Paul Pogba urged not to quit Jose Mourinho and Man Utd

Posted Sunday, April 22, 2018 by squawka.com

Former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke believes Paul Pogba should stay at the club amid reports that the Frenchman wishes to leave at the end of the season.

Pogba has come under sustained criticism this season, after some sections of United supporters feel that he has not lived up to the £89million price tag United manager Jose Mourinho paid for the midfielder last season.

There have also been reports of a rift opening up between Pogba and his manager, with suggestions that Mourinho is prepared to cut his losses this summer. Despite the reports, Yorke does not think Pogba should leave the club.

"No, I don’t think he should leave United,” Yorke told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show on Talk Sport.

"When you join United, you are under so much scrutiny, and if you underperform there are always people likely to criticise you – it’s just part and parcel of the game.

"He’s still in that development stage of 24 (sic), and he’ll embrace all this and understand he can’t just perform when he feels like.”

Pogba has struggled to exhibit the same attacking flair that he displayed while playing with Serie A giants Juventus, as the France international has been played in a more cautious system under Mourinho, and Yorke thinks the 25-year-old has not been allowed to express himself.

He continued: “I don’t think he goes out there deliberately trying not to perform, I just think he’s not been able to express himself.

"It’s all about character, and understanding the character of the people you have brought to the football club. He’s a showman, Paul Pogba, and a great guy – you can’t take that away from him because that is his personality and he likes to express himself.

"I feel at times he has been restricted – defensively he has to contribute to the team, and it’s not just about Paul Pogba, it is about the team – but when it comes to the character of the person, Pogba is an entertainer.

"He wants to entertain, and sometimes he is not allowed to do that.”

Paul Pogba urged not to quit Jose Mourinho and Man Utd

Criticism of Pogba this season has certainly been over blown to a degree as the Frenchman has equalled his goalscoring record from last season (5) and created 10 assists – seven more than last season’s tally – all coming from seven fewer appearances in the Premier League.

Expect this narrative to change once more after Pogba’s performance in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday as the Frenchman put in a commanding performance, which saw him set up Alexis Sanchez’s equaliser, to help his side advance to the final.