Darren Fletcher Defends Paul Pogba, Says Manchester United Lack Creativity

Darren Fletcher has defended Paul Pogba, stating the France international has received excessive criticism at Manchester United.

The five-time Premier League winner, now working as a pundit, told TalkSport (h/t Dominic Booth of the Manchester Evening News) Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's squad lacks creativity, and Pogba's absence due to injury has influenced results:

"We are a great counter-attacking side, but Ole wants us to be good in possession as well.

"But we've lost our most creative player this season—Paul Pogba. Pogba, say what you like about him, I think he gets a hard time.

"There is no doubt we've missed him this season—the stats are there [to prove it]. Relative to how people think he's performed—whether he's lived up to the price tag or not—Paul Pogba creates on the pitch, makes things happen, and tries things with his passes, and they've missed that 100 per cent."

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Pogba continues to be the centre of attention at Old Trafford despite making just seven Premier League appearances this term because of a persistent ankle injury. As a result, United have been forced to rely on Scott McTominay to lead the midfield, but the energetic Scot is likely to miss a "few months" out, according to Solskjaer, after suffering a knee injury on Boxing Day.

Fred and Andreas Pereira have taken the opportunity of increased playing time in the centre for United, but the team have lacked the ideas associated with an ambitious club on the pitch.

Solskjaer's men attempted to play a passing style against Manchester City in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, leading to a 3-0 half-time deficit as their neighbours exposed their technical shortcomings.

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Fletcher added there could be more hard days to come for United fans, but he thinks the Norwegian is rebuilding the club in the correct manner:

"It's probably going to take a little bit of pain—it's probably going to take a lot of pain—but I believe that if we stick with the process, we will look back on this period and think, 'yes, we took that pain, but look where we are now because of those decisions.'"

The January transfer window offers United a short opportunity to strengthen their core. The fresh availability of Nemanja Matic after injury provides Solskjaer with a short-term option, but the former Chelsea midfielder cannot solve the team's lack of creativity.

Pogba is expected to be sidelined for another month as he recovers from ankle surgery, but United cannot wait for the Frenchman to heal before solving their midfield selection conundrum.