Sworn to silence!
POG READY TO BE UNLEASHED
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NET GAIN: The Spurs No.1 fails to keep out Marcel Sabitzer’s effort in the Champions League defeat at Leipzig in March but the return of Harry Kane (right) should help
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FIGHTING FIT: Pogba gets stuck in with Dan James in training on Thursday
MANCHESTER UNITED flop Paul Pogba is on a mission to silence his critics when the Premier League season returns next week.
The unsettled France star had a miserable campaign with United before football was suspended in March.
He had not made an appearance since Boxing Day due to an ankle problem and had turned out for United just eight times this season.
Pogba has spent the time in lockdown building up his fitness and is relishing the chance to link-up with midfielder Bruno Fernandes for the first time since the Portugal international joined United from Sporting Lisbon.
Louis Saha has revealed he’s spoken to Pogba on the phone and been told by the former Juventus midfielder that he’s ready to shut down the critics when he returns to action.
Former United striker Saha (inset) insists Pogba is “super motivated” and excited about what his partnership with Fernandes can produce for
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men.
Saha said: “He’s one of the best players in the world.
“He had a tough season plagued by injuries but he’s very motivated.
“When I talk to him on the phone, he’s super motivated, so I really want to see not a new Pogba, but Pogba with support.
“I don’t think he was supported. Now he has
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Bruno Fernandes next to him who’s another leader, another creator.
“I’m really excited about that sharing of the responsibilities, I really want to watch that team.
“He’s very motivated, he’s incredibly talented, he already proved himself, but now he has a better platform to improve and shut down the critics, sometimes justified.” Pogba became the most expensive player in world football when he rejoined United from Juventus in 2016 for £89m.
But he hasn’t hit the heights he would have liked and has been consistently linked with a move away from Old Trafford in the last 18 months, with both Real Madrid and Juve believed to want him.
PREMIER LEAGUE managers have been told to urge their players not to swear during games when the season resumes.
League bosses fear a barrage of bad language could dominate matches being staged behind closed doors.
All stadiums will be virtually empty when the 92 remaining fixtures kick off on Wednesday.
The matches will be shown live and TV is likely to pick up players’ voices during the games, with no special measures being put in place for their pitchside microphones.
A top-flight source said: “Footballers are grown men who tend to swear due to the competitive and aggressive nature of their sport. It’s part of life.
“Normally it doesn’t get picked up because of all the noise inside stadiums, but now the atmospheres will be eerily quiet so it might be a problem.
“You can ask them not to swear, but once games get going it will be second nature to some of them.”