Manchester united new view..

PRINCE POGBA AND KING ZLATAN
REIGN OVER OLD TRAFFORD
Peter Staunton
Two new signings at opposite ends of the
career spectrum have given the Red Devils
their belief back under Jose Mourinho
COMMENT
The merchandise sellers around Sir Alex
Ferguson Way had new faces to stich into
their scarves for the first Manchester United
home match of the season. Zlatan
Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba may be at the
opposite ends of their respective career
paths but both represent the new face of this
famous old club.
United have had big signings before but they
have their chests puffed out again now,
employing as they are the most-expensive
footballer in history and, arguably, the third-
greatest forward on the planet. It has made
for a sensational start to the season; the
familiar relentlessness of a successful Jose
Mourinho side is already in full flow.
Southampton won here last season and the
season before that but the days of underdogs
coming to Old Trafford and taking away wins
away look long gone. Mourinho presides over
one of the proudest home records in football
management and that extends to this ground
now.
Old Trafford feels again like the kind place
where decent teams come to get only a
chastening. United were dominant, at their
regal best, with King Zlatan and Prince Paul
reigning over all others.
This was, of course, Pogba's second debut
for his first senior club. He would have
preferred not to give the ball away with his
very first touch and cause a Southampton
breakaway but the longer the game went on
the more comfortable the French midfielder
looked.
He set some United attacks going with his
range of short and long passing, dribbled
through the Saints' back line to create danger
and was a menace in the box on the Wayne
Rooney cross which Ibrahimovic converted to
give United the lead.
The 34-year-old displayed no nerves and has
wasted no time adapting to his new
surroundings. His scarcely believable goal
rate from his Paris Saint-Germain days shows
no signs of letting up in the Premier League.
He added to his powerful header - for which
he pinned Jose Fonte down powerfully - with
a second-half penalty won by Luke Shaw.
Any doubt who the top dog in the dressing
room is now should be cleared up by the
sight of captain Rooney tossing the ball to
Zlatan for his spot kick.
Ibrahimovic has been here before - in an
imposing side and expecting to win - and will
go the distance in any title race. As for
Pogba, this was as good a debut as he could
have hoped for.
He had a skimpy pre-season in which he
spent more time playing basketball with
Romelu Lukaku than football with his new
team-mates. This, though, will settle him and
give him belief.
There is still a sensation that for all his
intricate footwork and deadly strikes from
distance he still lacks the crucial aspect of
midfield player - that quiet domination of his
sector for 90 minutes.
However, what is apparent is a genuine
excitement for Manchester United this
season. There would appear to be a perfect
blend of solidity at the back - led by the
outstanding Eric Bailly - and the fantasy
element added to the squad by Pogba,
Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and, of
course, the man in charge. Mourinho and
United appear a perfect fit.
The club gave itself a huge boost with their
work in the transfer market and in their
recruitment of the two-time Champions
League winner as coach. It might be a
Europa League reality for United this season -
with more matches to come on Thursdays
than Fridays - but they are operating in the
realms of the super clubs again.
They have convinced the biggest names to
come on board - the best players in France,
Germany and Spain - and the most magnetic
personality in football to oversee it all.
They do not feel like a fading force any
longer - the fans are coming here expecting
to win.