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Paul Pogba’s problems at Man Utd are down to these two players - Steve Nicol
PAUL POGBA struggles to play at his best for Manchester United because Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial lack consistency.
Man Utd: Lingard and Martial ‘don’t help' Pogba says expert
That is the view of Liverpool legend and ESPN FC pundit Steve Nicol.
Pogba has divided opinion at Manchester United ever since his then world-record return to the club in 2016.
He has often been criticised for not replicating the performances he has put in for France or former club Juventus.
But Nicol has sympathy for the 26-year-old and says he is unable to showcase his full qualities because of Lingard and Martial.
Lingard and Martial don’t help Pogba, for me
Nicol reckons Lingard and Martial prevent Pogba from venturing further forward than he does.
“I’d want him on my team, you know what he’s capable of,” Nicol said of Paul Pogba.
“The problem right now is figuring is he not producing as consistently as we want because of him?
“Or is it because of the team he’s playing in?
“Lingard and Martial don’t help Pogba, for me.
“We’re expecting Pogba to do all the dirty stuff in the middle of the park but we expect him to get forward as well.
“Martial and Lingard, for me, are far too inconsistent and lose the ball too many times.
“So if you’re a guy who’s trying to make runs into the box and try and join in and two of the three strikers are continually [giving it away]…
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“Or he’s thinking ‘are they keeping it or not?’.
“Because if he knows they’re keeping it, he can make all those runs and he can make those runs all day.
“But if he’s having to think twice, ‘well do I go because if I go and he loses it again, there’s a big hole left?’.
“So that’s another problem he has to figure out.”