Paul Pogba Reportedly Wants Jose Mourinho to Stop Making Him a 'Scapegoat'

Paul Pogba reportedly wants Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho to stop making him the "scapegoat" for the team's struggles.

According to The Sun's Neil Custis, Pogba "laughed off" the dressing down the manager gave him after the Red Devils drew 2-2 with Southampton on Saturday, in which Mourinho is said to have called him a "virus." Pogba also wants the coach to stop laying United's problems at his feet.

United's draw was their third consecutive match without a win in the Premier League. The result leaves them eight points behind fourth-place Arsenal ahead of their clash with the Gunners on Wednesday, and they have a negative goal difference, having conceded 23 times in 14 matches.

Few players emerged with credit from the draw with Southampton, but Pogba was particularly disappointing, as he repeatedly and carelessly gave away possession.

Former footballer David Preece felt Pogba was indicative of the club's problems:

Following the Frenchman's poor showing, football writer Jordan Clarke agreed with Mourinho's reported criticism:

The midfielder has contributed five goals and four assists in all competitions this season (18 matches), though United will have been hoping for more from the player they spent a then-world record £89 million on in 2016.

Even if not in terms of goals and assists, Pogba should at least be playing consistently at a higher level, rather than showing occasional flashes of his brilliance. If he were, United would be higher up the table.

However, Bleacher Report's Rob Blanchette believes Mourinho is a bigger source of United's struggles and took issue with his reported comments on the 25-year-old:

Indeed, it would be easier to identify Pogba as the cause of their struggles if he were the only one falling short of expectations, but few in United's squad aren't.

With so many of their players underperforming, the manager is the more obvious candidate for blame.

Pogba could and should play much better than he is, but his struggles would appear to be a symptom of United's malaise, rather than the cause.

The Red Devils are already up against it if they're to salvage this season and make it a positive one, but to do that, Mourinho needs to keep his best players onside and heal the rift that appears to be forming in the dressing room at Old Trafford.