Paul Pogba was asked about Manchester City's 114 charges at the Singapore Grand Prix, and the answer quickly moved away from the legal case. He said he hoped the situation would not affect the Premier League and that United could "get two titles back", while also urging patience for M. Carrick at Manchester United.

Pogba's point on Carrick

Pogba's clearest line was the one about time. "It's just the start of the season, there's nothing much to say, it's just the start of the season and the season is very long," he told goal.com. He added: "One day or the other it can change a lot, they just have to give them time and it will be fine."

That sits against United's start. They have one victory across their first six Premier League fixtures, 6 points, and sit 13th. United also drew 1-1 with Tottenham at Old Trafford after Rodrigo Bentancur's late red card, and were eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Brighton.

The title angle behind the quote

The retrospective-title line is the part that will travel furthest, because Pogba was not talking in hypotheticals about a distant era. Manchester United finished second in the Premier League in 2017/2018 and 2020/2021, and those are the seasons he has in mind. One of those near-misses came during the period covered by City's 114 alleged breaches, from 2009 to 2018.

Manchester City are top of the league with 18 points from six games, so the idea of taking titles back remains tied to an appeal and any sanction that follows, not a settled outcome. José Mourinho once said finishing second with United was one of the best jobs of his career, which is a reminder that those near-misses still carry real weight around Old Trafford.

Pogba is also speaking from a different place now. He is a free agent after his Monaco contract was terminated in the summer, and his first game back for the club came 808 days after he last played for Juventus, after an 18-month doping ban. That makes the two-title line sound less like banter and more like a former United midfielder reaching for an outcome that would still hit close to home.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →