Paul Pogba caused Manchester United 'all sorts of problems' with performance against Tottenham
Pogba was hauled off after 63 minutes during Wednesday's 2-0 defeat
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Paul Pogba was responsible for causing his Manchester United teammates “all sorts of problems” during their 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night, according Danny Murphy.
The Frenchman was withdrawn just after the hour mark for Marouane Fellaini – who was subsequently substituted himself seven minutes later – after failing to make an impact as Spurs overran United.
The defeat brought an end to Pogba’s 36-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League that spanned back to 2016.
Jose Mourinho played Pogba in a deeper central midfield role against Spurs and Murphy believes whole he is a world-class attacking midfielder, he doesn’t have the mindset to fulfil the defensive responsibilities bestowed on him.
“Pogba is one of the best attacking midfielders in the world, but defensively he is reactive rather than proactive,” Murphy said on BBC’s Match of the Day. “[Phil] Jones and [Chris] Smalling kept getting dragged out because Pogba kept vacating that space next to [Nemanja] Matic, and it just caused United all sorts of problems.
“Pogba has been great for United and I prefer him in a more attacking role. In terms of his defensive discipline, it’s not really in his nature.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments