MOUR A CASE OF CONTE’S GENIUS

JOSE MOURINHO deployed Antonio Conte’s tactics to get the best out of Paul Pogba against Chelsea.

That is the claim of Damien Comolli after France midfielder Pogba (left) returned to the Manchester United midfield alongside Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay.

Comolli (right), former director of football at Tottenham and Liverpool, said the formation – “more 4-2-2-2 than 4-3-3” – was straight out of the Conte coaching manual from his days at Juventus. He said: “Pogba was in the Juventus formation – that is on the left of a midfield three. It is not by chance. He is with two real defensive midfielders behind him with him further forward down the left flank.

“It is a formation that we saw under Conte at Juventus where it worked really well.”