Jose Mourinho has pleaded with Manchester United fans to give Paul Pogba after an indifferent start to life at Old Trafford.
Neither has had the impact they would have liked since arriving in the summer, with the midfielder coming in for particularly heavy criticism due to his £89million price tag.
The 23-year-old does not seem to yet know his best position in the United side, though that may well be down to Mourinho’s tactics.
Yet, the Special One has insisted the Frenchman still needs to adapt to English football, even if this is his second stint at the club.
“The problem is not the position,” Mourinho told Sky Sports.
“The problem is not the tactical system. The problem is, in my opinion, somebody that comes from a different style of football and needs this time to be at his best level in football that is really difficult to play, especially for midfield players.
“I think it is really difficult to play or adapt from different realities, but he is a phenomenal player.
“We don’t expect Paul to arrive here and the next day to be unbelievable. But the other thing is that we trust him so much that we pass to him this kind of feeling.”
Pogba lit up the Europa League in last week’s 4-1 over Fenerbahce with a brace, including a stunning strike for his second goal. However, until he starts doing it regularly in the Premier League, his transfer fee is going to be under scrutiny.
United welcome Manchester City to the Theatre of Dreams on Wednesday night, and while the EFL Cup won’t be a priority for either side, Mourinho can’t afford another defeat, especially not one in the manner of Sunday’s 4-0 thrashing at Chelsea.
Check out Football Advisor for profitable betting predictions
