Paul Pogba as a 19-year-old left the English club to Juventus in July 2012. The Italian club did not pay a penny for him. Now he sold it back to Manchester for a staggering £89 million pounds. United is not the same club the French player used to know and nothing is same as before.
Manager
Pogba left United after four years when Sir Alex Ferguson has just completed his 24th season at the club. The following year, however, he finished and since then three coaches tried to replace him coaches – David Moyes, Ryan Giggs (temporarily) and Louis van Gaal. Finally, it will be Mourinho, who will try to restore United along with the Pogba back to top of the table.
Players
In 2012 United’s squad had several experienced stars like Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand, Johnny Evans, Michael Owen, Dimitar Berbatov, Ryan Giggs, Nemanja Vidic, Park Ji-Sung and Paul Scholes, who in that season came back from football retirement. Giggs in that year surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton with record for the largest number of starts in the jersey of Red Devils (757).
None of the previous appointment already, however, plays for United, from the team of the year 2011/2012 remained only seven players – captain Wayne Rooney, Phil Jones, David de Gea, Chris Smalling, Michael Carrick, Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia.
Trophies
As for the trophies, Pogba won more in the jersey of Juventus more than the United did in past four years. Ferguson managed to win one more Premier league title and after that United won the FA Cup and Community Shield once.
European football
United started the Champions League 2011/2012 under Ferguson 16th time in a row. After shocking elimination in the group stage Pogba got a chance in the Europa League against Athletic Bilbao in March 2012. And this year it will again include only the Europa League, as Louis van Gaal finished with the team on 5th place.
Top scorers
In the 2011/2012 season the top scorer was current captain Wayne Rooney, who scored in all competitions 34 times. Last year it was Anthony Martial, which, however, scored in all competitions for half the goals and 17th
Transfers
In the summer of 2012 Ferguson brought duo Robin van Persie from Arsenal for the sum of £24 million pounds and Shinji Kagawa from Borussia Dortmund for £ 17 million pounds. Mourinho, however, does not skimp and Eric Bailly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pogba paid £ 145.3 million pounds.
Stadium
In this statistics by contrast on the contrary, United improved last season and Old Trafford had an average attendance of 75,329 fans, while in 2011/2012 season it was 73,376 fans.
Expectations
The only thing that has not changed are enormous expectations from the club and players. The more after the departure of Ferguson was the club struggling, the more pressure is exerted on the coach and this time it is Mourinho’s turn. And if it does not work this time either, it will be difficult to tell which direction should United move.
source: skysports.com, foto: Flickr/Stacey MacNaught