Jose Mourinho Defends Paul Pogba's Professionalism & Attempts to Settle 'Best Position' Debate

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been singing the praise of star player Paul Pogba, insisting no other midfielder in the world has more potential after the Frenchman has been the subject of yet more criticism this week.

Pogba got on the wrong side of Mourinho during United's poor 2-0 loss against Tottenham last month, substituted with half an hour left to play after it appeared he was ignoring the manager's tactical instructions. He then dropped for the next game against Huddersfield.

Catherine Ivill/GettyImages

The player's professionalism has often been called into question throughout his time with United, not least this week because of an out-of-context picture that was circulated on social media after Tuesday's emotional Munich Air Disaster memorial at Old Trafford.

However, Mourinho insists there have never been any issues.

"Paul had a very professional behaviour and the week was not different and no different to what Paul is every week," the United boss is quoted as saying by the Manchester Evening News.

PAUL ELLIS/GettyImages

"Paul is a good professional," he continued. "Paul works well. Paul likes to train. I never had a single problem with regard to his professionalism because he is a really good trainer. He's one of the guys who likes to train and enjoy to train."

And when it comes to the debate of Pogba's best position - Ryan Giggs told Sky Sports in detail this week that he should be playing on the left of a trio - Mourinho believes there is no point getting bogged down in such specifics because 'midfield' always just means midfield.

"Box-to-box is not my word of course. For me, with my Portuguese and trying just to translate into the English I just think midfield players and for me Paul is a midfield player," he explained.

"Not a left-back, not a striker. So when people asked the best position for Paul to play: Paul is a midfield player. He can play with one, two, three, he will always be a midfield player. It doesn't matter which tactical system the team plays. For me Paul is a midfield player.

"There are so many opinions and we are in the world of opinions and people can get a little bit confused but between me and Paul there is no confusions. Paul is a midfield player and it is difficult to find a midfield player with more potential."