It would have come as no surprise to Jose Mourinho that everyone at his pre match press conference for the West Ham match wanted to know about Paul Pogba. Now the Manchester United boss has addressed the situation.
From the moment that the news came out that Jose Mourinho had stripped Paul Pogba of the second captaincy at Manchester United earlier this week the Manchester United boss' press conference this week was only going to be about one thing.
The fact that cameras then caught Mourinho and Pogba having a heated discussion at training on Wednesday morning meant the topic of conversation was even more inevitably going to be about the Frenchman.
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Rumours suggest there's a near total breakdown in their relationship and it seems more than likely one, or both, men will leave Old Trafford in the not so distant future.
So to this afternoon's pre match press conference for Saturday's meeting with West Ham. Mourinho explained this week's goings on at training and that Pogba will start the Premier League game:
"He's a player like the others. No player is bigger than the club and if I'm happy with his work he plays, if I'm not happy he doesn't play.
"I'm happy with his work this week, really happy, Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday especially, because today was not so significant but he trained really well.
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"The team needs good players, players with the personality to play - he has that and he plays tomorrow.
"I think for you was amazing because you made a story, an incredible story, out of 15 minutes of open training session.
"But what happened the other day happens many days, conversations with players I have many, many, many times.
"That was not the case [on this occasion], but loud criticism, loud instruction, that happens every day, coaching is about that but you make story about it.
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"So I'm happy the rules are only 15 minutes [of filming training] once a month and situations like that are not going to change, there is no chance you will watch a session."
"...But nobody trained better than Paul Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, nobody trained better than him, some trained as well, and tomorrow he plays, so end of the story."
The former Chelsea boss stopped short of revealing what he'd said to Pogba, adding, "No. I cannot tell you. The training session was open, you had some cameras with some potential to get some of the words.
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"Maybe you have to change the potential if you want to know everything that is said because I'm not going to comment, it was a conversation."
United dropped points last week in the Premier League against Wolves and then lost in the Carabao Cup against Derby County, now they need to bounce back against the Hammers.
How long will the relationship between the two stay on decent terms or is Mourinho just lying?
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Paul Pogba, Football News, Carabao Cup, Derby County, Jose Mourinho, Manchester United, Premier League, West Ham