Jose Mourinho, the coach of the 20 times Premier League champion Manchester United, have decided to strip midfielder Paul Pogba from the role of the vice-captain.
Football news: Mourinho is in no hurry to reveal why he decided not to give the midfielder the armband
There were reports circulating prior to the match against Derby County, where the midfielder was being rested. The Red Devils lost the Carabao Cup match by 8-7 in the penalty shoot-out on Tuesday.
Mourinho has slammed Pogba that he does not possess the right temperament for the job and hence he would never wear the captain’s armband for the Premier League giants.
The World Cup winner from France have captained the Red Devils in three games during the absence of Antonio Valencia, which also included the Premier League opening game against Leicester City.
Mourinho’s decision to give the armband to Pogba came hard on the heels of suggestions that the La Liga giants Barcelona were trying to secure the 25-year-old player.
But Pogba had made several comments which were supposed to be meant for the coach, and the latest one was made after the 1-1 draw against Wolves on Saturday, which forced the Portuguese coach to confirm the change after the clash with Derby.
He told Sky Sports: “The only truth is that I made the decision of Pogba not to be the second captain anymore. [There was] no fall out.
“The person who made the decision to be second captain was also me. It’s just one decision which I don’t have to explain.”
After United defeated Leicester, Pogba commented that if he says anything he would get fined. Moreover he also conceded that his attitude was not right after the 3-2 defeat at the hands of Brighton and Hove Albion.
Pogba’s latest comments were a dig to the coach’s tactics of “attack, attack, attack” while playing at home. However the French international believes his comments have been misrepresented.
Reports from media suggest that Pogba will not force a transfer during the January window, however he will be ready for options at the end of the campaign.
The Premier League season of 2018-19 has been underway for some time now and after seven games for each side, based on the consistency and performances, it is highly likely that the defending champions Manchester city have the best odds to win the Premier League, as you can see on BettingTop10, and lift once again the coveted trophy.
They will be closely chased by Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool who are currently at the second place with same points as of Man City, only behind based on goal difference. Liverpool are being closely followed by Chelsea and Arsenal while previous year’s runners-up Manchester United are currently experiencing a woeful season and are placed at 10th place on the league table.