Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick calls on fans to back off as he says targetting Paul Pogba doesn’t make any sense
Speaking after his side’s 3-2 win over Norwich City in the Premier League (h/t Daily Mail), Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick defended midfielder Paul Pogba after some fans aimed jeers at the player.
United pulled off a narrow win over the Canaries thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick, as the club moved to within three points of fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who lost to Brighton & Hove Albion earlier in the day.
Despite the victory, Rangnick responded to a section of supporters who booed Pogba at the end of the game, saying that it does not make any sense to take on an individual player, despite him understanding the frustration of the fans.
“The fans are amazing and I can fully understand them being frustrated and disappointed but I don’t think it makes any sense to take on any individual person or player.”
Pogba was taken off just before the winning goal was scored, and had an improved performance in comparison to the past few weeks as he played deep in midfield in the absence of Fred and Scott McTominay.
“It is a collective responsibility”
The victory against Norwich left United in fifth place, three points behind Tottenham Hotspur, who occupy the last remaining spot in the Premier League that allows a team to qualify for the Champions League next season. However, some fans were still left frustrated by the club’s standing, taking a shot at Pogba.
Rangnick said he would always defend his players as it was a collective responsibility, saying that he had heard about his midfielder’s reaction to a chanting against him during the game, but reiterated that it did not make sense to take on one player out of the eleven.
“It is a collective responsibility so I will always defend and protect my players. I didn’t see what he did at the end of the game but I heard about it. It was his reaction to the chanting during the game. As I said, I can understand the fans in a way but I don’t think it makes sense to take on one player.”
The 29-year-old has always been a bit of a controversial figure at Old Trafford, with some sections of fans who like and appreciate him for his tricks and flicks, while others lament the decision to bring him back from Juventus in 2016 as he has underperformed since then.
The incident that Rangnick is referring to is when Pogba sarcastically cupped his ear towards fans as he walked towards the tunnel at full-time. It is maybe confusing to understand why the home crowd is turning against their own player, especially after a win.
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Perhaps it is down to the fact that the World Cup winner is out of contract at the end of the season and set to leave the club, with neither club nor the player giving updates about his future in Manchester. Trophies have also been scarce in recent years, which is another reason for frustration.
With only a few games to go until the end of the season, Rangnick will hope that all of Old Trafford get behind him and his players as they fight to stay on track to claim fourth place and qualify for UCL football next term. Pogba too should understand that he must be professional during what seems to be his last few weeks as Man United player- or he risks tainting his legacy with the Red Devils.
