Get Manchester United FC updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
Sir Alex Ferguson once said he wouldn't sell Real Madrid a virus. Perhaps Jose Mourinho will.
With stories surfacing that Paul Pogba is unhappy with the hard-knock life of Mourinho's Manchester United boot camp followed by suggestions that the European champions are circling, the £89million man could not have picked a worse moment to go on the sick.
Less than 24 hours earlier, his manager had stated his defiant intention to play Pogba at Huddersfield in the FA Cup.
The Portuguese then got himself even further on the front foot by dismissing all talk of a rift as a “big lie.”
He wouldn't have been impressed when he got an early-morning message that Pogba would spend the day tucked up in bed.
(Image: Getty Images Europe)
(Image: 2018 Getty Images)
At least Mourinho got the tonic of a place in the quarter-finals, two goals by Romelu Lukaku ensuring that there would be no repeat of the drama of United's last visit to the John Smith's Stadium in October.
But claims that Pogba is struggling in his second season at Old Trafford are unlikely to go away until the Frenchman starts delivering value for money.
The irony is that an attempt by United's media team to explain his absence only gave the conspiracy theorists more ammunition.
(Image: Twitter/paulpogba)
The official line from Old Trafford was that Pogba had been taken ill overnight.
But there's the rub. An official statement. Posted on United's Twitter account more than six hours before Mourinho was due to send his team into combat.
This is Manchester United. The club that could give Kim Jong Un lessons in state secrecy.
(Image: REUTERS)
(Image: Getty Images Europe)
Fergie was hard-faced enough to ban journalists if they had the professionalism to tell tales that would alert opposition managers to sensitive team information.
Yet now – presumably with Mourinho's permission – United were telling David Wagner not to bother planning for the Premier League's most expensive player.
And it was hardly a 'get well soon” message that the Portuguese sent to his ailing No 6 before the game.
“I don't care,” said Mourinho, when asked for a deeper explanation into what the club doctor had written on Pogba's sicknote. “I focus on the game. I will think about Paul after the match.”
(Image: Getty Images Europe)
It will be interesting to see what he thinks about his social media-loving midfielder being fit enough to send his team-mates a good luck Tweet.
Huddersfield haven't lifted the Cup for 96 years – and the last time they reached the quarter-finals Bobby Charlton was still playing. Their wait goes on.
Lukaku scored last-minute goals in both of the wins over Derby and Yeovil that had delivered United into round five.
But last night he was in a hurry to book a place in the quarter-finals.
Just 157 seconds were on the clock when Lukaku swapped passes with Juan Mata, shrugged off Chris Schindler, and sent Jonas Lossel tumbling one way with a glance towards the far corner before beating the Town keeper at the opposite post.
Huddersfield's response was good. They lost out when one VAR decision went against them after Chris Smalling had handled, but they got a break just before the break when Mata walked Ashley Young's pass beyond Lossl to score.
(Image: John Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images)
(Image: Action Images via Reuters)
The assistant referee's flag stayed down as Schindler appealed for offside, but the decision was left to Neil Swarbrick in his London studio.
It took a full two minutes for the verdict to come back: no goal. Perhaps Mata will shave his legs next week because that's how tight it was. Graham Poll even suggested that Swarbrick had got it right more by good judgement than the power of technology.
United, however, would not be denied.
Ten minutes after the break and Lukaku was celebrating his 20th goal of a season that's had its share of peaks and troughs.
(Image: REUTERS)
Alexis Sanchez had spent most of the evening showing the kind of selfless toil that Mourinho is demanding from Pogba.
But when the Chilean new-boy led a lightning United breakaway, he also had the quality to spring Lukaku through the middle with a glorious pass.
The Belgian striker didn't make any mistake.
Back in Manchester, his big mate would have felt much better.
Komentar tersebut datang dari mantan pemain United Ray Wilkins, yang menyarankan Pogba diberi kebebasan supaya bisa mengkreasi serangan. OLEH ADHE MAKAYASA Ikuti di twitter Mantan pemain Chelsea dan Manchester United , Ray Wilkins , menilai Jose Mourinho menyia-nyiakan kualitas Paul Pogba karena menduetkannya dengan Nemanja Matic di lini tengah.
Pogba sendiri mulai goyah di United setelah ditarik keluar di pertandingan melawan Tottenham Hotspur dan Newcastle United, bahkan ia ditepikan saat timnya menang melawan Huddersfield Town pada awal bulan.
Wilkins sendiri percaya Pogba adalah pemain luar biasa, namun Mourinho harus mengubah pendekatannya pada eks gelandang Juventus tersebut. Terkait
“Saya pikir dia [Pogba] adalah pemain luar biasa. Dia kelas dunia. Namun saya pikir, jika Anda menduetkannya dengan Nemanja Matic di lini tengah, kemudian Anda banyak menyia-nyiakan kemampuannya,” demikian Wilkins dikutip dari Sky Sports News .
“Secara pribadi saya akan membebaskannya – sedikit mirip perlakuan Chelsea kepada Eden Hazard dengan membiarkannya bermain serta menunjukkan kreativitasnya.
“Dia adalah atlet fenomenal – dia bisa mencetak gol dan memberi assist . Saya hanya berpikir dia sedikit kesulitan dengan sentuhan. Kita semua pernah melalui fase kurang percaya diri dan mungkin dia tengah mengalaminya.”
Our website uses cookies and other similar technologies to improve our site and your online experience. By continuing to use our website you consent to cookies being used. See our Cookie Policy to find out more.
Jose Mourinho saw his Manchester United side bounce back this evening as they faced Huddersfield in the FA Cup.
The competition is United's best chance of silverware and Mourinho got the job done tonight to avoid a replay back at Old Trafford.
The United boss was aware of the threat from today's Premier League rivals having already lost at the John Smith's Stadium this season.
But he needn't have worried as United ran out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Romelu Lukaku.
Paul Pogba was ruled out of the clash this morning through illness. He was due to start the game but was forced to stay at home and was replaced by 19-year-old Ethan Hamilton in the squad.
United were also without Marcus Rashford, Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini and Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the fifth round tie.
Stick with us as we bring you all the reaction LIVE from the John Smith's Stadium.
