Nemanja Matic looks a much better player for Manchester United without Paul Pogba next to him. That’s according to journalist Duncan Castles, who says Matic does not have to worry about covering the out-of-sorts Frenchman in the middle of the park. Pogba has started on the bench in United’s last two Premier League outings as a result of his below-par form. The 25-year-old was reintroduced to the starting line-up for their trip to Valencia in the Champions League on Wednesday, but he failed to impress in a 2-1 defeat for Jose Mourinho’s side. Today, United go away to arch-rivals Liverpool in what will prove a crucial afternoon for their top-four hopes. Castles believes they obtain the best defensive midfielder of the two teams in Matic, however, and says the Serbian has improved since Pogba has been dropped to the bench.
“I think Matic is the best technically and tactically of all the defensive midfielders between the two teams,” he told The Transfer Window podcast. “And I think you’ve seen since Pogba’s been dropped out of the team the improvement in Matic’s performances for Manchester United and I think that’s a direct result that when Matic has to play with Paul Pogba in the side, [he] doesn’t know what Pogba’s gonna do. “He doesn’t know when he’s gonna try and flick the ball over an opponent and give the ball away in a bad position, he doesn’t know whether he’s gonna come back and take up his proper position in the midfield line and he therefore has to compensate for him, which puts a huge amount of pressure on a player in that role. Paul Pogba has been dropped to the bench in Manchester United’s last two Premier League games. “Although Manchester United had the least distance covered of any of the Premier League teams in January, despite being second top of the league, Nemanja Matic at the end of the season had covered more distance than all but four other players in the Premier League.
“So if you’re in a team that conserves energy and doesn’t run a lot, and you run more than just about every other player in the Premier League, I think there’s a clear reason why you’re having to run more, and I think that reason is Paul Pogba.” Pogba is unlikely to start for United at Anfield tomorrow, with Mourinho expected to deploy Ander Herrera next to Matic in central midfield. When asked if his opponents are better or worse without Pogba, Jurgen Klopp insisted Liverpool will be preparing for a ‘world class’ player. “I don’t know how much you ask Jose Mourinho about players from us? Does somebody ask him about Gini Wijnaldum? I think 100 per cent not,” he said. “What can I say? Paul Pogba is a world-class player. “That’s all I can say, and he’s a Man United player so I think we should prepare for him as well.”
