Mikael Silvestre, a former Manchester United and France defender, has questioned Paul Pogba's effect at Euro 2020 and whether he can produce consistently in tournament games.
Between 1999 and 2008, Silvestre spent nine years at Old Trafford, earning four Premier League crowns, an FA Cup, a League Cup, and a Champions League. He also earned 40 caps for France and won the Confederations Cup in 2001 and 2003, providing him plenty of experience in the situations Pogba is presently playing in.
DON'T MISS:
Pogba has spent the last five seasons with Manchester United, and his form has been hit or miss, earning him a lot of flak for his lack of consistency in a red shirt.
However, veteran defender Silvestre, who is a big fan of both United and France, reckons he has seen enough of Pogba to doubt his ability to make an impact at a summer tournament.
"The problem with Paul Pogba is the consistency – or lack thereof," the 43-year-old told Ladbrokes during the launch of their European Championships 5-a-side Bet. His level is something else when he's at the top of the game, but he finds it tough to reproduce that game after game.
DON'T MISS:
“I look at it like this: he's a world-class player with world-class attributes. Is it possible for him to do it every three days? I'm not sure he'll be able to. He hasn't done it for Man United, and I doubt he will be able to do it for France."
Pogba was outstanding in the win over Germany, but was replaced following a less effective effort in the 2-2 tie with Hungary, before returning to form in the 2-2 draw with Portugal.
Silvestre believes Pogba can repeat his Germany performance on a more consistent basis.
"I'm always glad to see him on the pitch for club or country," he added, "since he's had a string of bad luck with injuries." The unfortunate issue is that we haven't seen him perform at his best on a consistent basis. I'm not sure whether it's a psychological or physical issue.
“I'm a Man United and France fan, so I always hope that whichever he represents brings out the best in him, because we witnessed how much he can give to the squad against Germany.”
On Monday, June 28th, at 8 p.m. in Bucharest, France will face Switzerland in the Round of 16, with Pogba likely to start in midfield once more.
No comments:
Post a Comment