Paul Pogba couldn’t force himself into Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United team because of ill-disciplined displays in the club’s reserve side, according to Darren Fletcher .
The former United midfielder did some coaching with the club’s second string while Pogba was trying to make his way in the game, and says they had to play the Frenchman further forward because he wasn’t suited to the centre of the field at that time.
"I did a spell coaching with the [Manchester United] reserve team which included Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Ravel Morrison – a lot of talented players," the Stoke midfielder said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football coverage of Huddersfield’s 1-0 win over Fulham.
"We played [Pogba] a lot higher up the pitch in attacking areas and we felt like he was the one that could go and win us games really.
"A combination of the fact that we felt he had a little bit of ill-discipline in the middle of the park as more of a central midfielder."
And it was that ill-discipline that was clearly on Ferguson’s mind when a midfield selection crisis forced him to cobble together a side for a league game against Blackburn on New Year’s Eve 2011, which forced Pogba to decide to leave.
"It goes back to that famous game which we though he left Manchester United off the back of, when we lost to Blackburn 3-2," continued Fletcher.
"Everyone was injured really, all the midfielders – Ji-sung Park, Phil Jones and Rafael had spells in midfield, and Paul was on the bench.
"I think at that time we didn’t think he was disciplined enough for the reserve team so to then to jump into the first team in an important game – people can see why [we didn’t start him]."
Pogba left United for Juventus on a free transfer that summer, only to return for £89m four years later.
And Fletcher says he still thinks Pogba is better suited to be on the attack.
“I like to see him in the final third and creating things," he added.
“He played for Juventus [on the left] and I spoke before about his connection with [Anthony] Martial. Pogba can easily drift out wide. He can also get in the box, he’s a big lad. I’d love to see him with a bit more freedom to express himself.”
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