UNITED IN CRISIS Get this mess sorted out or just Pog off! SAMUEL LUCKHURST ON THE RIFT AT THE REDS
JOSE Mourinho is a different personality away from the cameras, posing for photos with fans in the Old Trafford disabled section, hugging a Watford staff member who provided him with the Vicarage Road WiFi code and reenacting a flick he pulled off in Bern.
He is also much more cutting in his analysis of players.
Mourinho was so incandescent with Paul Pogba after the 1-0 defeat at Newcastle in February he lamented his attitude in front of another United first-teamer.
He questioned Pogba’s selfishness and accused him of individualism just as their working relationship began to deteriorate.
The midfielder was hauled off for the second week running at St James’ Park and Mourinho stressed there were ‘no problems.’
The France international had ended his warm-up early and the lasting image that day was that shot of a sullen Pogba on the bench with his hood pulled up.
M.E.N. Sport revealed he was actually unwell during the game and Pogba later confirmed the illness. That Mourinho refused to disclose it fanned the flames of a fire that United just cannot extinguish.
This has rumbled on for the majority of the year.
His agent Mino Raiola responded to United’s interest in Alexis Sanchez in January by offering Pogba to City.
Raiola is the puppeteer pulling Pogba’s strings. He looks upon his clients as ‘family’ and Pogba has had umpteen chances to distance himself from Raiola’s conduct, but hasn’t.
February was fraught for Pogba. United took the unusual step of announcing his omission from the matchday squad for the FA Cup fifth round tie at Huddersfield due to illness and Mourinho started Scott McTominay ahead of him in the Champions League knockout tie at Sevilla four days later. Pogba did not line up in the return leg, either, although he was not 100 per cent fit.
Mourinho and Pogba held a meeting in the wake of the Brighton debacle last month where they thrashed out a peace agreement as a schism threatened to upset the dressing room.
Pogba was empowered by speculation Zinedine Zidane could be in line to replace Mourinho at Old Trafford, and compatriot Anthony Martial’s recent contract negotiations had also weakened Mourinho’s position.
Yet marquee manager and player tried to find a common ground and that resulted in an improved firsthalf against Tottenham, which preceded three straight away victories.
It is understood Mourinho told Pogba there was no realistic chance of him leaving in the last days of the summer transfer window amid links with Barcelona and former club Juventus.
He is also believed to have reminded Pogba he owed the matchgoers proper performances in the wake of the Brighton debacle.
The truce was broken by Pogba’s comments on Saturday.
Whenever Pogba saunters up to a jouralist now it is tantamount to someone approaching a minefield. He ambled up to reporters in the Old Trafford mixed zone and questioned United’s attacking play in the draw with Wolves, possibly informed of what Mourinho had said in his press conference.
“It’s a situation the players knew perfectly,” Mourinho said of Wolves’ midfield duo Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves. “That they press in midfield, these two Portuguese boys, they are both the kind of player that likes to bite, that likes to short distance, to press, they don’t give long time for you to have the ball, to turn, one touch, two touches, you don’t have much of that.”
Pogba wanted one or two touches in the 53rd minute but was robbed by the intense Neves and the counter led to Moutinho’s equaliser.
Mourinho was careful not to single any players out, mindful of the attention his public criticism has generated in recent seasons, yet there was a clear reference to Pogba’s dawdling on the ball.
When Pogba was asked if United required more pace in attack he let out a wry laugh and the chat was only ended by alarmed staff who ushered him away.
Pathetically, Pogba tried to suggest on Twitter journalists had ‘twisted’ his words.
Only the Trumpian faction of United’s keyboard support were going to side with him and the timing of Mourinho’s decision to revoke the ‘second captain’ role from Pogba was not coincidental.
The dressing room dressing down at Carrington on Tuesday was drastic, but deserved, and it was not