Liverpool's £116m trainwreck proves Paul Pogba deserved better

His time at Juventus was nothing short of extraordinary. He played a key role under Antonio Conte, helping the Old Lady claim three straight Serie A titles. That number extended to four following the appointment of Massimiliano Allegri, with Pogba shining alongside the likes of Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo in the middle of the park.

In 2016, Pogba was wanted by Real Madrid. But when United and Jose Mourinho came calling, he was swayed by the chance to return to Old Trafford and usher in a new era of success. Mourinho made it clear he wanted the France international to be his midfield talisman. Pogba was also informed that he would be the main man, their poster boy, their leader, and that the good days would return after a few years of mediocrity.

Immediately, however, Pogba returned with a target on his back. His price tag of £89million made him the world's most-expensive footballer. His decision to announce his move in a video with rapper Stormzy also meant there was pressure to deliver immediately, to show he would deliver bang for the club's buck.

Graeme Souness, in particular, was scathing from the start. In August 2016, upon learning of Pogba's Hollywood homecoming, the former Sky Sports pundit started what would become an infamous feud.

"It's not the poor lad's decision, he didn't decide how much was going to be spent on him, but I think £89m is way too much," he said.

"For that money, you're expecting to get the finished article. He's a long way off from that.

"The strikers are the ones that normally go for big, big money because they're the ones who decide the games, nine times out of 10. Pogba got 10 goals in 49 games last year. He will get some goals but he's not going to be a Luis Suarez, who got over 50 goals for Barcelona last year."

In the weeks that followed, Souness stuck the knife in time and time again.

“I am yet to be convinced. I don’t see him changing that many games. In the last couple of years, Manchester United have not had a bad bunch of players - not a top group - but they have underperformed," he said on one occasion.

On another, he added: "We get kidded by his athleticism. When you see him move he is an absolute Rolls Royce. Does he have a football brain? He has still to develop his football brain."

Another example of the criticism and scutiny Pogba faced arrived in September 2016.

"He may eventually be £100m worth but right now I don't see him anywhere near that. I see a young man who's struggling to find his best position and best form in a team that's struggling to find their best form," Souness fumed.

Pogba would, every week, be placed under the microscope like no other player. It wasn't just Souness - others, ranging from Jamie Carragher to Gary Neville, Roy Keane to Jamie Redknapp, would continuously hone in on him. He became, effectively, a scapegoat for United's shortcomings. The conduit for their collapse.

Fast-forward to now, and it's striking that Florian Wirtz has enjoyed such luxurious treatment by comparison. While Pogba was condemned virtually every week, Wirtz is getting away with poor performances for Liverpool.

With 16 Premier League matches now played, the Germany international is yet to register a goal or assist in the top flight. Liverpool, like United eight years ago, are sixth.

There has been only the odd glimpse of Wirtz's Bayer Leverkusen brilliance, such as when he saved them in a recent 1-1 draw against Sunderland. But there's no denying that, right now, the 22-year-old is struggling and it's going under the radar.

Carragher has turned his ire to Mohamed Salah, who for all his regression this term has still managed seven goal involvements (four goals, three assists) from 14 league outings.

Souness no longer occupies the punditry spotlight, while Neville chooses to save most of his criticism for United.

Pogba, after 16 league appearances at United, had three goals and three assists under Mourinho. Solid, if unspectacular, numbers on the board.

Yet he was also saving some of his best performances for the Europa League, a tournament they would go on to win in order to sneak into the Champions League through the back door.

Wirtz has two assists for Liverpool in Europe, to his credit. But, still, pundits are bizarrely silent about him. There have been plenty of lows, with no highs.

At £116m, he is one of the costliest signings in Premier League history. Only Alexander Isak, who swapped Newcastle for Liverpool and has been equally disastrous, has gone for more.

Pogba, ultimately, failed to live up to the hype at United. There were moments of magic but no trophies, with managers Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick all unable to get the best out of him.

But he was a target before he'd even kicked a ball. Now, with the benefit of hindsight, it even looked as though he was always destined to fail.

He joined United at a time of extreme transition, with the club previously toiling under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. Contrast that to Liverpool, who cruised to the title last term, there's even less reason for Wirtz to be as woeful as he has been.

The playmaker has done nothing to justify Liverpool's lavish outlay in the league.

There are still no goals to his name and, when it comes to the top-flight at least, he looks completely lost.

Whether the pundits start giving him the Pogba treatment remains to be seen.

For now, however, he's undeniably being let off the hook.