An ex-Red Devil thinks the Frenchman is the standout player in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad due to his creative streak in the final third
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is on a “different level” to the rest of his team-mates at Old Trafford, according to Michael Owen.
Pogba has endured a frustrating 2019-20 campaign to date, with a persistent ankle issue causing him to miss over two months of fixtures across all competitions.
The World Cup winner made his long-awaited return to the pitch on Sunday, as he was introduced as a second-half substitute during the Red Devils’ 2-0 defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road.
United struggled to carve out any clear cut chances against the Premier League’s bottom club until Pogba came on to force the issue, showing off his outstanding passing range and technical ability from midfield.
The result left Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men seven points adrift of Chelsea in the race for the final Champions League spot, with a home clash against Newcastle up next on Boxing Day.
Owen was full of praise for Pogba after his impressive cameo at Watford, expressing his belief that 26-year-old is “on a wavelength that is beyond any other player on the pitch”.
“He’s on a different level,” the former United striker told Optus Sport. “I had that throughout my career, the likes of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Steven Gerrard, [Zinedine] Zidane.
“Players like that, as soon as you’re thinking of something, they’ve already thought of it. You’re just on a wavelength that is beyond any other player on the pitch in many ways.
“And you see Paul Pogba straightaway there, soon as he comes on, he’s spotting things that no one else has spotted.”
Owen also highlighted Pogba’s importance prior to the match, suggesting Solskjaer will be pleased to have a prized asset back in his squad for the remainder of a hectic festive period.
“He’s creative, he scores goals. He’s everything that they are missing in that central area,” Owen said.
“[Solskjaer] will be absolutely delighted that he’s got his creativity back.”
Including their meeting with Newcastle, United are due to negotiate five fixtures in the space of 12 days heading into 2020.
The Red Devils must also play Burnley and Arsenal in the Premier League, before coming up against Wolves in the FA Cup and taking in a Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Manchester City.
Pogba will likely be back in contention for a place in Solskjaer’s starting line up when the Magpies arrive at Old Trafford, with little margin for error left as United chase down a spot in the top four.
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