Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho thinks Paul Pogba was “absolutely brilliant” during France’s World Cup campaign and hopes the midfielder “understands why” he played at the level he did.Pogba helped Les Bleus win the tournament in Russia, with the final seeing him score as Croatia were defeated 4-2 in Moscow. Mourinho, who left the 25-year-old out of his first XI at times last season, spoke about Pogba on Wednesday in Los Angeles.
The Portuguese said: “To win the World Cup can only be a positive thing.I can only imagine that is only positive, is amazing, is fantastic. So many good players never had the chance to be world champions.For Paul, I think to be world champion can only be fantastic. I think the future for him in the French national team, amongst that fantastic group of players, can only be brilliant, and I hope that he understands why he was very good.”
Mourinho was speaking on United’s pre-season tour. He added, according to manutd.com: “I think that’s the point about his performance level and his contribution to a winning team – it’s for him to understand why he was so good, especially in the second part of the competition, quarter-finals, semi-finals, the final, where he was, in my opinion, absolutely brilliant.”Also regarding the man he signed for £89million in the summer of 2016, Mourinho said: “I did with Paul what I did with all my players. I sent a nice message before the World Cup and during it I did not disturb anyone. They needed to focus on the job for their national team. After the World Cup I sent a different message than to the other guys because he won the competition.”
Paul Pogba made Manchester United history with his goal in the final as France beat Croatia 4-2 to win their second World Cup.The midfielder also became the third United player to win a World Cup, joining Bobby Charlton and Nobby Stiles who won with England in 1966. Pogba said he was delighted to prove his critics wrong and and reach an “unbelievable achievement” with his country.
There were claims that both Mourinho and Pogba had some issues going on between them but Pogba recently downplayed the claims saying his ‘small issues’ with the Manchester United boss ‘were nothing in the end’.The France midfielder fell out of favour at Old Trafford during the previous campaign and was not guaranteed a starting position despite costing £89million in 2016.
Pogba even held showdown talks with Mourinho in February, with the pair discussing the 25-year-old’s best position and form following a string of poor performances.In an interview he said: “It was a better season than the previous one.It was an experience. There were some small issues [with Mourinho], but they were nothing in the end.”
Although Pogba appeared 37 times in all competitions last season, the ex-Juventus star was not always an automatic pick and struggled for consistency. He came off the bench four times in all competitions and was substituted on seven occasions as Mourinho attempted to get the best out of him.
Pogba added: ‘Being a substitute, that sort of thing, it helps you to grow. I have to accept it.’
Jose Mourinho believed Paul Pogba’s winner for France against Australia was actually an own goal, but concedes that the Manchester United put in a positive “box-to-box” performance. Those at Old Trafford have not been treated to too many displays from an £89 million asset that could fall into that category since he returned to England in 2016. Pogba was, however, to make a telling contribution for his country in their opening fixture at World Cup 2018, with the 25-year-old edging them to a 2-1 win with an 80th-minute effort.