‘Pogba’s problem is lack of consistency’ – claims Silvestre
Paul Pogba’s main problem is a lack of consistency, according to Mikael Silvestre, who said that France and Manchester United have yet to see the best of the enigmatic midfielder.
Pogba is currently starring for his country at Euro 2020, with Les Bleus already safely through to the round of 16 after finishing ahead of Germany, Portugal and Hungary in Group F.
France didn’t quite manage to live up to their billing as tournament favourites in the first stage, though, and Pogba has only shown flashes of brilliance – most notably during a 2-2 draw with Germany – which has come as little surprise to Silvestre.
The former United defender doesn’t think the 28-year-old has fulfilled his maximum potential at international or club level yet, as he told Ladbrokes: “The problem with Paul Pogba is the consistency – or lack of.
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“When he’s at the top of this game, his level is something else, but he finds it difficult to repeat that game after game.
“I look at it this way; he’s a world-class player, he’s got world-class attributes for sure. The question is, can he repeat it every three days? I’m not sure he can.
“He hasn’t done it for Man United, I’m not sure he can do it for France either.”
Silvestre added: “I’m always happy to see him on the pitch for club or country, because he’s been unlucky with injuries. The frustrating part is that we haven’t seen him reach his levels week-in, week-out.
“I don’t know whether it’s a psychological thing or a physical thing. I’m a Man United supporter and a France supporter, so I’m always hoping that whoever he represents, we see the best of him, because we saw against Germany just how much he can give to the team.”
Silvestre’s comments go against the general consensus with regards to Pogba, who has often been accused of saving his best performances for French national team duty.
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The mercurial playmaker made his international debut in 2013 and has since made 83 appearances for his country, scoring 10 goals and laying on another eight for his team-mates.
Pogba helped France reach the European Championships final in 2016 before playing a key role in their run to glory at the World Cup in Russia two years later, including a decisive goal in their 4-2 final win over Croatia.
Pogba returned to Old Trafford for a second spell in 2016, having been sold to Juventus four years earlier when he was still on the fringes of the Red Devils first team.
United invested a club record £89 million ($124m) to bring him back, and he has since provided 38 goals and 42 assists in 206 games across all competitions, but has also missed a large number of matches through injury.
Pogba has ultimately been unable to inspire the club back to the top of English and European football, picking up just three trophies to date, the last of which came back in 2017.