Euro 2020 football fans saw the best and worst of Paul Pogba in last night’s exciting game against Switzerland in the round of 16.
France, though conceding an early goal against Switzerland, fought their way back into the game, with the courtesy largely due to two rapid-fire goals from Karim Benzema before the hour mark.
That was a period of the game Didier Deschamps’ side completely dominated.
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba was on song yet again for the better part of his performance, driving his team forward and creating opportunities to score with some outrageous passes. He had 101 touches, 92% pass accuracy and five successful take-ons.
The climax of the game was when he scored a humdinger of a goal to double France’s lead. Offered ample space he lost not time in making it count by curling a sumptuous effort into the top corner.
With only 25 minutes left in the game, it looked like France would be the ones facing Spain in the final eight. But that wasn’t to be as the energetic Switzerland team had some other plans and decided to rewrite the script.
When Vladimir Petkovic’s side scored the second goal in the 81st minute, all France had to do was stay calm and unflustered.
The scenario started shifting in the 90th minute of the game when Pogba lost possession of the ball in the middle of the park, allowing Granit Xhaka to make a splendid defence-splitting pass to Mario Gavranovic, who kept his cool and blasted the ball past Hugo Lloris to force the game into extra time.
If Pogba had exercised more caution with his play during the final minutes of the game, the eventual winner could have been France in normal time. But then there are no if’s in football.
Manchester United legend Roy Keane, although applauding the astonishing goal from France’s number six, couldn’t help but voice his frustration over Pogba’s display, pointing at his lack of discipline defensively.
Speaking on ITV as quoted by Manchester Evening News, he said, “No doubt it would be frustrating.
“But this is all part of Paul’s character that people love to see and it’s great.
“But then I’d be looking at the goal they conceded in injury time when he was sloppy in midfield, that’s the bit I’d be really critical.
“It seems harsh because he’s done some brilliant stuff going forward today, there’s no doubt in Paul’s quality, it’s just the other side, maybe his maturity.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has faced similar issues with the 2018 World Cup winner, who eventually was forced to get Pogba to operate from the flanks so that his side can have more protection at the back.
Despite the midfielder has great vision and is a sensational distributor of the ball, he often fails to track the runs of the opposition and tends to be sloppy and make some very risky decisions that should be avoided.
Keane further said, “United have had these problems. Can he play in a two midfield? He probably can’t, he hasn’t got the discipline.
“Even today he leaves you frustrated, even with his brilliant quality going forward he lacks that discipline defensively.
“The top players do it week in and week out and Paul doesn’t quite do it.”