Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has explained why he bizarrely substituted Paul Pogba during the defeat to Newcastle United.
The two clubs clashed in the Premier League fixture on Sunday afternoon and it was the Magpies who came away with the 1-0 along with all three points.
Fans were frustrated with many aspects of the game but were particularly upset with the decision to substitute one of their key players when United clearly needed more firepower to try to win.
Some supporters pointed out that Pogba was possible injured as he seemed to struggle during the match and there was a little worry in the pre-match warm-up.
However, Mourinho has since denied that the Frenchman was injured and offered a different reason for why he took him off the field.
According to Football365, Jose said to Sky Sports: “I wanted a better way to come out in the first phase against a team that was defending in a very compact block.
“I was trying that with the simplicity of Michael Carrick because he tries to make everything simple and bring Alexis close to an area to Lukaku where he could be like a second striker to try to win the game.”
The Portuguese manager’s explanation possibly makes things worse, not better and adds more confusion to the already puzzling situation.
With the Red Devils 1-0 down, Jose Mourinho opted to bring in the likes of Michael Carrick and Scott McTominay on the field when it was so clear that the team needed more attacking impetus.
Many fans questioned the former Chelsea boss’s tactics in the first place, wondering why he insists on using a 4-2-3-1 formation when the 4-3-3 so clearly suits Paul Pogba more.
Manchester United played a few times with the latter formation and it always seemed to bring out the best of the team as well as the former Juventus man.