his consistency?

To be fair again, Pogba has been consistently inconsistent in the Manchester United shirt.

In 2018, Pogba’s countryman – Henry voiced his concern about Pogba’s inconsistency. Also, former Manchester United defender Sylvester and fellow Frenchman echoes Henry’s words that Pogba’s inconsistency is his major problem.

After Manchester United’s shameful 5-0 loss to Liverpool at Old Trafford, Scholes said Manchester United would not miss anything if Pogba does not play again. Pogba’s horrendous tackle on Naby Keita earned him a red card after being brought on as a substitute. This added to United’s misery.

Is Pogba Then Really World-Class?

As mentioned before, Pogba’s talent is never ever in doubt. On his day, he could be the best midfielder in the world. This is a big reason why many football fans regard him as world-class.

In addition, Pogba has managed to build a brand around himself.

According to Forbes, Pogba’s endorsement deals alone in 2021 are worth $7 million.

Furthermore, Pogba has featured in so many adverts for brands.

All of these prove that Pogba is genuinely marketable and an elite player. However, on the football pitch, his level of inconsistency is a thing.

So, here comes the question again: Is Pogba really world-class? Here is one thing: there is no genuinely world-class player that can be described as “on his day he’s so good but he’s too inconsistent”. Can a world-class midfielder like Zidane or Iniesta be so described? Obviously, no.

As a matter of fact, consistency (not talent) is what sets world-class players apart from their average counterparts. Messi, Ronaldo, Lewandowski, Sergio Ramos, Dani Alves, Manuel Neuer, et al are all world-class because they have consistently been at top level for many years. This cannot be said of Pogba.

On the other hand, however, Pogba is “world-class” away from the football pitch. He is a real brand and he’s so marketable.

Final Verdict on Pogba

For Pogba to be truly recognized as one the best ever in the game, he’ll need to stay consistent for many years and win as many trophies with his team as possible, Given his talent, this is very possible.

In a nutshell, only Pogba can decide if he wants to be world-class.

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