I FELT STRANGE, I WAS STRUGGLING TO BREATHE
Pogba reveals misery of coronavirus battle
PAUL POGBA has revealed the debilitating impact that contracting Covid-19 in pre- season had on his fitness, with the Manchester United midfielder struggling to breathe during games.
The 27- year- old said he was unable to run during his first appearance of the campaign, against Crystal Palace in September, and complained to staff about feeling ‘strange’ in training.
Pogba started against West Ham on Saturday and scored the equaliser that put United on their way to a 3-1 victory in front of 2,000 supporters at the London Stadium.
‘ It’s strange,’ Pogba said of suffering with coronavirus in August. ‘It’s hard to explain. Even in training, I would say to the fitness coach that I feel strange. It’s not me. I got tired very fast and I’m out of breath really fast.
‘The first game of the season, I couldn’t run. I was trying. I spoke with the manager: “I will start the game and let’s see”. But I was very out of breath and it took me a long time to get back to my fitness.’
Pogba, whose form was criticised earlier in the season, continued: ‘It’s good to get back in the team and to score this goal to help the team get back in the game. It’s such a difference. I’m finding my rhythm as well. I feel so much better. I felt I could go again, control the game, getting the ball. That’s what I like.’
After an abysmal first-half showing from United, Pogba was part of a spirited second-half performance that saw off West Ham. That has become a habit. A Premier League table for minutes 0-45 has United in the relegation zone. For 45-90, they are title contenders.
And now, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United are towards the top of the Premier League. They are a draw away from qualifying for the Champions League’s knockout stage, in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals and have Watford in the FA Cup’s third round. Quadruple? Let’s not get silly. But they do have one of the finest footballers around in Bruno Fernandes — although asking him to save Solskjaer’s bacon again and again is unfair.
West Ham could not take the multitude of chances they had before the break. The 2,000 fans here had enjoyed 45 minutes of free-flowing, attacking football from their side. It is no exaggeration to say the hosts could have led 5-0 by the break.
Jarrod Bowen had a goal ruled out for offside. Pablo Fornals struck the side- netting from point- blank range, then hit a post. Sebastien Haller slipped having rounded goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
In the end they led just 1-0 at half time, courtesy of Tomas Soucek. United had been embarrassing.
Then the cavalry arrived — Marcus Rashford for Edinson Cavani, Fernandes for Donny van de Beek — and so did the controversy surrounding Pogba making it 1-1 in the 65th minute. VAR Lee Mason could not say whether the ball had left the field of play in the build-up to the equaliser, with no cameras calibrated to look for that.
Assistant Simon Long wasn’t looking at the flight of Henderson’s clearance because he was checking for offsides. Moyes was, and he insisted it flew over his head in the technical area.
Nevertheless, Pogba’s sweet strike counted. With West Ham rattled, United made it 3-1 with fine finishes from Mason Greenwood and Rashford.
Now free from coronavirus, and back to full fitness, Pogba wants to prove his doubters wrong.
WEST HAM (3-4-3): Fabianski 7.5; Ogbonna 7, Balbuena 7, Cresswell 7; Coufal 6.5 (Johnson 85min), Rice 7, Soucek 7, Masuaku 6.5; Bowen 8 (Lanzini 76), Haller 6, Fornals 6.5 (Benrahma 75, 6). Subs not used: Randolph, Snodgrass, Noble, Diop. Scorer: Soucek 38. Manager: David Moyes 7.
MANCHESTER UTD (4-3-3): Henderson 8; Wan-Bissaka 7, Lindelof 6.5, Maguire 7, Telles 6; Pogba, 6.5, Van de Beek 5 ( FERNANDES 46, 9), McTominay 6.5; Greenwood 6.5, Cavani 5 (Rashford 46, 8), Martial 5 (Mata 62, 8). Subs
not used: Grant, Matic, Williams, Tuanzebe. Scorers: Pogba 65, Greenwood 68, Rashford 78.
Manager: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 7.5. Referee: Andre Marriner 7.