Jose Mourinho wants his Manchester United players to prove their privileged lifestyles have not eroded their motivation as he backed Paul Pogba to overcome his slump in form and justify his status as the world’s most expensive footballer. He had no pre-season, the Euro final, holidays then came back.
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Mourinho still trusts Pogba and says it is unfair to keep talking about his fee as, relative to United’s wealth, there were bigger transfers this summer.
“There are clubs that paid 20, 30, 40 million, which is a bigger deal than United paid for Paul because you make a relation between what you pay and the club revenue and you realise that other clubs paying 20, 30, 40 is a much bigger thing than what United did”.
According to United Kingdom media outlet, The Sun, Mourinho said: “I just want Paul to forget that and to play his football”. The team improves, Paul improves.
United travel to Watford on Sunday knowing talk of a crisis will snowball if they fail to overcome Walter Materazzi’s side but Mourinho, who did his level best not to discuss Pogba’s fortunes, insists he is not concerned by the midfielder’s stuttering form.
After impressing on his debut against Southampton last month, the France worldwide came under fire for disappointing displays in defeats to rivals Manchester City and Feyenoord.
He thinks the solution to the Pogba problem could lie in the Bernabeu, as he has identified Toni Kroos and Luka Modric as two players he feels could bring out the best in Pogba.
“Pogba needs a controlling midfielder next to him and I think United need to go back in the transfer market for somebody like that”, Scholes told BT Sport. “I prefer to be four in front than four behind, that’s obvious, but as you are saying it’s very early days”.
“Has he got a position?” I think Man United has to show every game, every game, every competition. “He seems to be a little bit all over the place at times”.
“He’s trying to beat three or four players. They bought a powerful, strong midfield player and if he plays the right way, no one can live with him”.
“He’s got the skill, he can pass it forward, he can run”.
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His way of thinking is what this club wants.
