Jose Mourinho Wants Paul Pogba to Replicate France Form for Manchester United

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has challenged midfielder Paul Pogba to bring the form he showcased at the FIFA World Cup with France to Old Trafford this season.

After a season of inconsistency with his club, Pogba went on to star for Les Bleus in Russia, scoring a brilliant goal in the 4-2 win over Croatia in the final.

The showings from Pogba have triggered excitement among United fans about what they may be in store for next season, and Mourinho has said he wants to see more from the former Juventus man, per ESPN (h/t Jamie Jackson of The Guardian).

"I don't think it's about us getting the best out of him," said Mourinho. "It's about him giving the best he has to give. I think the World Cup is the perfect habitat for a player like him to give the best. Why? Because it's closed for a month, where he can only think about football."

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Mourinho went on to hint that he thinks Pogba may lose focus at times. "During a season, you can have a big match then a smaller match, then one even smaller, then you can lose your focus, you can lose your concentration, then comes a big match again," he said.

Football journalist Tom McDermott isn't sure Mourinho is taking the right approach in questioning the player's concentration:

Something did appear to shift in Pogba during the latter stages of the World Cup. Ahead of the tournament, there were doubts about his place in the side, and in the group-stage matches the United man didn't showcase his best form.

It was in the knockout stages where he excelled, shining next to N'Golo Kante in midfield and providing a link between defence and attack. Pogba exerted his class in possession and physicality on opponents in games against Belgium and Croatia, in particular.

Journalist Musa Okwonga believes the Frenchman is now in the right mindset to take the Premier League by storm:

Still, we've seen oscillations in form like this from Pogba in the past, as there have been spells at United when he's been exceptional for a run of games before a sequence of peripheral outings.

The Red Devils haven't always given the player the best platform to perform, and there were times last season when the cautious tactics used by Mourinho weren't to Pogba's benefit. However, in a pragmatic setup playing a deep role for France, Pogba was able to thrive.

For the national team, he does arguably have players better-suited to help him, though, with Kante and Blaise Matuidi colossal defensive figures in midfield and the pace of Kylian Mbappe a constant outlet up top.

Still, journalist Daniel Harris believes Pogba was the difference-maker in Russia:

Pogba has always been something of a conundrum for United and Mourinho, although after the player showed he can perform on the big stage at the World Cup, there is surely a stronger onus on the manager to draw more from the player.

If Mourinho can do so, then it'll only be to the benefit of the team, as Pogba is a force to be reckoned with at full throttle. The dynamic between coach and player is one that'll be intriguing to track throughout the course of the 2018-19 campaign.