Jose Mourinho’s flops are turning out to be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s heroes as the Manchester United resurgence continues. Since the dismissal of the former Real Madrid manager, Manchester United have gone nine matches unbeaten in the Premier League winning eight. Solskjaer also oversaw a FA Cup victory over Arsenal.
Manchester United star Paul Pogba is showing his true self on the pitch because he has more freedom since Jose Mourinho’s sacking. That’s according to team-mate Anthony Martial. Pogba has netted six goals and five assists in the eight Premier League games since Mourinho was dismissed. The pair famously didn’t get on and Pogba had grown frustrated at the defensive role he was being asked to play.
The World Cup winner is flourishing under interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in an advanced role and Martial has praised Pogba, suggesting his leadership qualities can guide United to glory. “We all know what quality Paul possesses – Paul is Paul,” he told Sky Sports.
“Now he has got this freedom to play with, I think we are beginning to see the real Paul Pogba play and let’s hope it continues. He is a leader, he talks more in the dressing room than he does on the field to be fair. Technically and with the spoken word, he is a leader in both senses. I hope he can continue to lead us to great things.” Martial recently signed a new deal at the club, keeping him at Old Trafford until 2024.
United have won nine of their 10 games under Solskjaer and are in pole position to break into the top four and Martial believes his side are more than capable of challenging for silverware in the near future. “I don’t think we are very far off the top four now,” he added.“So it is just a case of keeping going, winning as many games as we can so we can ensure a place in those Champions League spots at the end of the season.”
“Any footballer would say the same thing, [my goal is] to win as many titles and trophies as possible, as much silverware as possible and it is also really important to keep developing, progressing and improving as a player over the years.”