Paul Pogba has risked the wrath of manager Jose Mourinho by claiming Manchester United should ‘-attack, attack, attack’ in home matches.
United were held to a 1-1 draw by Wolves at Old Trafford on Saturday and they are already eight points off the Premier League’s top spot, occupied by Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
Pogba has drawn criticism for what have been perceived to be below-par performances following his key role in France’s World Cup success, while Mourinho has denied a rift with the star midfielder.
And Pogba demanded United – seventh in the table after six matches – take a more aggressive tactical approach in home Premier League matches.
‘We should play much better against Wolves,’ Pogba told reporters. ‘When we are at home we should attack, attack, attack.
‘That’s Old Trafford. We are here to attack. I think teams are scared when they see Manchester United attacking and attacking.
‘That was our mistake today [Saturday]. We’ve had three games at home and we’ve got only four points. It’s not enough.
‘Maybe the attitude should be better and we should play better because, again, we are at Old Trafford and we should just attack and press like we did against Tottenham, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal last season. When we play like this it’s easier for us.’
Pogba indicated after United’s first match of the season, a 2-1 home victory over Leicester City, that he could not speak his mind without risking a punishment from the club.
But the midfielder hinted at dissatisfaction with Mourinho’s style of play after United’s run of three successive wins in all competitions came to an end against Wolves, although he agreed with the Portuguese’s assessment that his side showed a lack of desire.
‘I can’t tell you because I’m a player – it’s not me,’ Pogba replied when asked why United did not cause the newly promoted side more problems.
‘I’m not the manager, I cannot say that, but obviously we should show more options of playing, but I cannot say that because I’m a player. That’s my way of thinking – we should move better, we should move more.
‘It’s true that maybe we should have showed more hunger in some parts. Maybe as well we felt a bit of fatigue because we played Champions League [against Young Boys]. Maybe he’s right, I don’t know.
‘We didn’t lose, but for me we should have won. We are at home, they are three points that we should get.
‘We’ve played six games in the Premier League, it’s not that we should get worried, but we should obviously get closer – get closer and closer. It’s better for us if we get close.’