WORLD BEATER OR WASTE OF MONEY? WHAT THE PUNDITS MAKE OF POGBA
ROY KEANE
(470 appearances, 51 goals, 12 major trophies with Man Utd)
POGBA is a really good player but he’s under a lot of pressure. He was left out at Sevilla but you’d still have him in your starting XI. I look at him off the field and he seems to have a big personality with the cars and haircuts. He just needs to bring that on to the pitch. Of course he has to do better but United’s problems are not just with him.
FRANK LAMPARD
(648 apps, 211 goals, 11 major trophies with Chelsea)
IN THE games I’ve seen recently it’s defensive awareness that would be my problem. When you play big games, you have to have defensive responsibility, whether you’re in a two- or three-man midfield. He’s so athletic and needs to work on it in training and get in the right position as early as he can.
PAUL SCHOLES
(718 apps, 155 goals, 20 major trophies with Man Utd)
I FEEL Jose Mourinho has lost a little bit of trust in him. He doesn’t play the position well defensively. He’s got all the attributes going forward but Mourinho wants solidity in midfield, especially for a big European away game. Pogba is somebody who needs to be told his role and at the minute I don’t think he understands it.
RIO FERDINAND
(455 apps, eight goals, 10 major trophies with Man Utd)
I THINK he needs help sometimes. Just because you’re worth so much money you still need to learn and you need people around you. At Juventus he had Chiellini, Bonucci behind him, Pirlo — people that would have been dictating to him and pulling him around and telling him where to be and that’s what he’s lacking at United.
STEVEN GERRARD
(710 apps, 186 goals, eight major trophies with Liverpool)
HE’S AT that age where he should be mature enough to take Jose Mourinho’s messages on board. To play in a team like Manchester United . . . yeah, you can go forward and create your damage but you have to defend and you have to work hard and run about.
(All speaking on BT Sport except Roy Keane, who was on ITV).