I’LL CHANGE THE ‘STUTTER’

PAUL POGBA admitted that he must change his penalty technique as Jose Mourinho praised the Manchester United midfielder’s mentality. Pogba’s dithering 28-step run-up did not fool Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford during United’s win at Old Trafford yesterday. Pogba converted the rebound to spare his own blushes. The stutter drew criticism from pundits Gary Neville and Graeme Souness but Mourinho has no issue with the 25-year-old continuing to take United’s spot-kicks. ‘The thing I like is the desire to take it,’ Mourinho said. ‘I don’t like Mickey Mouses, the fragile, who say, “I don’t take penalties”. I like the player who says: “I want to take it.” Paul, can he improve? I think he can. The goalkeepers know his running, they don’t move and they are waiting for his decision so he has to learn from that. But for me the most important thing is he wants to go again.’ Pickford claimed Pogba telegraphed exactly what he was planning and the Frenchman is ready to tinker with his style in future after also missing at Burnley earlier in the season. ‘I was lucky,’ Pogba said. ‘I always try to destabilise the keeper. Maybe they know how I take penalties, maybe I should practise to change it, if the keepers know my step.’ Anthony Martial won the penalty before curling in a sumptuous second goal after half-time, but Everton manager Marco Silva labelled him a diver. ‘It was not a penalty, clearly the player dived,’ Silva said. ‘It leaves a bad sensation. I told the players at half-time it was not a fair result.’ Mourinho, though, heaped praise on Martial. His haring back to defend deep in stoppage time did not go unnoticed and the United manager believes the winger’s attitude has altered. ‘He took quite a long time to understand what we want, quite a long time for his brain and body to be ready for how we want him to play,’ Mourinho said. ‘At the moment he is playing very well. He is understanding things he did not before. He wants to play and he knows that to do that he has to go in a certain direction. ‘Even without the goal his performance would be a good performance.’ Martial is yet to commit his future to United. The club have an option to extend his deal by a year next summer but negotiations have so far been tough. Mourinho added: ‘He has the same natural talents he had one or two years ago but he is improving.’