Pogba insists people are expecting too much
Wilfried offers us so much
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PAUL POGBA has hit back at the critics who say he has not justified his status as the world’s most expensive player this season.
And Manchester United’s £89m man has complained that for the money it took to bring him ‘home’ from Juventus, people expect him to be a striker, defender and a midfielder.
He also insisted his busy social media activity, constantly changing hairstyle and dance routines with close pal Jesse Lingard are not a distraction. Pogba says the Premier League is more competitive than Serie A, where he won four titles with Juve, but is happy with the way his first season is going – having scored seven goals along with 10 assists.
Ahead of the Europa League quarter-final first leg against Anderlecht tonight, he said: “I feel great. We have won two trophies (the Community Shield and the League Cup). Obviously I want to do better.
“But I can say I’m doing good, the team is doing good and we are looking forward to winning the Europa League and we are going to fight for the top four.
Judge
“We can forget about the transfer fee. It’s in the past. I think about the pitch, I think about myself, doing good on the pitch, doing good for the team. That’s it.
“People are looking at me and they judge me on not scoring goals and stuff like this.
“If I was scoring goals, people wouldn’t talk like this, it’s football.
“I’m doing a job. I’m a midfield player but some people see me as an attacker and defender as well.
“I give some assists to some people and they don’t score – it can happen. Nobody talks about this but it’s fine.
“People talk about the mountain of the transfer. People are looking at me, saying, ‘Pogba should score goals, Pogba should do this’. I just have to do my job.
“My job is to be a midfielder, make the game, do some assists. It’s true I’ve had a lot of chances. It’s football. Once it goes in and once it doesn’t. We always want to do more. That’s life, that’s football. We just enjoy it, we love it.”
After walking out on United on a free transfer as an 18-yearold in 2012, Pogba won four Serie A titles and reached a Champions League final.
He says the English game is harder because it is more competitive and unpredictable.
“In Italy, it’s more tactical,” he added. “They score less goals. In England, they attack.
“The Premier League is very difficult to win. It is something you cannot predict. The top five clubs are all very close. They fight until the end.” SAM ALLARDYCE admits Crystal Palace could end up with an offer that is too good to refuse for Wilfried Zaha.
The Eagles winger will be offered a bumper new contract, trebling his wages, this summer to stay at Selhurst Park.
Tottenham and Manchester City are keeping an eye on the 24-year-old’s situation.
Boss Allardyce, speaking at the relaunch of the club’s ‘Palace for Life Foundation’, said: “Wilf, us and the clubs that want him will decide his future.
“There is always a point where it may be impossible ® to turn down what is offered. That is realistic.
“Hopefully we do not get to that point for a long time because he is a rare talent.”
Palace dismissed a £12m bid from Spurs last summer, and asked how much the winger is worth now, Big Sam said: “Who knows? Now you have got competition. The Premier League has got bigger competition than ever before. It is called China.”