France coach Didier Deschamps has leapt to the defence of his World Cup “leader” Paul Pogba, describing him as a team player who has been misunderstood by some fans and the media.
Deschamps was the guest of honour at the FIFA football Conference in London, where more than 300 international coaches, including England’s Gareth Southgate and Wales boss Ryan Giggs, gathered on Sunday to discuss lessons learned from this summer’s World Cup.
Asked how he got more out of Pogba in Russia than Jose Mourinho is managing to at Manchester United, the 49-year-old French said: “I think the rest of the world, and certainly in France, has an image of Paul Pogba that doesn’t really reflect who he is.
“He’s been in the national team since 2013 and he’s always thought about the collective. There’s this idea that he’s a bit individualistic and only thinks about himself but that’s not the case at all. I think that’s one thing that needs to be said.
“Another is that he arrived at the World Cup really prepared and he took on the mantle of leadership, on and off the pitch. He became a bit of a spokesman for the team and he can do that because he’s a good speaker.
“I’ve spoken to him about his relationship with the media and I think he’s been unfairly criticised in the past. That’s why there has been this aggressive vibe and he’s had this strained relationship.
“But criticism is part of the job and I think you learn to take that on board as you get more experienced. That’s what’s happened with him and I think he’s gained some respect. He joined us ready to become a world champion and he took the whole squad with him.”
The 25-year-old midfielder capped a superb World Cup campaign with the decisive third goal in the final against Croatia and his overall play for France was far more consistent and disciplined than anything United fans have seen from him since he rejoined the club for a then-world record £89million in 2016.
And Pogba’s patchy club form has continued this season – superb one game, sloppy the next, while on Saturday he set up United’s opener only to lose the ball for Wolves’ equaliser.
