Krishnan Sreekumar
France icon Marcel Desailly slams Manchester United star Paul Pogba for not contributing defensively
Speaking to beIN Sports ahead of Manchester United’s Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid (h/t The Sun), France legend Marcel Desailly slammed Paul Pogba for being lazy and not putting in any defensive work after he was dropped from the starting XI.
Pogba would eventually be introduced by interim manager Ralf Rangnick in the second half to try and make his mark on the game, but the Frenchman was unable to prevent a 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford that saw his side crash out of the Champions League.
With this result, United are guaranteed to end the season without any silverware, extending their trophy drought to five years. Their last title was the UEFA Europa League in 2017, where Pogba was also part of the winning team.
The France international has been a regular for the Red Devils this season under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Rangnick, but last night, he was dropped by the interim manager in a crucial tie in the Champions League, where a victory would have put them through to the quarterfinals.
“He’s lazy”
Against Atletico, Rangnick opted for a midfield pairing of Fred and Scott McTominay and was supported by Bruno Fernandes in front. Desailly, who won the World Cup with France in 1998, said that compared to Fred and Mctominay, his compatriot Pogba is far more skilled and has much more talent.
However, the former Chelsea man believes that Rangnick’s decision to drop Pogba was made as he does not provide the same defensive work rate as his teammates, calling him lazy.
“But he’s lazy, he’s lazy. If you allow him to be a playmaker behind Ronaldo he will take advantage of it. He will not drop back and not drop back and help with the midfield with the defensive intensity the team is looking for.”
Having left United for Juventus in 2012 as a free agent, the player returned to Manchester for a second spell at the club after the Red Devils paid a whopping £89m. However, the jury is still out on whether the star has lived up to expectations at Old Trafford.
Despite helping his side win the League Cup and Europa League in his second debut season in England, Pogba has not been able to inspire the side to other trophies since. At Juventus, the 29-year-old won four consecutive league titles, for comparison.
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The ex-Juventus star has always been a flashy player known for his tricks and flicks, although his technical ability cannot be faulted. Despite being strong on the ball and finding his teammates with accurate passes, the World Cup winner has also been prone to not helping out in defence. He came on around the middle of the second half against Atletico last night and still looked as if he was one of the most tired players on the pitch.
A midfielder is expected to be all across the pitch, helping their side in all aspects of the game. However, Pogba has not shown that commitment yet at United, despite other teammates like Fernandes being seen rushing back to cover in defence. Perhaps Desailly’s criticism of the player is accurate, although Pogba cannot solely be blamed for United’s UCL exit.
