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Ferdinand delivers verdict on Pogba’s Man Utd stance

Rio Ferdinand on Paul Pogba
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Rio Ferdinand has delivered his verdict on the statement Manchester United’s Paul Pogba gave while on international duty for France.

Pogba described his life with the France national team as a ‘breath of fresh air,’ whilst on international duty for Didier Deschamps’ side.

“It’s a breath of fresh air when you come here,” he said. “We have a truly fantastic squad. When we come here, we’re all happy.

“We’re all pleased to see one another. We really enjoy ourselves on the pitch.

“That doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy ourselves at club level, but it’s not the same here.

“We’re a real family, and we have so much fun when we come here.”

And while he enjoys playing for his country, the 27-year-old midfielder has often been underperforming for Manchester United.

Although several injury setbacks could be an excuse for Pogba’s lack of form last season, the Frenchman has only himself to blame for the lack of game time this term.

He has clocked up seven Premier League appearances so far, but it’s become clear that he is no longer indispensable for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team.

Jose Mourinho, who managed Pogba before Solskjaer, had previously drawn a comparison between former Juventus midfielder’s game attitude for France and United.

During an interview in 2018, the ‘Special One’ said the motivation players have when representing their countries makes Pogba perform much better for France.

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has now taken a similar stance.

“I understand what he’s saying,” Ferdinand said, as relayed by the Express Sport. “You don’t want to hear it as a Manchester United fan, first and foremost, but we’ve been there.

“We know that when you’re in bad form as an individual, or collective as a team, going away with your national side is very much a breath of fresh air.

“It means you can take your mind off that pressure, get out of that pressure, go into international football, and get a bit of confidence back.

“I think that’s what Paul’s done with two good games. He’ll be in a different frame of mind after that.”

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