Why Manchester United cannot afford to lose Paul Pogba over Jose Mourinho
On one of Manchester United’s regular conference calls with investors in May, executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward offered what he called a “very simple and candid” answer to one question. Had the improved performances in the Premier League during Jose Mourinho’s second season contributed to an increase in revenues? In short, the answer was no. “Playing performance doesn’t really have a meaningful impact on what we can do on the commercial side of the business,” Woodward said. It was a line as “simple and candid” as Woodward had promised, summing up the far-reaching, all-conquering, ‘official mattress and pillow partner’ commercial behemoth that is the modern day United. Win, lose or draw, there’s always the Megastore. As a line, it could also easily have come from any one of the many people who work in the interests of Paul Pogba. Like United, Pogba is presented to an audience of millions around the world on the pitch in the form of slick passes, thrusting runs and stuttere