Jose Mourinho denied that he utilised Paul Pogba in a centre-back role in the second half against Newcastle and explained that he wanted better distribution from the back.
United trailed 2-0 to the Magpies at half-time and Mourinho withdrew Scott McTominay, who had dropped back into defence after Eric Bailly was replaced by Juan Mata, for Marouane Fellaini in the second 45. Pogba and Nemanja Matic moved back into deeper roles while Fellaini played further forward in a half that United scored three times in.
Pogba had started in a midfield trident with Matic and McTominay but assisted Anthony Martial’s equaliser and played a key role in Alexis Sanchez’s winner in an improved half.
“He didn’t play centre-back,” Mourinho clairfied. “He was playing with Matic in front of [Chris] Smalling because we need some technical quality to bring the ball from the back and the way to have some technical quality to bring the ball from the back was to play Paul and Matic there.”
When asked what he said to the players at half-time to elicit that response, Mourinho replied: “I think you will know what I told, if you want to know, you will know. You know everything, you know what is true, what is not true. I am pretty sure you will make some calls and you will know what we spoke about.”
United supporters repeatedly chanted Mourinho’s name throughout the match and the United manager admitted he was ‘amazed’ by the supoort.
“I’m amazed by that,” Mourinho confessed. “I’m amazed by that, I don’t want that, if I could tell them please don’t do it I would say that, I think this is not about me is about the football club, the club they love, and about the club we represent with all the honour and dignity.
“But I’m amazed by that. At half-time we were losing 2-0 and the fans were magnificent to the team, I don’t speak to me, to the team and that’s fantastic. I used to say in my football memories that one day I beat Liverpool in Anfield 4-1 and I was amazed with the stadium singing Liverpool songs, I was amazed and full of respect by that.
“I’m in a situation [where] I’m losing 2-0 at home in a match that was very important for us to win and the fans were absolutely amazing. I’m really grateful for that and my happiness is not because of myself, is because of the fans and the players. They can go to the national team with a good feeling and the fans can go home with a feeling of victory.”