When a club spends close to £100m for a player, it’s understandable if the manager tries to build around him and make him one of the main men, as he has a lot of time to work with everyone.
In contrast, when it comes to international football, things are a little different, with managers trying to get something out of a bunch of players who only play with each other a few times a year.
With that in mind, Didier Deschamps’ had something to say about the media who constantly ask him why he isn’t playing a formation that would suit Manchester United’s Paul Pogba best after a lot was made of his best position being on the left of a midfield three.
The French manager, relayed by Le Figaro, said: “He can play higher up or further back. I’m not going to build the team around Paul. He’s an important element, but he needs to adapt too. When we have a three, he can be a bit more free going forward.
“But he’s also capable of playing both roles in midfield. At Juve, he played a bit more on the left, but it’s not like he’s exclusively stuck to that left hand side.”
Deschamps isn’t the only one scratching his head when it comes to the 23-year-old, as José Mourinho is still searching for that role in his loose 4-2-3-1 where Pogba can be at his most lethal.
Since rejoining Manchester United from Juventus, the player has made eight appearances in all competitions, scoring just the one goal.
As things stand, the return to Old Trafford, or ‘Pogback’, as the club liked to call it, hasn’t quite been as exciting as first expected, but things are definitely looking on the up.
Now to see if Deschamps can help him find even more form, leading to even happier Manchester United fans.
