Paul Pogba Opens Up on 'Tough Spell' in His Career & Hails Talent in France Squad
By Tom Gott
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has admitted that his current struggles at club level are something he has never experienced before.
After an ankle injury kept him out for the majority of last season, a fully fit Pogba has managed to start just four Premier League games this season, with just one of those stars coming after the humiliating 6-1 loss to Tottenham.
At international level, however, Pogba continues to shine, and he confessed to RTL (via ESPN) that being able to play for France has helped take his mind off his tricky situation at Old Trafford.
"It is a period that I had never experienced in my career before, where I usually always play and always have the rhythm," he said. "And suddenly that changes. Little by little, I get my sensations back. I am finding myself again. This is what I have to do all the time and be consistent.
"The national team is like a window being opened, it is a breath of fresh air. I was talking with Antoine [Griezmann] and Raphael [Varane] on Saturday. We were sat at lunch together and we were telling each other: 'guys, I don't know if we realise, but this squad is incredible.'
"When we come here, we are all happy to see each other. We are on the pitch, enjoying ourselves. It is not that we are not enjoying ourselves with our clubs but here, it is not the same. This squad is magical in the way we live together."
It's worth pointing out here that Pogba's quotes have been misinterpreted in countless other reports.
His short line of 'it is not the same as the club' has been taken to mean 'I hate Manchester United', but as confirmed by the man who conducted the interview, Philippe Sanfourche, the full quotes tell the whole story and the midfielder was not negative about his club. No 'fresh swipe' here.
Despite that clarity, Pogba's comments came soon after France manager Didier Deschamps insisted that the midfielder 'cannot be happy' at Old Trafford.
Pogba managed just eight minutes off the bench last time out against Everton, during which he was tasked with playing out wide - something which has been common in his appearances since the Spurs loss.
It's stopped Pogba from picking up any kind of momentum, and while he has shown what he can do at international level, it seems Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has different ideas for United.