United paid an eye-watering 105million euros (£89million) to bring back a player who left them four years earlier in search of first-team football, with a further five million euros (£4.25million) due if certain targets are met.
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Walter Mazzarri has dismissed suggestions he holds a grudge against Jose Mourinho and will offer the Manchester United manager a post-game drink at Watford on Sunday.
It is a remarkable, record-breaking fee that sees Pogba stand alone as the world’s most expensive player ever – a price tag that appeared to weigh heavily in United’s disappointing back-to-back defeats to Manchester City and Feyenoord.
“We were trying to push and they were collapsing a little bit because physically they were in trouble and, exactly in that moment, we lose the game”.
The Red Devils did show more urgency after the break, but were caught cold by Tonny Vilhena’s 79th-minute victor despite suspicions of offside against Nicolai Jorgensen – who provided the assist.
“All I can say is at Ciro Ferrara’s farewell game at the San Paolo, Zlatan called me and told me: “Mino, I want to end my career in Naples” he added”.
However, former United midfielder Scholes feels that Pogba has been trying to do “too much” on the ball and wants him to concentrate on the task at hand.
“We play midday Sunday, we are professionals, let’s not make an excuse for Sunday because we have to play these games”. Some of the players were playing their first minutes of the season.
“But I think today we were very good physically and they didn’t create a lot”.
“No, no – I think he showed some class today”, he said smiling when asked if the Frenchman was still in his back pocket. “In the second half they answered to my words at half-time”.
Martial was closest in the first half when he found himself in space just outside the penalty area but fired a half-volley just wide.
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“After that the spirit came in the team and the determination to be there for the last 15 minutes”. We had more intensity than the first half because in the first my players were in control without pushing to try but the second was different. “We fought hard to get the result and after 90 minutes we did”.
