Gary Neville has built up a successful career as a football pundit, with much of what he says on the various Sky Sports shows that he helps present tending to be from a common sense standpoint.
In tipping Paul Pogba to be a potential future Ballon d’Or winner, however, the former Red Devils’ right-back may have lost some of his hard-earned credibility.
The Frenchman has been out injured for some months now, but Neville himself appeared to be one of Pogba’s fiercest critics in the previous few months because of what seemed to be a lack of application from the World Cup winner.
In a Twitter Q&A on Saturday, Neville looked to have changed his tune, and that could be down to the signing of Bruno Fernandes to play alongside Pogba in United’s midfield.
“Paul Pogba most likely,” Neville responded, and cited by The Sun, when asked by a Twitter user who he believed could win the award from the players at United. Another wanted Neville’s opinion on how well Fernandes and Pogba might play in the same side.
“They could be amazing together if they compromise and work to help each other,” he said.
There’s little doubt that when Pogba’s head is in the right place he is the fulcrum for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side. A terrible time under Jose Mourinho notwithstanding, his marauding runs from the centre of the park are what United arguably need as they seek to keep pressure on those teams above them in the Premier League.
Perhaps there’s still a future for him at Old Trafford yet.