I love to dance but it’s strictly football first…
IN BRUSSELS PAUL POGBA has rounded on his critics who say he has not justified his status as the world’s most expensive player this season.
Manchester United’s prodigal son claims that for the “mountain” £89 million transfer fee they paid to bring him ‘home’ from Juventus, people expect him to be a striker, defender and a midfielder.
And he insists his burgeoning social media activity, constantly changing hairstyles and dance routines with close pal Jesse Lingard are not a distraction to his efforts on the pitch.
Pogba says the Premier League is more competitive than Serie A where he won four successive titles with Juve but is happy with the way his first season is panning out.
He has scored seven goals and contributed 10 assists but if the eight efforts that have struck the woodwork this season had all gone in, he would have 15 goals which would have quietened some of the flak.
Speaking ahead of the Europa League quarter-final first leg against Anderlecht here tonight, he said: “I feel great. We have won two trophies – the Community Shield and the League Cup. Obviously I want to do better, you can always do better.
“But I can say I’m doing good, the team is doing good and we are looking forward to winning the Europa League and we are going to fight for the top four.
“We can forget about the transfer fee. It’s in the past. I think about the pitch, I think about myself, doing good on the pitch, doing good for the team. That’s it.
“People are looking at me and they judge me on not scoring goals and stuff like this. If I was scoring goals, the people wouldn’t talk like this. The transfer is something else.
“I’m doing a job. I’m a midfield player but some people see me as an attacker and a defender as well. I give some assists to some people and they don’t score – it can happen. Nobody talks about this but it’s fine.
“People talk about the mountain of the transfer. People are looking at me saying, ‘Pogba should score goals, Pogba should do this’. I just have to do my job.
“My job is to make the game. Sometimes if I can make the team win, I will do it. My job is to be a midfielder, make some assists. If I was scoring the goals that hit the crossbar people wouldn’t speak like this.
“It’s true that I’ve had a lot of chances. Once it goes in and once it doesn’t. We keep trying and training hard to make it happen. We always want to do more. We enjoy it and love it.” (4-2-3-1) RUBEN; APPIAH, KARA MBODJI, SPAJIC, OBRADOVIC; DENDONCKER, TIELEMANS; CHIPCIU, HANNI, BRUNO; THELIN (4-2-3-1) ROMERO; VALENCIA, BAILLY, ROJO, BLIND; FELLAINI, HERRERA; MKHITARYAN, POGBA, RASHFORD; IBRAHIMOVIC REF: F Brych (Ger). TV: Bt Sport 2. KICK-OFF: 8.05pm. After walking out on United on a free transfer as an 18-year-old in 2012, Pogba won four successive Serie A titles and reached a Champions League final, but says the English game is harder because it is more competitive and unpredictable.
“In Italy it’s more tactical,” he said. “They score less goals. In England, they attack. The Premier League is very difficult to win. The top five clubs are all very close. They fight until the end.
“The Premier League is very testing. You don’t know what’s
FOURTH MAY NOT BE ENOUGH
LIVERPOOL or Manchester City could be denied a Champions League place if Leicester and Manchester United complete an unlikely European double.
If United win the Europa League and Leicester defy all the odds by winning the Champions League – and neither finish in the top four – England would have six ‘qualifiers’ for Europe’s top club competition.
But the maximum they are allowed under UEFA rules is five. As holders, Leicester would be guaranteed a Champions League place, as would United if they win the Europa League.
That would mean the team finishing fourth in the Premier League would be forced into the Europa League.
With Chelsea and Tottenham battling it out for the title, third-placed Liverpool and City, in fourth, are in danger.
It would be a huge bonus for United fans if they blocked neighbours City or bitter rivals Liverpool from entering the Champions League.
RICHARD TANNER