Paul Pogba Was the 'Best Player on the Pitch' vs. Chelsea, Says Jose Mourinho

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba was "the best player on the pitch" during his team's FA Cup quarter-final loss to Chelsea on Monday, according to his manager Jose Mourinho. 

The Red Devils suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge, as they were downed by N'Golo Kante's second-half goal having earlier been reduced to 10 men after Ander Herrera was given his marching orders.

Nevertheless, Mourinho was pleased with the effort of his players and singled out the Frenchman for special praise.

"We have to be positive, the players were phenomenal, but Pogba was by far the best player on the pitch," said the United boss, per Liam Prenderville of the Daily Mirror. "He was a giant on the pitch. After him, all my other boys were fantastic."

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Mourinho went on to say those who are critical of the Frenchman are "envious" of him as "they will never ever earn 10 per cent of what he does."

The coach's assessment that Pogba was the standout man is not an opinion widely shared. 

For much of the match, the world's most expensive player ambled around midfield, struggled to get tackles in, and when he did manage to get on the ball in the final third, he was wasteful in his utilisation of it.

It was a performance in line with an underwhelming first season back at Old Trafford for the 23-year-old since his £89 million move from Juventus. There have been flashes of fantastic talent from Pogba this term, although he's struggled to find consistency in his play and failed to fully adapt to the physicality of the English game.

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At Stamford Bridge, he looked jaded, too, especially in comparison to his effervescent compatriot Kante, who bossed the midfield battle with his energy and aggression. Daniel Storey of Football365 offered an insight into why Pogba may be a little weary:

Of course, there are caveats to the midfielder's poor form. He has played a lot of games, he does have the pressure of that enormous fee on his shoulders and is operating at the hub of a side in transition. At 23, he's still young.

It's why some patience should be afforded to Pogba. As United grow under Mourinho and recruit better players, a sturdier platform should be forged from which he can go and influence games in his style, as he did to such great effect at Juventus alongside the likes of Claudio Marchisio, Sami Khedira, Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo.

Nooruddean Choudry of Joe.co.uk doesn't believe there is any doubting the United man's quality:

Mourinho is a manager who will always stand up for his players, and with that in mind, his assessment of Pogba's display is no surprise. What he will be looking for is a response from his star midfielder.

It's unlikely we'll see the best of the Frenchman until next season, though. While for many, the player should be flourishing already based on the amount paid to recruit him, it's clearly not quite so straightforward. Should Pogba be toiling to a similar extent this time next season, harsh criticism will feel more justifiable.