Parker questions whether Pogba respects his teammates

Matt Stead

Paul Pogba does not “respect the people around him” at Manchester United, according to former defender Paul Parker.

Pogba joined United in a world-record move from Juventus in August, and has been one of their better performers this season.

In terms of statistics however, the Frenchman has only seven goals and five assists in 35 appearances. Instead, he has mastered the unmeasurables.

But former United right-back Parker believes that the 23-year-old is displaying his lack of “respect” for his teammates by trying to do everything himself.

“It’s impossible for Pogba to justify his fee unless he scores fifteen goals a season and has twenty-five assists,” Parker said.

“The problem is that he’s not playing with the same calibre of players that he had at Juventus so he’s trying to do too much and holds onto the ball too long. He never had so many touches of the ball at Juventus because maybe now he feels he doesn’t have the players around him who he respects.

“Maybe if he kept it more simple and began respecting the people around him he’d do more instead of just flashes.

“He talks of how many times he’s hit the woodwork but I’m pretty sure that Opta count that as being off target. How is that now becoming a positive? Add those eight times to the other occasions he’s been off target and it doesn’t look good.”