5 reasons why the victory over Newcastle would bring back the glory days to Manchester United

#1 This was Pogba’s statement performance

Pogba controlled the game for Manchester United against Newcastle United

Pogba was one of the highest rated midfielders in the world at Juventus and made it to the FIFPro XI for 2015 following his performances to lead Juventus to a domestic double and the Champions League final.

He completed a then world record transfer to United in 2016 and sought about making a name for himself at the club having departed in acrimonious circumstances as a teenager in 2012.

Since then, Pogba has failed to fully win over supporters, with most critical of his lackadaisical and inconsistent performances.

Pogba has the ability to be one of the premier players in the world, and on occasion showed his talent on the field, but the problem was he was perceived to be too inconsistent to be the driving force of United’s play on the field, as he could follow up a world-class performance one week with an abject showing the next week.

He fell out with manager Mourinho last season, being dropped for key matches of the season, and there were indications that the World Cup winner was set to depart the club with Barcelona and PSG being reported destinations.

As it happened, he did not leave, but he failed to fully commit his future to Old Trafford, revealing cryptic interviews that showed all was not well within the club.

Footages emerged showing the extent of hostility between him and Mourinho, and reports suggested he was the ringleader of a rebellious group of United players who were keen to see the manager go.

A key criticism of Pogba has been his lack of leadership on the field, as fans and pundits expected him to lead on the field of play due to his status as one of the marquee names in the dressing room.

Against Newcastle, Pogba was at his marauding best, stepping up his game after his club went two goals behind and demanding the ball to be played to him to affect proceedings.

The 25-year-old was the fulcrum through which United’s plays went, and he took charge of the match by forcing the game to Newcastle.

He was everywhere, taking long range shots, issuing instructions to his teammates, and it was his exquisite backheel to Martial which paved the way for the 21-year-old to score United's second goal.

Pogba's celebrations with the fans at full-time was indicative, as it was almost like he was telling them that this is my stage now, and I am the man to lead our great club into the future.