Paul Ince believes Paul Pogba has been a ‘nightmare’ since his return from the World Cup and advised Jose Mourinho to cash in on the Manchester United midfielder.
The France international has been locked in a war of words with his manager and the pair have aired their dirty laundry in public. Pogba lifted the World Cup with France and scored on the opening day of the season for his club in a 2-1 win over Leicester, but sparked speculation about his future by saying ‘there are things that I cannot say otherwise I will get fined’. Ince was unimpressed with the 25-year-old’s behaviour and believes he’s ‘let himself down’.
‘You’d like to think that when Paul Pogba went away to the World Cup, where he was fantastic, he’d have come back with a winners’ medal and felt a lot happier going into the new season,’ Ince told Paddy Power. ‘But, since he’s come back, he’s been a nightmare, As a player, irrespective of whether you’re happy or unhappy, there are ways to conduct yourself.
‘He captained United in their opening game of the season against Leicester, played brilliantly, and then came out with those quotes afterwards. I really can’t understand why he’d do that other than to get attention and set tongues wagging. ‘Paul Pogba has got too much to say. Mourinho made him captain last week, which is a huge honour and one which he seems to underestimate. If Jose really thought so little of him, I doubt he’d have given him the armband. ‘He had a great game, a real captain’s performance, but no one is talking about that because they’re too busy focusing on his off-field antics. I’m just not sure why he’s coming out publicly and disrespecting the club. ‘He’s let himself down.
All he needs to speak about is the team and their performances, rather than himself. It shows a lack of professionalism and discipline.’ Ince is adamant that Manchester United can survive without the Frenchman and advised Mourinho to cash in if the problems persist. ‘I can understand why Mourinho is livid, and I can see why he would tell Pogba to put in a transfer request,’ he added. ‘If he’s so desperate to instigate a move away from Old Trafford, then he should just go.
There is no player bigger than a club – especially not Manchester United. ‘United can’t go on like this for the rest of the season. It’s not all about him. It’s about the full team and the fans. ‘These petty arguments in public just make their issues worse, the focus is off winning games and trophies and it disrupts other players. Pogba could end up alienating himself from his team-mates and the fans if he’s not careful. ‘Ultimately though, Mourinho has the power. He will decide whether Pogba can stay or go. But if he’s so desperate to leave, he should just come out and say that and be transparent about it rather than stupid games. Should Mourinho let him leave? ‘What worries me too, is that under Sir Alex Ferguson, journalists and the public would’ve never heard about any of this. It would have been dealt with internally before it had a chance to come out.’
While the former England international believes United shouldn’t stand in Pogba’s way if he wants to leave, he is concerned that the club is losing its pulling power to replace him. ‘Some of the tension with Pogba I believe has come about because of what’s going on internally at the club,’ he continued. ‘Mourinho had several centre-half targets, and didn’t manage to secure any of them. That is a real concern, and shouldn’t be happening at Manchester United. ‘They’re still the biggest club in the world, but it’s a real worry if they can’t attract the big names or talent anymore. ‘Players used to crawl on their knees to play for the club. The signings, paired with the Pogba issue, is definitely not how fans wanted to start the season.