Paul Pogba’s International Form Leaves Jose Mourinho Scratching His Head

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has moved away from his Premier League struggles with a fantastic display for his national team in a 3-1 win over World Cup hosts Russia.

The £89 million man played a cameo role in France’s 3-2 defeat at the hands of Colombia four days earlier but Didier Deschamps rewarded him with a starting place at Krestovsky Stadium and Pogba responded the best way possible.

Russian Rhapsody

Paul Pogba took the stage in St Petersburg five minutes before the half-time whistle when he provided the perfect defence-splitting pass towards Kylian Mbappe to break the deadlock.

Only four minutes after the break Pogba got on the scoresheet himself as he swept in a stunning free-kick to double the lead and send his country cruising against the Sbornaya.

It was the first time Paul Pogba provided an assist and found the back of the net in the same game for France and Pogba made sure to celebrate the benchmark in style as he revealed a T-shirt with a birthday message for his father.

Backed by N’Golo Kante and Adrien Rabiot in the centre of the pitch Paul Pogba was given plenty of freedom to roam through the midfield and to use creativity going forward. Didier Deschamps has adopted an approach much different to that Jose Mourinho is enforcing on his star player and the difference was duly noted on Tuesday night.

The French midfielder looked comfortable on the ball and off of it as well, playing with a notable self-confidence, the main element lacking in his Manchester United appearances this season.

What a free kick from Paul Pogba! 🔥🔥 #InternationalReds #MUFC pic.twitter.com/zgfBKSrB2a

— ManUnitedZone (@ManUnitedZone_) March 27, 2018

Premier League Problems

Paul Pogba will most certainly hope Jose Mourinho was watching him play against Russia.

Former Juventus jewel endured a tough time at Old Trafford with Jose Mourinho’s tactical approach working against Pogba’s talents and qualities, resulting in Frenchman being benched by United boss during a challenging period for the club.

The 25-year-old midfielder has started only four of United’s last 10 matches and was even dropped for both legs of his club’s disappointing Last-16 Champions League tie against Sevilla. His form and best position have been called into question with talks of a possible summer exit sparking over the past couple of days as well.

The exit talk has been increased with reports of a bust-up between Mourinho and Pogba but the Portuguese tactician has no intention of letting the Frenchman leave and will do his best to get him back on track at the club level.

What Should Mourinho Do?

Pogba’s display against Russia was a clear indication that Mourinho’s defensive tactics simply don’t suit him.

Manchester United star midfielder has been confined to a more defense-oriented role where Pogba was unable to flaunt his flair, style and use his skillset to create anything meaningful for his team.  Definitely a player who still possesses all attributes to be one of the best players in the world needs to be given more freedom in an advanced midfield role.

Jose Mourinho boasts plenty of defence-oriented midfielders who can back Pogba and allow him to rush forward without being too engaged in defensive duties. The likes of Nemanja Matic in the first place, Ander Herrera and even Marouane Fellaini could be the answer for Mourinho, who needs to unleash Pogba and allow him enough freedom around the final third of the pitch.

Mourinho is even said to have enlisted France boss Didier Deschamps to help him get best out of the midfielder. Yahoo Sports claims Mourinho discussed the best course of action with Deschamps, hoping to get the £89 million player back on track.

Pogba’s Part

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is not the only one to be blamed for Pogba’s current situation.

The French star needs to take responsibility and step up his efforts. Concerns about Pogba not being focused on football enough have been shared by Didier Deschamps and an increasing list of public persons from France.

Former French international Christophe Dugarry slammed Paul Pogba for starring in a TV show for Canal + called ‘Pogba Mondial. The Pogserie’.

The show looks at Pogba’s life at Manchester United which is being interpreted as an inappropriate act of self-promotion in the build-up to a major event when all players – and even the pop-culture icon such as Paul Pogba – should be fully and solely concentrated on football.

With France given an 11/2 price to win the 2018 FIFA World Cup and Manchester United ahead of their 5/2 odds to achieve the FA Cup glory, both his country and club need Pogba at his absolute best.

Both behaviour and form that is.