Back At Juventus, Paul Pogba Brings Deja Vu (And The Hope Of Trophies)

The feeling of déjà vu was inescapable. There was Paul Pogba – decked out in the latest Juventus training gear – sitting behind the podium for a press conference, explaining why he had left Manchester United and gone to Turin.

At first glance, it seemed as if nothing had changed. Just as he had a decade earlier, the Frenchman blamed events at Old Trafford for him opting to move on and join the Bianconeri.

“It was the match against Blackburn in December 2011,” Pogba told Canal+ about his first departure from England. “Paul Scholes had retired, Darren Fletcher was injured. There was no one left to play in midfield”

He would go on to say that finding himself as an unused sub as Sir Alex Ferguson opted to field Park Ji-Sung and Brazilian Rafael da Silva in midfield left Pogba feeling “disgusted” and was the moment he knew he would move on.

In 2016, United would pay €105 million ($104.86m) to secure Pogba’s services, only to look on as – after six disappointing ultimately disappointing seasons – the midfielder would once more leave as a free agent and sign for Juve.

As he yet again greeted reporters in the Italian press room, it was those in Manchester he chose to blame, while being careful to state that he certainly did not regret his second spell with the club.

“Sometimes you make choices that don’t go your way but I’m happy with the years in Manchester,” Pogba said earlier this week. “I grew up, I learned, I became a man. Changing coaches every year is hard, this was a difficult aspect for me.

“Then there were a few injuries, but I think it was also a mental thing – playing and not playing makes you lose pace. There is a bit of everything: coach, team, position. All this has blocked me a bit.

“Now, however, I have left and you will see another Paul,” he would add. “I know that Juve didn’t win last year, but neither did I. So we share the same ambition, to win again.”

After two years without the league title, there is no doubt that the Bianconeri will be desperate to finish top of the Serie A table, and their moves so far this summer are certainly giving Max Allegri the weapons he needs to achieve such a target.

As discussed in this previous column, Ángel Di María has arrived to add some talent and experience to a very young Juve attack, while Pogba will also hope to do the same just behind them.

Now 29 years old and with winner’s medals from four successful Serie A campaigns, the 2017 Europa League Final and the 2018 World Cup, Pogba has no shortage of experience.

That can only help those who will play alongside him in a midfield that relied far too much on the impetus of 24-year-old Manuel Locatelli last term. Playing beside them will be either Swiss international Denis Zakaria (25) or US Men’s National Team star Weston McKennie who is still just 23.

“We must continue to grow, the first aim this year must be to win back the Scudetto,” Pogba would tell reporters at that introductory press conference. “There is talent here, there are excellent young players and I think we can do great things together with the right mentality.

“We have to be hungrier than the other teams. I have more experience, I know my body more. I have learned a lot and I think I can pass this on to the youngsters coming through here.

“I am a father now, so my life has changed since I was first here. I have come back with my family but my objectives remain the same – I want to win.”

In order to do so, Pogba will need to establish the same dominance of his position that saw him so highly regarded during his first stint in Italy when, make no mistake, he was rightly regarded as one of the best players in the world.

“Physically I am in good shape and I can’t wait to get back out onto the pitch,” he continued. “As for my role, I know that here we play with a three-man midfield, and I can play both on the right and left in the middle of the park, but more than my position the most important thing is to get out on the pitch and play.”

It really is, and when he does, Juventus will hope that Paul Pogba was right and that they can both get back to winning when action gets underway next month. That really would be like déjà vu all over again.