A lot of criticism has fallen at the feet of Sir Alex Ferguson for allowing Paul Pogba to leave United in 2012 on a free transfer.

Pogba returned to Old Trafford for £89million this summer, and many consider the deal the worst business ever made by a football club.

Sir Alex Ferguson was a major contributor to Pogba leaving four years ago, but the Scottish manager was correct to allow the midfielder to leave despite the fact that Pogba achieved resounding success post-Manchester United.

United's position under Ferguson was a far cry from the mess the club currently finds themselves in. Four years ago, Ferguson had United at the summit of the league, which was a position they spent two decades at. Re-signing Pogba was a must for United this summer as the club were required to make a statement of intent.

But here are three reasons why Sir Alex was right to wave goodbye to the French midfielder in 2012...

Played under better managers at Juventus

Paul Pogba

At Manchester United, Pogba would have been guided by Ferguson's tutelage for just one season before the Scot retired. David Moyes famously replaced the United legend before being sacked just months later. Louis van Gaal was expected to be saviour. when the reality was he was even worse than Moyes.

At Juventus, Pogba was guided by tactical masterminds such as Antonio Conte and Max Allegri. Their outstanding success at the Old Lady proved Pogba would learn from better managers in Italy, than in England.

Mino Raiola's control

Britain Soccer Football - Manchester United v FC Zorya Luhansk - UEFA Europa League Group Stage - Group A - Old Trafford, Manchester, England - 16/17 , 29/9/16
Manchester United's Paul Pogba
Reuters / Darren Staples

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One thing that ensured Ferguson's supremacy at United was the fact he never beckoned to player demands during his 26-year stint.

Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola was dictating situations behind the scenes in 2012, which is something the United boss refused to tolerate.

Raiola's demands for his client not unreasonable at the time, but they left a sour taste in the manager's mouth. Ferguson could never have lived with himself had he let the Frenchman and his agent overrule him.

Italy improved his overall game

Football Soccer - Juventus v Manchester City - UEFA Champions League Group Stage - Group D - Juventus Stadium, Turin, Italy - 25/11/15 Juventus' Paul Pogba Action Images via Reuters / Andrew Couldridge Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY.

The Italian league is notorious for player development and turning average players into world class performers. This was certainly the case in Pogba's situation, as the French international became a household name for his performances at Juventus.

Marcos Alonso recently branded Italy a "footballing University" and in Pogba's case, he graduated with a first-class honours degree. He has returned to England a far better player, with the foundation of his success being based on the Italian approach and defensive strategy.