Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has insisted that he doesn’t “play that game” over reports that he called Paul Pogba a “virus”.
The results at the weekend, when Mourinho’s men drew 2-2 at Southampton, left seventh-placed United eight points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, who they face at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
Mourinho’s relationship with Paul Pogba has come back under the spotlight again in the wake of the Saints game after his poor display.
Reports have emerged of a post-match dressing room exchange between the pair in which Mourinho is said to have called Pogba a “virus”.
When questioned about that on Tuesday, Mourinho said: “I don’t play the game of the suggestions.”
“One thing is an interview I gave to Brazilian television, that you can go there and see what I told. Another thing is to be quoted, quoted by who, how? I don’t speak about that. I don’t play that game.”
Mourinho on reports he called Pogba a virus after the Southampton game: “I don’t play that game.” #mufc [Sky] pic.twitter.com/KePVMVhnWu
— United Xtra (@utdxtra) December 4, 2018
Meanwhile, Mourinho claims that he was misquoted by Brazilian television over it taking a “miracle” for the Red Devils to make it into the top four of the Premier League.
Details of the confrontation with Pogba hitting back at Mourinho’s jibes by suggesting United’s forward players are inhibited under his reign.
The paper claim Pogba complained “he had no one to pass to because his manager’s tactics do not allow players to move around freely in front of him”.
It was a riposte which is claimed was delivered “in a calm manner” with no threat of the situation escalating, while Pogba was not the only man to be on the receiving end of Mourinho’s tongue.