SirAnderson
Full Member
I agree with everything up to the last line really.Note the "maybe" part in that post. I wasn't making a statement one way or the other because, as I've said already, we just don't know all the facts. Partly because Pogba is reluctant to speak out on the issue, but mainly because we cannot trust a word Raiola says or the media for the that matter. As fans, we're pretty much in the dark, forced into a conclusion that may or may not be truth.
The truth is, If he signs a new contract then all this will be forgotten in an instant. His reasons for signing won't make any difference either; whether he was holding out for an improved contract, pressuring the club into showing ambition by making big signings or he simply wanted to keep his options open right up to the close of the transfer window. None of it will matter. Just so long as he signs, proving his dedication to the club.
But you have to admit, if he leaves on a free next season, then he would have stabbed the club in the back and be fully deserving of ridicule.
The bit about us being in the dark is so important. It's made so many draw lines in the sand and has created a very toxic environment. On that, I would say, yeah Pogba could have come out and put it to bed, but I still don't think we are deserving of it, as we just bite onto any and every tabloid sensational story and run with it as if its gospel.
On the last bit, I find it hard to see a player fulfilling his contractual obligations that the 2 parties agreed on as stabbing us in the back. It will hurt, no doubt, but you of all people know how stupendously badly run our club has been when it comes to contracts, how many players had their contracts ran to the final years in the last couple of years (Herrera an example), and renew deals for players like Jones and Lingard, Mata etc that make no sense. But again, we don't know what is happening behind the season, that make players get to the point where they in their final year and we have to get to this situation with Pogba.
The guy came to us at 23, he is 28 now and have given us what most see as he's best years, the next big contract will probably be his last. Its clear that he wants to win trophies and sadly his performances hasn't matched his ambitions. He has shown glimmers but never consistently as has been pointed out many times, and that's down to many factors, not wholly on him alone, just like the inconsistency of many of our players over the years of this "transition". He came here knowing that success was not guaranteed, and was hoping for the same fairytale we all thought was happening when he and Zlatan and co signed. The price tag on him has justifiably made the scrutiny on his inconsistencies much more painful to accept than say, Fred, who came on a big fee, but has more woefully underperformed for his price tag imo.