Saturday 17 September 2016 11:43, UK
Jose Mourinho has urged Paul Pogba to ignore his world-record price tag and show Manchester United his true quality.
United paid £89m to bring back the French midfielder, who left old Trafford four years earlier for Juventus in search of first-team football, with a further £4.25m due if certain targets are met.
After back-to-back defeats to Manchester City and Feyenoord, the 23-year-old has been criticised, but the United boss has every confidence Pogba will bounce back.
"The world record player is always a question that will be open until somebody breaks the record," Mourinho said.
"I think there are clubs that paid 20, 30, 40 (million pounds), which is a bigger deal than what Man United paid for Paul because you make a relation between what you pay and the club revenue.
"You realise that other clubs paying 20, 30, 40 is a much bigger thing than what Man United did, and I just want Paul to forget that and to play his football.
"Euro final, no pre-season, holidays, come back - it's normal that in the first week he had the very good impact in the first game. It's normal that after the first game he has a little decrease, but I am full of trust with him because I know the player he is.
"I know that he is a very good guy with a lot of ambition, so the form will come naturally and will come with the team. The team improves, Paul improves. No problem."
Pogba's form tallies with United's own drop-off after their winning start to life under Mourinho came to a shuddering halt.
They head to Watford on Sunday looking to avoid a third straight defeat, which could see them fall behind six points behind Pep Guardiola's City after just five matches in the Premier League.
Asked, though, if Watford was the biggest match of his short reign given the events of this week, Mourinho said: "Watford? I think Man United has to show every game, every game, every competition.
"The club is too big, the supporters are too passionate for the professionals not to feel that every game is a very important game, so I don't think they should need a defeat or in this case two defeats to try to give everything they have to give.
"It should belong to them and that is what I expect from them - it is that on Sunday we will try to win the match, normal.
"I always feel that my job is that I am an extra source of motivation, but the motivation belongs to the players.
"And if the players at this age need... the great life, the money, they have to do what they want, I think they shouldn't need an extra source of motivation.
"The motivation belongs to themselves so I believe in that, I believe that on Sunday they will try to win the match, try to give absolutely everything and it will be just by them to try to help."
