Man Utd star Paul Pogba blames Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in bizarre claim

Posted Saturday, May 11, 2019 by Express.co.uk

Man Utd star Paul Pogba blames Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in bizarre claim
Paul Pogba says it is unfair to be compared with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (Image: GETTY)

MANCHESTER UNITED star Paul Pogba says Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are to blame for the criticism he has received this season.

Pogba’s form and attitude has come under in for scrutiny following a run of just two goals in his last 14 games for Manchester United in all competitions.

Despite the World Cup scoring 13 Premier League goals this term and chipping in with another nine assists, he has been the main scapegoat for his side’s struggles.

United’s hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League were dashed last weekend after a disappointing 1-1 draw with Huddersfield, a game in which Pogba struggled badly.

They were also dumped out of the Champions League in emphatic fashion by Barcelona in the quarter-finals.

However, Pogba believes a lot of the criticism that comes his way is unwarranted and says Ronaldo and Messi’s incredible stats have put unrealistic expectations on their fellow professionals.

“Football has changed a lot,” the 26-year-old told Icon magazine.

“I grew up watching the exploits of great champions, real legends like [Alessandro] Del Piero, [Luis] Figo, [Francesco] Totti and many others.

“All have been champions, the best in the world, but perhaps many of them did not achieve more than 20 goals per season.

“Now the data, the statistics, the numbers, often seem to have become the only parameter of judgment.

“That, on the one hand, is good, it is part of the evolution of modern football and the desire to play the ball more and more.

“But we often tend to forget how difficult it has always been to score more than 20 goals, even for the big players.

“And today perhaps even more so, because the distance between the teams of high level has been reduced, especially in big competitions.

“Messi and Ronaldo have shown in recent years: doing what they did, maintaining those stats – that is the exception, not the norm.

“If an attacker today scores ten or 15 goals, he is likely to be told that it is not enough. But the player's work must be judged with perspective.

“You have to remember that someone like Pavel Nedved won the Ballon d’Or without his team winning the Champions League or without having scored much himself.

“He was simply the best in his role and was rewarded for what he was capable of doing on the field.”