Little came off from Manchester United’s two big purchases in a poor first half at Crystal Palace as both tried to play killer passes
In American sports there is the phrase “franchise player”. It refers to an individual who is deemed not just to be a good player but someone around whom a business can be built, endorsement deals struck, season tickets renewed. The franchise player does not have to be the most effective on the team, though it does help, but they will certainly be paid as if they are.
Paul Pogba is a franchise player. His extra-curricular role has been a tricky one for Manchester United to accommodate, one made no less complicated by the arrival of another such player, Alexis Sánchez. These men are the expensive embodiment of the Glazer family’s post-Ferguson vision and both must play. Fitting them on the pitch at the same time has proven a challenge for José Mourinho but at Selhurst Park it was not just positions that were sent out of whack but an entire system of play.
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