The former Red Devils man insists that if the troublesome pair were to be axed, the club would ultimately emerge stronger for it
Former Manchester United defender Paul Parker believes that both Jose Mourinho and Paul Pogba should be shown the exit door at Old Trafford.United have endured a miserable start to the 2018-19 campaign, picking up just 10 points out of a possible 18 in the Premier League and suffering a shock third round Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Championship outfit Derby County.Reports of a fractious relationship between the Portuguese boss and the World Cup-winning midfielder have been circling for months and the situation escalated this week after a dismal 1-1 draw with Wolves last Saturday.In the wake of that result, Pogba criticised the team’s approach to the game with a subtle dig at his manager, suggesting that the Red Devils need to show more attacking intent in order to keep pace with their rivals at the top of the table.Mourinho’s response to the Frenchman’s comments was to strip him of his vice-captaincy duties, which has only added fuel to the fire surrounding the rumours linking the 25-year-old with a move away from the club.The United head coach appears to be on borrowed time in his role at Old Trafford and according to Parker, both men should be forced out if the team is to turn around its fortunes on the pitch.
When asked if he was on Pogba’s side in the debate, Parker said to TalkSport: “No I wouldn’t say that. My way if I go straight to it, I would turn round for Manchester United maybe having to consider both of them going.”Before that, the former defender went into greater detail on the issue, stating: “I think everyone is concerned about it, you have to be.”This isn’t something that is going to go away, this is always going to be around because people are going to make it be around. It’s wanted out there.“I think Paul Pogba, in his own way, is saying and doing enough for it to be talked about. I don’t think Jose Mourinho is helping the situation either by the way he is conducting himself as a manager of Manchester United.
“So it needs to be dealt with.”
Mourinho will now attempt to galvanise his squad ahead of a trip to the London Stadium to face West Ham United on Saturday, which is now a must-win game for United if they are to stay in sight of the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City.Pogba may have lost his responsibilities as skipper, but he remains a key figure in the current squad and supporters will hope he can put this recent set-back behind him to produce the goods on the pitch against the Hammers.