Paul Pogba deserved to be dropped by Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, according to the club s former defender Mikael Silvestre.
Pogba was left on the bench for last month s Champions League game at Sevilla, with Scott McTominay preferred, although the France international came on as a first-half substitute due to Ander Herrera s injury.
Mourinho has criticised Pogba s form, with the midfielder struggling in Premier League defeats at Tottenham and Newcastle United, while the 24-year-old made little impact in Monday s comeback win at Crystal Palace.
Silvestre, who played for United between 1999 and 2008, thinks Mourinho made the right decision in leaving former Juventus midfielder Pogba, who was signed for €105million in August 2016, out of his team.
Because of the transfer price tag and where he s been before, coming from Juve, we ve expected him to be the talisman, to be Mr 100 Per Cent , to be fit all the time and to win games for United, Silvestre told Sports Tonight on Dubai Eye 103.8.
Great come back
— Paul Pogba (@paulpogba)
On some occasions he s failed, he s failed [to meet] the expectations. That s why there s a question mark and that s why he was put aside by Jose Mourinho. I think that was very smart from Jose, especially the way he s handled it.
You know it s clear that Paul hasn t played well for us and that s why he s not starting the games and that s the end of story. At least everybody knows the reason why, it s clear.
There is no misunderstanding, there is no maybe Pogba is finished with United , that wasn t the case. He was just not performing at the level everybody is expecting.
Pogba s agent Mino Raiola has denied there is a rift between Mourinho and his client, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid at the end of the season.
