Pundit Paul Merson has laid into Paul Pogba ahead of Monday night’s big Premier League clash between Manchester United and Arsenal.
The Red Devils have not looked at all convincing of late, having lost to West Ham last week before only scraping past League One side Rochdale on penalties in the Carabao Cup in midweek.
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Pogba made his comeback from injury in that game, but failed to impress as it finished 1-1 in normal time, forcing a penalty shoot-out.
That’s hardly ideal as United will now need the France international to get back to his best against Arsenal tomorrow night in what will no doubt be a tougher challenge.
Merson, however, was critical of Pogba and of Man Utd in general for failing to show their superiority against Rochdale, stating that the club has lost that fear factor it used to have for so long in the glory days of Sir Alex Ferguson.
“United were so disappointing in the Carabao Cup game. All credit to Rochdale but they shouldn’t be coming off the pitch against Paul Pogba thinking: “How is he a World Cup winner?”” Merson wrote in his column in the Daily Star.
“I always remember playing that great AC Milan side of Franco Baresi and Paulo Maldini in the Super Cup. We thought we were a good team but they just outclassed us. They were another level.
“United should have left those Rochdale players remembering how good they were for the next 25 years. But there’s no fear factor with United any more.
“They’ve had their day winning things. They’re just like everybody else now. They need to take their medicine for the next three years. They’ll be back. But they need to build slowly and wait for that day to come.”