Jose Mourinho held an extremely defensive and very combative media session today, as he zealously hit back at both critics of the manner in which he plays Paul Pogba, and the media reports claiming a rift between the Manchester United manager and his player. Mourinho met the media a few hours ago to preview tomorrow’s match at Huddersfield Town A.F.C. in the fifth round of the FA Cup, and it was certainly an explosive session.
Pundits all over the world have posited the idea that Mourinho is playing Pogba out of position, and that the Frenchman’s supposed unhappiness at United is rooted in Mourinho is placing him on the pitch. The United boss says the idea that he’s playing the 24-year-old out of position is “bullshit.”
“The position is quite ridiculous,” Mourinho said.
“I would like you to tell me which position Pogba played in against Newcastle. Any one of you want to tell me? We play with Matic as a six, Lingard on the right side of Matic and Pogba on the left side. You know which is the Pogba preferred system? 433. Do you know Pogba’s favorite position in 433? Eight on the left.”
“So it’s easy and honest and objective to say Paul didn’t play well against Newcastle but some of the guys are paid millions, don’t let people read things that are not true, you are paid to read the game and explain the game, don’t say bullshit.”
Pogba is currently suffering through his worst stretch since he returned to Old Trafford. He has not played all 90 minutes in the past three league games, and that’s been due to tactical, not injury reasons.
Mourinho explains Pogba’s struggles as partially stemming from the hamstring injury he suffered in Champions League action back on September 12.
“He had a big injury in the season. He almost went to surgery like [Ousmane] Dembele in Barcelona with a similar injury,” Mourinho continued.
“The decision was not to do it and go to a conservative treatment. He was playing phenomenal after that and before that, he had a red card against Arsenal probably in his best match and the team’s best moment, he was out for a long, long time and in this moment he is not playing well, period.”
“The team needs him at a good level. When he is not a good level the team is not as good. It happens with every team when the most crucial players are not performing.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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