WEST HAM V UNITED
JOSE Mourinho has reminded Paul Pogba no player is bigger than United after their tense exchange in open training on Wednesday.
The midfielder and the Reds boss were filmed engaged in what appeared to be a terse conversation over the French midfielder’s Instagram post during United’s Carabao Cup penalty shoot-out loss to Derby on Tuesday night.
Club sources claimed there was a misunderstanding over the timing of Pogba’s upload but the flashpoint came a day after Mourinho stripped the midfielder of the ‘second captain’ role. Despite a turbulent week in which the Frenchman implored United to ‘attack, attack, attack’ after the Wolves draw last Saturday, Mourinho claimed the player was one of the best trainers this week at Carrington and confirmed he will start at West Ham today.
“Manchester United is bigger than anyone and I have to defend that,” Mourinho proclaimed, agreeing his relationship with Pogba was ‘player-manager.’
“Exactly that,” Mourinho said. “That’s exactly that, I think Paul told that in one of his appearances in the famous mixed zone and is exactly, he is correct. Is a good relation, player-manager.
“No, I cannot tell you [what was said]. The training session was open, you had some cameras with some potential to get some of the words, maybe you have to change the potential if you want to know everything that is said because I’m not going to comment, it was a conversation.
“I explain every detailed to the people that has to know in detail, which is the squad and especially Paul, so Paul and the other players in the squad know in detail the reason why myself and my coaching staff, we decide to do that and I always analyse a player as a player when a player is captain, I analyse the player by the player and captain perspective.
“And after weeks of analysing and changing opinions with my coaching staff we made the decision Paul is just a player and not a captain. Decision made. I informed the player and the players and when I was asked before the match on Tuesday I confirm and now I confirm and now end of the story. “I can anticipate more questions by saying the relation of player manager is good, is not anymore a relation, captain or whether the captain’s manager, the relation is good, nobody trained better than Paul Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, nobody trained better than him, some trained as well, but nobody better. And tomorrow he plays, so end of the story.” When asked whether he could have conducted the exchange in private, Mourinho replied: “I have to train as always, I don’t care about the cameras. What confrontation? “Disruptive? I think for you was amazing because you made a story, an incredible story out of 15 minutes of open training session, maybe is your fault [Karen Shotbolt, the press officer], we should have 15 Jose Mourinho