Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba needs time to readjust to life back in English football, according to his manager, Jose Mourinho.
The France international re-joined United from Juventus for a record fee of £89m in August, four years after leaving Old Trafford for Turin.
Pogba has been criticised in some quarters for his lacklustre displays for the club so far this season, with many questioning the position he has been used in, but Mourinho has defended the 23-year-old.
The United boss thinks the issue is not so much where the versatile Pogba has played, or the tactical set-up he has been deployed in, but more that the world’s most expensive player is finding it hard to readapt to the game in this country.
“He can play in so many positions,” Mourinho said in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports’ Andy Burton ahead of United’s EFL Cup fourth-round tie with Manchester
City at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.
“The problem is not the position. The problem is not the tactical system. The problem is, in my opinion, somebody that comes from a different style of football and needs this time to be at his best level in football that is really difficult to play, especially for midfield players.”
Mourinho has backed Pogba – who signed a five-year deal with United last summer – to come good over time, claiming his star man is improving with every game.
