Marcel Desailly slams ‘lazy’ Paul Pogba and says star ‘cheats’ Man Utd in scathing rant

In a stinging diatribe against his countryman, former Chelsea captain Marcel Desailly lambasted Paul Pogba for being a ‘lazy’ player and ‘cheating’ Manchester United when selected. Since his comeback from a lengthy period in the treatment room, Pogba has played a significant role under Ralf Rangnick.

Prior to Tuesday’s match against Atletico Madrid, the Frenchman had started six of United’s seven Premier League games. He also started the first leg of their Champions League last 16 ties, scoring one goal and assisting twice in the games he played under Rangnick.

However, he was constantly chastised for his performances prior to the German taking over as interim manager of United. When the Red Devils signed him from Juventus, he set a club record, but he has struggled to live up to his £89 million price tag.

Pogba’s time at Old Trafford appears to be coming to an end, with his contract set to expire in the summer. Negotiations are unlikely to provide a breakthrough, with the Frenchman almost certain to leave on a free transfer.

However, some, including Desailly, do not feel his departure will be as significant as others imagine. The former World Cup winner has criticized Pogba for his ‘lazy’ performances and cautioned United that his countryman avoids putting in the necessary work when his team is defending.

Pogba cannot be compared to Fred, McTominay, or Matic in terms of quality. But he’s a slacker, he’s a slacker. If you give him the opportunity to be a playmaker behind Ronaldo, he will take advantage of it. When things go well, he’s terrific; when things don’t go right offensively, he hasn’t delivered what everyone expected,” Desailly told beIN Sport.

“At the same time, he will cheat a little bit, he will not drop back and assist the midfield on defense.” Fernandes had not produced, so he decided to try something else, and Pogba was a viable alternative; after all, France became a world champion without Pogba in that area, so he put him near to Kante. Pogba is not a disciplined player.”

Pogba did not start United’s 2-1 loss to Atletico Madrid at Old Trafford, which knocked Rangnick’s team out of the Champions League. Instead, he was brought on as a substitute, but he was unable to motivate his team to overcome a 2-1 aggregate deficit.