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Pogba apologizes for ‘stupid mistake’
Paul Pogba has admitted that he made a “stupid mistake” in giving Arsenal their victory at Manchester United.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer felt Sunday’s game at Old Trafford was “0-0 all over the place” until Pogba unnecessarily pounced on Hector Bellerin midway through the second half.
Bellerin appeared to be in a safe position when Pogba entered and only managed to kick the Spaniard, generating the penalty that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang converted to resolve the game.
“Maybe he was a bit out of breath and he made me make this stupid mistake,” the French international told BBC Sport.
- Match report: Man Utd 0-1 Arsenal
“I felt like I touched him a little bit and I knew he was in the area. He shouldn’t have given a penalty like that.
“I’m not the best defensive player in the area, but I can learn and work on that.”
It was the third time Pogba, 27, had conceded a penalty during Solskjaer’s time as United manager. No one else has awarded more than one.
“Paul has raised his hand,” said Solskjaer, who was overseeing his 100th game as United manager.
Pogba has conceded three penalties since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer became Manchester United manager
“He knows he could and should have done better in that case. He knows that if he stays on his feet he will be fine because the child is not going anywhere.”
What does Pogba’s future hold?
Pogba’s mistake will once again attract negative headlines around a player who generates extreme reactions, both positive and negative.
No one will be able to know what the future of Pogba would have been if the coronavirus pandemic had not destroyed the financial structure of the main clubs in Europe.
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has never hidden his desire to take his compatriot to the Bernabéu stadium.
Yet even before the last seven months, Real Madrid’s finances hadn’t adjusted to the kind of fee United wanted for a player they bought from Juventus for £ 90 million in 2016.
Man Utd never appeared – Solskjaer
The chances of it happening during the last closed season were non-existent and it did not appear to be an accident that Pogba’s high-profile and confrontational agent, Mino Raiola, was recently talking about a contract extension.
A one-year option has been activated, bringing Pogba’s current deal to 2022. However, its effectiveness on the field remains the subject of enormous debate.
Even taking the penalty against Arsenal, he combined mixed stats of good passing accuracy (87.5%, the best of United’s attacking players) with the fact that he lost possession 15 times, without any teammates give away the ball more often.
Scott McTominay was the only teammate to cover more ground than Pogba’s 10.26km, but there were no shots, a poor return for someone who is essentially considered an attacking threat.
Clearly, a point is being reached where an important decision needs to be made. If United offers a new deal, it will be huge. If they don’t, they risk losing it for nothing. Based on current evidence, both options could be seen as a gamble.
Solskjaer’s immediate imperative is to get more out of a player who tends to reserve his most effective performances for the international arena.
“We have to do better, the team and I, but it starts with me,” Pogba said.
“Today it cost us the goal with the penalty, but it was a poor performance for the team. We have to do much better.”
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Source: bbc.com
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