Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Jose’s in a spot of bother
THERE can only be one winner in the power struggle between Jose Mourinho and Paul Pogba that is threatening to rip apart Manchester United.
And at the moment it is Mourinho who is set to come out on top in the battle of the egos, with there seemingly no long-term future for Pogba at United after his latest fall-out with his boss.
Mourinho’s decision to publicly humiliate Pogba, by informing him in front of the rest of the squad that he will never captain United again, has put their relationship at the point of no return.
Angered by Pogba’s role in Wolves’ equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Saturday, Mourinho’s mood further darkened when the midfielder accused his manager of holding back the team with his negative tactics.
That proved the final straw for the Portuguese who hit back by reprimanding Pogba in front of his team-mates, claiming he did not have the qualities required of a captain and informing him he would never wear the armband as long as he remained in charge of United.
The announcement is said to have stunned the France star and the rest of the United squad, with Mourinho deciding on the course of action to underline his authority, which he felt was being undermined by the constant public posturing and proclaiming of United’s £89million club record signing.
Their relationship has been strained since midway through last season, when the Reds chief responded to a dip in the player’s form by axing him for both legs of United’s last-16 Champions League tie against Sevilla.
Further strains appeared in the summer, when Mourinho failed to give Pogba what the player perceived to be due credit for the role he played in France’s World Cup triumph.
Despite that festering ill-feeling between them, Mourinho handed Pogba the captaincy for United’s Premier League opener with Leicester, in which the 25-year-old scored in a 2-1 victory, despite having trained for less than a week after an extended break following his summer exploits.
But after the game, Pogba fuelled the sense of acrimony between him and his manager by claiming he could not say what he really felt, “otherwise I would be fined”, confirming his sense of frustration under Mourinho and desire to play elsewhere as long as he remains in charge.
The simmering tensions were playing out while his agent, Mino Raiola, tried to secure a move away from United for his client, with Barcelona their preferred destination, but the Reds refused to consider the sale.
Matters came to a head on Saturday, with Pogba enraging Mourinho by losing the ball and failing to track back with any intensity, as Wolves scored to earn a point and leave United eight points behind league leaders Liverpool.
The Reds’ executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward (left) yesterday gave his full backing to Mourinho as the club announced its full financial results, and said he would be backed to sign “world-class” players in the upcoming transfer windows.
Woodward is also said to have backed Mourinho’s treatment of Pogba, with senior figures at the club said to have become increasingly tired of the turmoil caused by the player’s outbursts – not helped by his agent’s willingness to stir the situation and clear desire to secure a lucrative move and huge payday for him and his client.
Against that backdrop, it is Mourinho who currently holds the upper hand in their war of wills, with the United hierarchy firmly in his camp.
But if results deteriorate this season and Mourinho cannot haul United into a position where they are competing for the Premier League title and the Champions League, the tables could soon turn on him.