MANCHESTER UTD v CHELSEA JOSE’S SMILE
Spending a penny is tough for £89m Pog
PAUL POGBA was left behind in Brussels by boss Jose Mourinho after Manchester United’s Europa League draw at Anderlecht.
United’s £89million world record star was chosen for testing by UEFA after the game and, as is often the case with players after matches, had trouble immediately providing a sample.
Grumpy Mourinho and his stars headed to the airport leaving Pogba at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium.
And when it became clear Pogba was going to be delayed, the plane carrying Mourinho, his players and directors including Sir Alex Ferguson left Belgium – without Pogba.
Luckily for Mourinho, French star Pogba was then whisked to the airport to catch a second club plane with sponsors and members of the club’s MUTV station.
Unhappy
Said a source: “Because the club had a second plane, the decision was taken to take off and let Pogba travel back with them later.
“The manager wasn’t in the best of moods after seeing the team throw away a victory and he would have been even more unhappy to sit on the tarmac waiting for Pogba to arrive.
“With recovery time at a premium before the game with Chelsea, the manager would have wanted to get the players back to Manchester as quickly as possible.”
Meanwhile, Pogba has been criticised by Graeme Souness for poor decision-making.
Souness says the midfielder “frustrates” him.
Souness said: “I think Jose Mourinho needs a lot more from Pogba, a lot more. He frustrates me.
‘‘He has a certain type of technique and an outrageous GRAEME SOUNESS is certain Jose Mourinho’s bust-up with Antonio Conte at Stamford Bridge was triggered by anger at the Chelsea stars who betrayed him.
And he is convinced that Mourinho will be Mr Nice Guy towards Conte if Manchester United beat the Premier League leaders at Old Trafford today.
Mourinho clashed with Conte back in October as Chelsea walloped United 4-0.
On his first visit back as United manager – following his sacking just months after winning the title – Mourinho felt his Italian rival was being disrespectful as he whipped up the crowd near the end.
The Old Trafford chief was clearly unhappy with Conte’s antics and, at the final whistle, he whispered in his ear (below, right) to let the Blues boss know he thought his gloating behaviour was out of order.
But Souness reckons Mourinho was just taking his frustration out on Conte – and his former players were the real targets.
“If Jose’s not winning he’s against everybody,” said Sky Sports pundit Souness.
“Listen, we’re all the same. When we are winning, we are nice guys, we’re all good guys, everyone’s a good guy.
“But when we are losing, ‘the world’s against you’ mentality comes out.’’
Souness knows plenty about provacative celebrations after famously planting a Galatasaray flag in the centre circle of bitter rivals Fenerbahce after a hostile Istanbul derby when he managed the Turkish side in 1996.
Power