Man Utd news: Paul Pogba thanks Jose Mourinho and team-mates for one reason
PAUL POGBA believes Manchester United have turned the corner after their early-season crisis but insists there is still far more to come from Jose Mourinho’s team.
Posted Friday, September 21, 2018 by Express.co.uk
Paul Pogba has thanked Jose Mourinho and his team-mates
United have responded positively to their back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Tottenham by winning three successive away games.
Pogba, who scored twice and set up Anthony Martial for the other goal in the 3-0 win against Young Boys which gave Untied a flying start to their Champions League campaign, said confidence is improving, the team is mentally stronger and the competition for places is keeping players on their toes.
"Obviously when you win you are happier, mentally we are stronger we get better, we change the team but even the players who come in feel already like they are in the team, and that’s all we need,” said Pogba.
"It’s a very important win because it was the first game in the Champions League, we needed to start well and we did. We had the result we wanted, maybe the performance should be better, but we have the result and three points.”
Pogba’s double – the first a superb shot and the second a penalty – steadied Untied after an anxious first half an hour on the artificial pitch at the Stade de Suisse.
And he thanked manager Mourinho and his team-mates for allowing him to carry on taking penalties after he had a spot kick saved by Joe Hart at Burnley.
Pogba said: “I didn’t have any doubts about taking the penalty. I know I missed that one against Burnley.
"Joe Hart got me that time but I won’t make the same mistake.
Paul Pogba missed a penalty against Burnley three weeks ago
"I had the confidence of the players, they let me take it and I should thank them for this, as well as the manager – he let me take it as well.”
Any tension between Pogba and Mourinho appears to be easing with the United manager praising his performance and his guts to take what was a vital penalty.
"I like the player to have the courage to take a penalty after one that he missed,” said Mourinho. “He missed against Burnley. The next penalty the team has, he is there to take it, to make it 2-0 and to kill the game for us.”
Pogba is already on course for a personal best goals tally for a season.
Paul Pogba is congratulated by Mourinho after notching two against Young Boys
He scored nine and six respectively in his first two seasons back at Old Trafford following an £89m move from Juventus where he twice managed 10 in a campaign.
But after his double against Bern took his total to four in the first six games of the season – three of them penalties – the World Cup winner wants more.
He said: “I am happy that the goals I scored were decisive in the win. If I can do it I will try to help the team as much as possible. If I can score a goal or make an assist that will be great.”
Paul Pogba was impressed by Diogo Dalot's debut for Manchester United
Pogba was not the only United star that shone in Switzerland as Portuguese defender Diogo Dalot made an eye-catching first senior appearance.
"For a debut he did really well,” said Pogba. “He suited the team and I’m very happy to see him play like that. All the players were all really proud of him.”
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