Paul Pogba has been “diabolical” at times for Manchester United, says Paul Ince, with the Red Devils urged to make big decisions that will bring a distracting “circus” to a close.
The Red Devils moved to bring the France international midfielder back onto their books during the summer of 2016, with a record-breaking £89 million ($111m) fee required to prise him away from Juventus.
Pogba returned to England amid much fanfare, but has faced questions and criticism throughout a second spell at Old Trafford.
Transfer talk has started to surface again, with Ince suggesting that it may be time for United to cash in as the World Cup winner has offered little to the cause and Bruno Fernandes has shown that he is more than capable of being the talismanic presence Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been crying out for.
The former Red Devils star told Paddy Power of Pogba: “What’s disappointing is the way he’s acted, his behaviour and performances reflect that he’s been unsure about his decision.
“You compare that to Bruno Fernandes, and his arrival at United, and it’s crazy. He’s come in and hit the ground running fairly instantly, winning over the fans in the process. Pogba never did that, and his performances have been inconsistent to say the least.
“Sometimes they’ve been on the border of diabolical, and occasionally they’ve been brilliant. When you cost that kind of money as a player, fans expect you to be consistently great, especially when you’re playing for Man United. Their expectations are very high.
Getty“The on the pitch performances, plus his behaviour off the pitch, with his agent and generally acting up, isn’t good for the club.
“If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking to take the club forward, to build and to instil the ‘United Way’ back into the team, then Pogba’s actions don’t reflect that.
“The way he’s been acting and behaving recently, he just isn’t good for the club. If you want the right attitude and mentality, and high standards, then sorry, but that doesn’t fit in with Paul Pogba.
“There’s been too many distractions, too many reports around him and his behaviour, so his time for me is up.
“Perhaps if Fernandes hadn’t come in and done as well as he has done, maybe Ole might try and keep Pogba. But now, he might be thinking if I can get the right money for Pogba, then I can let him go.
“It’s a shame, because he could’ve been a great player for the club, but he isn’t a great player at the moment. Ultimately, he’s a distraction and his behaviour impacts and damages the rest of the team.
“Now, if he was performing out of his skin every week and changing games, you could forgive him for his behaviour even when he’s being a nightmare, but he isn’t, so why bother? If he’s not performing, just let him go, get rid.
“The decision needs to be made, and quickly, because we can’t have another season of the Pogba circus. He wouldn’t even get in the side at the moment.”
Pogba has made 143 appearances for United since being brought back to Manchester, but injury has restricted the 27-year-old to just eight in the 2019-20 campaign, with no goals in those outings.