Ah, the old “athlete claims he doesn’t read what’s written/hear what’s said about him” cliche. Whether it’s true or not, none of us ever believe it. Especially those of us who work in the sports media. Having been confronted by angry people who didn’t like what we wrote about them, we never believe the “I just don’t hear the noise” routine.
I believe that maybe the jocks may or may not actively seek out the media coverage of them, but I’m sure they have handlers, family members, agents, publicists, hangers-on etc. who are more than any to go look it up and then tell them.
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba became the most expensive player of all time this summer when he returned to Old Trafford. #Pogback broke Twitter, and Paul Pogba news was breaking the internet all summer long. Thus, you had insane hype for Pogba, and early on he just wasn’t living up to those expectations.
In the first few games back with United, it wasn’t uncommon to see Pogba drawing 4/10 or 5/10 individual player ratings in match reports.
It wasn’t until yesterday that he finally scored his first goal back with the Red Devils. It was great to see Paul Pogba once again doing something he hadn’t been doing thus far- pressing forward in the attack.
Asked for his reaction to his goal by Sky Sports in the postgame interview, Pogba replied: “I’m very happy for the result and this goal and I hope it’s not going to be the last one! So just carry on, keep doing that, what we did today and after we can go and we have our goals.”
“We were very focused. We knew that was going to be difficult. The first four games we were good, the two games then [against City and Watford] after we knew were going to be difficult, and now today we showed on the pitch a big performance from the team. I feel happy and I want to carry on like this.” (transcription Daily Mirror)
Regarding all the criticism that he’s taken, Pogba said that he does not pay attention to all the negativity in the press.
“I don’t look at the newspapers,” he added. “But I always say one thing, it’s at the end. So at the end you will see.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous radio and television talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram and Sound Cloud.