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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
James Findlater

Marcel Desailly brands Paul Pogba a 'cheat' in extraordinary attack on Manchester United star

Marcel Desailly has branded Paul Pogba a “cheat” after launching an astonishing attack on the Manchester United midfielder.

Pogba looks likely to exit United for a second time this summer. The 29-year-old is into the final few months of his contract at Old Trafford, and has been linked with a number of clubs ahead of the summer transfer window.

There has been much discussion over Pogba since he made his return to United back in 2016, having originally left the club for Juventus in 2012. Plenty of supporters have been left disappointed by his performances, with many feeling he hasn’t delivered consistently on his obvious talent.

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The Frenchman’s place in the side has also been a hot topic over the years. Managers have struggled to find a suitable position for Pogba since he arrived for his second spell at the club, and he's played multiple roles.

The 2018 World Cup winner was named on the bench as United were knocked out of the Champions League by Atletico Madrid on Tuesday — despite having started just days previously in the win over Tottenham. He eventually came on for Bruno Fernandes, but failed to make an impact on the game.

And Pogba found himself the subject of an extraordinary attack from his fellow countryman Desailly ahead of the game. The former Chelsea defender laid into the midfielder as he spoke on beIN SPORTS on Tuesday night.

"Quality-wise you cannot compare Pogba to Fred or McTominay or Matic but he is lazy, he's lazy. If you allow him to be some kind of playmaker behind Ronaldo he will take advantage of it," said Desailly.

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"When it goes well he is fantastic, but when it doesn't go well — offensively he hasn't brought what everyone was expecting. And at the same time, he will cheat a little bit. He will not drop back and help the midfield on the defensive intensity."

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