Manchester United star Paul Pogba ‘can’t be trusted as a central midfielder’, says Graeme Souness
Liverpool legend Souness has questioned Pogba’s ability to play as a central midfielder as he ‘doesn’t understand the role properly’
Graeme Souness has offered a valid criticism of Paul Pogba that explains why the Manchester United midfielder is not a top class player.
Pogba is preparing to represent France at this summer’s World Cup, and though he seems a shoo-in to start for Les Bleus, fans have been calling for manager Didier Deschamps to drop Pogba to the substitutes bench.
France seem to perform better when Pogba is not selected, and the player himself struggles to show off his best talents while representing his nation.
This is not a problem restricted to international football, however.
Pogba has rarely set the world alight since his transfer to Manchester United in the summer of 2016, with flashes of brilliance coming all too rarely, and nondescript performances the norm.
He is still being judged by his price tag, which is not fair, but it certainly is not a wild accusation to call Pogba’s time at Old Trafford disappointing.
And Souness, the Liverpool legend, has offered a view on Pogba’s struggles for both United and France.
In his column, Souness wrote: ‘Like Jose Mourinho at Manchester United, Didier Deschamps struggles to find a system that gets the best out of Paul Pogba. He should draw a line under that.
‘You can’t trust him as a central midfielder and, ultimately, that’s how Deschamps will see it. He could use Pogba as an impact substitute.
‘If you’re 1-0 up, you’re not bringing him on to close the game down.
‘If you’re chasing the game, he might do something, but still doesn’t understand the midfield role properly.’