The latest episode between Jose Mourinho and Paul Pogba, where they were caught rowing on the Sky Sports cameras at training, shows a complete lack of professionalism from both of them.
You’re off the back of a bad defeat, you know the cameras are there, and you both know full well who they’re focussing on. I also saw Paul Pogba’s Instagram story after that, and even though I’ve said it before, the whole thing between those two is just ludicrous now.
If anybody had any doubts before about how those two feel about each other – it’s been proven for everyone to see. They very clearly don’t get on.
Avoid a training ground bust-up with PaddyPower.com’s football oddsPlayers and managers don’t always get on
But, the fact is, not everyone has to be best friends. Believe me, not everyone got on with Sir Alex Ferguson. There were times in my career where I couldn’t stand Fergie, I didn’t like him or want to talk to him – that’s part of having a boss and being a player.
Not every player is going to like their manager all the time. It’s not about the dislike for each other, it’s about the fact you’re playing for a team and you should want to put that aside and win games.
I said weeks ago that someone needed to put this situation to bed. No one is bigger than Manchester United, yet somehow Pogba thinks he is. There’s been an issue between them for a long time, and it’s been allowed to spiral out of control and get into the mess it’s in now.
Fergie would have dealt with Pogba months ago
There’s absolutely no chance this would have happened under Ferguson. He’d have had the situation dealt with weeks, even months ago. There’s no way that Man United can compete with Liverpool or Man City, or even win trophies, when they’ve got situations like this happening in the club.
I can tell you what Fergie would’ve done, too. There’d have been a complete ban on Pogba speaking to all media. Because it’s obvious that he’s been feeding off the attention he’s been getting and that’s made it even worse.
There’s not a chance in hell that he’d have allowed Pogba to speak to the press after that bad result against Wolves last week.
Anything he does now is a media circus.
If Pogba was 10/10 every week, playing out of his skin and consistently performing, then perhaps he’d have more grounds to come out and disrespect his club. But he’s not. He’s letting his personal vendetta with Mourinho take over his game.
Pogba’s fate is sealed
If this was happening under Sir Alex, he’d have said one thing; ‘He’s going. Get rid of him now.’ Because there’s no chance he’d allow his team to become a joke because of Paul Pogba’s behaviour.
I think his fate is completely sealed and he’ll be gone in January. There’s talk of Mourinho going before him, but it’d be a disgrace if Ed Woodward allowed that to happen.
If you do that, you’re essentially allowing a player to become bigger than the manager and the rest of his team.
It’s time for Woodward to step up and back Jose.
If he tells him that he’s upsetting the dressing room and still not playing at the level he should be, then he needs to back the manager and let him go. Pogba has caused far more trouble than he has good since returning to Man United.
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