Jose: Pogba helped our ‘dead defenders’
JOSE MOURINHO praised Paul Pogba’s contribution during United’s third successive Premier League draw against Arsenal.
The midfielder was relegated to the bench for the visit of Unai Emery’s side and was set to be unused as the Reds boss prepared to send on Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata after Alexandre Lacazette regained Arsenal’s advantage in the 68th minute.
However, Jesse Lingard levelled a minute later and the Reds only sent on Fellaini.
Mourinho introduced Pogba in the 75th minute for Lingard as United players succumbed to fatigue. The Reds seemed to thrive up front in Pogba’s absence but Mourinho was complimentary about his contribution. “I think Paul played well,” Mourinho said. “The 15 minutes he was on the pitch he played well, in a moment where our defenders couldn’t push up.
“Every time David de Gea had the ball all my defenders were dead in front of him and I want the team to come up, I want defensive line to push up, I want to play in the opposition half, at that moment we have Fellaini, we have [Romelu] Lukaku, we have Paul, but every time David had the ball, everybody was dead.”
When a reporter suggested the United team looked ‘happier’ without Pogba and Lukaku in the starting XI, Mourinho replied: “I don’t understand where you want me to go. No. As I was saying, I think Paul came on and gave a good contribution and didn’t give a bad contribution. I brought freshness and power and different qualities to the attacking players, but our defenders were dead.
“David de Gea had the ball, waits two minutes for them, step by step to recover positions, or was kicking long. When he was kicking long was Lukaku and Rashford against five Arsenal players. Our defensive players were completely dead.
“And that made it more difficult to keep that happiness for the 95 minutes.”
Mourinho accused Arsenal, who led twice, of ‘diving’ to hold on for a draw. “In the last part of the game was Arsenal wanting the draw, diving, getting the game stopped, waiting for the game to go to end,”