The Premier League is back! We’re currently in the midst of the first weekend of Project Restart, with Manchester United playing Tottenham Hotspur to a 1-1 draw at their venue last night.
Bruno Fernandes was bossing it all game long, and he converted a late penalty (that opposing manager Jose Mourinho felt was unfair) to equalize and therefore rescue a point from the match. United remain undefeated since his arrival from from Sporting CP in the January transfer window.
Unfortunately for Fernandes and the rest of United (and the club’s fans), none of his teammates were really in form as much as he was.
One guy who did bring it was Paul Pogba, who was subbed on about 2/3 of the way through the match. All the down time from the league being on pause gave United supports ample chance to ponder what Fernandes and Pogba could possibly do together.
Last night provided a glimpse into that and United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer singled the Frenchman out for praise.
“Paul did well and it is not a problem to have a fit Paul Pogba in the squad, that much has to be said. We are delighted to have him back,” Solskjaer said of the midfielder’s first appearance since Boxing Day.
“He is delighted to be back. I think he showed the hunger for football. He’s had terrible injury problems all season and he’s had a couple of months out, then come back, wanting to get back in, was close to getting back just before the lockdown started.”
“Paul showed some real quality out there. Contributed really much for us to get a point and maybe could have helped us to get three points. He did everything a midfielder should do. He tackled, he won the ball, played passes and showed some skill. Fantastic to have him back.”
Of course, questions about Pogba’s commitment to the club and overall drive came up, as his name is persistently mentioned in transfer rumors.
Solskjaer dismissed this narrative.
“He’s always wanted to play, he loves football. On and off the pitch he is such an enthusiastic and passionate boy,” the Norwegian said.
“I think everyone can see the quality he can provide.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly contributes to WGN TV, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Now and SB Nation.
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