Paul Pogba has given Canal+ a revealing interview saying he and Manchester United do not need to get along.
It’s fair to say the 2017/18 season focused a bit too much on supposed friction between the pair, which lead to Pogba playing a cameo role at times – a joke considering Mourinho signed him for a club record fee.
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“There were times when I wasn’t playing, I was on the bench,” Pogba said. “People talked about it a lot. They thought things weren’t going well, but a coach and a player don’t have to be best friends. We dn’t have to go to a restaurant together.
“I had some little niggles, too… Football is all in the head. He put me on the bench, I respond on the pitch, I give my all every time.”
On his future – “You’re never sure of anything, [but] contractually, it’s certain, yes,” Pogba replied when said if he would be at United next season.
Moreover, Pogba went on to acknowledge he has improved under Mourinho.
“He has made me progress in terms of leadership. I had the captain’s armband with Mourinho. It’s the first time at a club. It’s important for me. It’s helped me grow and become a leader for the France team, too.”
In fairness, Pogba makes a valid point. Do you need to be friends with your boss in order to hit your targets at work? The same should go for footballers but it certainly helps if there’s a bond.
It is worrying that he doesn’t fully commit his future to the cause and potential suitors will be rubbing their hands at this update. We know from the saga prior to Pogba’s return to United in 2016 that he loves the attention and dragging the b*llocks out of situations, so we can expect plenty of annoying Instagram posts throughout the summer.
Sigh…
