Mourinho: Ex-footballers-turned-pundits jealous of Pogba
| MAN UNITED | ROSTOV |
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has hit back at the mounting criticism against Paul Pogba, saying the France midfielder is the victim of jealousy from former professional players now working in the media.
Pogba has been under intense spotlight since his world-record £89.3 million (S$154m) pre-season return to United from Italian side Juventus.
In recent weeks, his form has been widely criticised, especially after Monday's FA Cup quarter-final loss at Chelsea where Pogba seemed to shoulder much of the blame for what was just United's second defeat since early November.
But Mourinho has launched a passionate defence of Pogba, still only 24, and insists his strong personality means that he "does not give a s***" about his critics.
"It is not Paul's fault that he gets 10 times the money some players did in the past," Mourinho said yesterday ahead of the second leg of United's Europa League last-16 tie against Russian side Rostov at Old Trafford tomorrow morning (Singapore time).
"It is not his fault that some pundits are in real trouble with their lives and need every coin to survive and Paul is a multi-millionaire. It is not his fault.
"I think he deserves respect, I think his family deserve respect.
"He is from a working family, a family with three boys and I am sure they need a lot of food on their table each day because they are all giants so I am sure that the mum and dad had to work hard for many, many years for them.
"A kid who came to Manchester as a teenager, who fought for his career here and was not afraid to move and go to another country (Italy) and look for better conditions for him, a kid that reached the top of the world with this work, nobody gave him anything."
The Portuguese manager added: "So I am really, really worried with the previous generations that things are going in such a direction that envy is everywhere.
"And I am very happy with Paul and the club is very happy with Paul. And because of his personality he doesn't give a s *** to what people say."
Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is available for the second leg against Rostov, but fellow strikers Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney are still injured. - AFP
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