Peter Schmeichel Says Paul Pogba Is Manchester United's 'Problem Child'

Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel has described midfielder Paul Pogba as a "problem child" and questioned the role he's currently being used in.

The France international started Monday's showdown with Arsenal in the Premier League despite fears he would be absent due to injury. He had a quiet game overall, with Scott McTominay scoring for the Red Devils and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on target for the Gunners in a 1-1 draw.

Speaking about the midfielder following the match, former United goalkeeper Schmeichel said he's unsure whether manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's use of Pogba is bringing the best from him, per Optus Sport (h/t Josh Thomas of Goal):

"He's playing very, very deep and I don't understand what his role in this team is.

"Even when Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] made the substitutions and put Pogba further forward, not a lot happened. I agree there were two very good passes from Pogba in this game but it's two, it's not 15 and I kind of see that as a problem because he takes up so much attention and it kind of feels like he's the problem child in this team.

"When you have someone who takes up so much attention from newspapers, from when we talk about him, we need to understand what is his role? What is it that he's going to do for this Manchester United team? At the moment, I'm kind of confused and I don't understand it."

Schmeichel went on to say he thought Pogba was "hiding a little bit" in the first half and believes Red Devils supporters are "not really too happy with him."

Football writer Zach Lowy said he thought the former Juventus man cut a disinterested figure during the Arsenal fixture:

Bleacher Report's Rob Blanchette thought Pogba had a decent game and noted he had been suffering with an injury issue ahead of the match:

Concerns over the midfielder's role extend back beyond Monday's match. While the 26-year-old excelled in the early weeks of Solskjaer's tenure, since coming out of that purple patch the player has reverted to turning in inconsistent displays.

On Monday, he was used as one of the deeper midfield duo alongside McTominay and struggled to make an impact. Pogba has tended to be at his best when deployed in a more attacking role and given freedom to roam in the final third.

One of the big issues for the player is that he's part of an attack that is badly underperforming, per Tyrone Marshall of the Manchester Evening News:

With so many injury issues in the attacking part of the team, Solskjaer is a little hamstrung in regards to which players he fields at the top end of the pitch.

Still, you sense that getting the best out of Pogba is crucial if they are to seriously challenge for a top-four berth in the months to come. As yet, there have been minimal signs this season that Solskjaer knows how to solve this long-term conundrum.