POGBA GAGGED, VALENCIA MADE TO SAY SORRY...
PAUL POGBA has been gagged by Manchester United as the club cracks down on their outspoken star amid fears over player unrest. Captain Antonio Valencia also had clear-the-air talks with Jose Mourinho yesterday after liking a social media post calling for the United manager to be sacked. On another turbulent day for United, Greater Manchester Police contradicted Mourinho’s claim that they were to blame for the Champions League tie with Valencia kicking off late because the team bus was not given an escort. The club have been charged by UEFA over the embarrassment. Pogba declined to talk to reporters after the 0-0 draw, saying: ‘I’ve been told I’m not allowed.’ The media ban follows a series of comments from United’s £89million record signing who is one of a group of players at odds with Mourinho (above). The Frenchman claimed in August that he couldn’t discuss his situation at the club without fear of being fined, and last month appeared to criticise tactics, urging the team to ‘attack, attack, attack’. Pogba, who was subsequently stripped of the vice-captaincy, also angered Mourinho by posting a video on Instagram while watching United’s Carabao Cup exit to Derby last week. As a result, United players were warned about their social media activity, which made Valencia’s blunder all the more extraordinary. The United skipper liked an Instagram post demanding that Mourinho be axed and describing the football being played under him as ‘a punishment’, shortly after telling reporters that he was ‘100 per cent’ behind the manager. Valencia was forced to issue an apology yesterday claiming he had endorsed the comment without even reading it. Other players have also come under fire from Mourinho, who castigated his squad in a 45-minute team meeting on Monday evening, having claimed hours earlier that some of them cared more than others about the current crisis. Staff at the Lowry Hotel could hear Mourinho’s raised voice throughout the briefing which was only meant to last 20 minutes, and left players feeling demoralised. The second of two further team meetings at the Lowry on Tuesday took place a quarter of an hour before United left for Old Trafford at 6pm. But traffic congestion meant that the threemile journey took 75 minutes, forcing UEFA to put back the 8pm kick-off by five minutes. UEFA have charged United over the late arrival and delayed kickoff, although the club are expected to face a fine at worst. Mourinho blamed the problem on Greater Manchester Police refusing to give United an escort to the ground, but GMP yesterday said the club knew that would be the case for such low-risk games. United did know of the traffic issues having told fans to allow more time, but Mourinho — who doesn’t like to get to the ground too early — ignored the advice.