What’s the story?
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is unhappy with world-record signing Paul Pogba’s focus on off-field activities and wants the Frenchman to instead, concentrate on his job on the field. According to MirrorFootball, the Portuguese lost it after Pogba’s Twitter emoji was released and he had it printed on his shoes for one of United’s games.
The report adds that Mourinho even threatened to drop the £89 million-man, should his commercial commitments affect his on-field performances. The former Juventus star is one of the biggest crowd pullers in modern football right now and has huge commercial deals, which involve certain commitments.
While the 54-year-old was comfortable with Pogba’s off-field activities as long as it didn’t affect his performances, the whole Twitter emoji saga angered him a lot and he wants the 24-year-old to focus on his career at Old Trafford.
In case you didn’t know...
Paul Pogba returned to Manchester United earlier in the season after spending 4-years at Juventus for a world-record fee of £89.3 million. The Frenchman has since produced some performances of the highest quality but has received criticism for not justifying his astronomical price tag.
Despite the huge outlay on Pogba, the Old Trafford outfit have failed to challenge for top honours this season and currently find themselves fighting for a place in the top 4 of the league table.
The heart of the matter
Pogba is one of the most marketable footballers in the world of football right now and became the first footballer to have his own dedicated Twitter emoji. The 24-year-old also got the Emoji printed on the boots that he wore during the Red Devils’ encounter against Leicester City in February.
Due to his enormous marketability and his commercial deals, the former Juventus star spends a lot of time concentrating on his other commitments apart from football and this has angered the Portuguese manager as he feels the Frenchman’s distractions are hampering his team’s form.
What's next?
Manchester United have 11 games left in their campaign from now until the end of the season and Jose Mourinho would expect his squad to give their all so that the team can finish in the top 4 and ensure qualification to the UEFA Champions League for the upcoming season.
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The 54-year-old would certainly want his star players – especially Pogba – to raise their game and help the Red Devils cross the line.
Author’s Take
While it is too early to judge whether Paul Pogba has been a success or a flop at Manchester United, the Frenchman does indeed need to focus on his on-field commitments rather than his off-field activities to become one of the best players in the world.
The 24-year-old still has a lot to do to justify his astronomical price tag, especially given the achievements of other world record transfers including Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.
