Paul Pogba Says He Should Not Be Compared To Cristiano Ronaldo And Lionel Messi
Manchester United Midfielder Paul Pogba Says He Should Not Be Compared To Cristiano Ronaldo And Lionel Messi
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba believes that players should not be compared to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who he believes have shifted the expectations of footballers.
The France World Cup winner has attracted criticism after his recent form for United, scoring twice in his last 14 games across all competitions, which has fallen below what some would expect.
Overall, Pogba has contributed 13 Premier League goals and nine assists, which makes him the joint-highest central midfielder in England’s top-flight this season, but more is still expected.
Speculation on Pogba’s long-term future continues to float above the head of the former Juventus man and some pundits have suggested United should cash in, arguing he does not offer enough to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
However, Pogba has defended himself from criticism by stating that greater perspective needs to be used as the numbers contributed by Ronaldo and Messi are an ‘exception’.
“Football has changed a lot. I grew up watching the exploits of great champions, real legends like [Alessandro] Del Piero, [Luis] Figo, [Francesco] Totti and many others,” he told Icon Magazine.
“All have been champions, the best in the world, but perhaps many of them did not achieve more than 20 goals per season.
“Now the data, the statistics, the numbers, often seem to have become the only parameter of judgment.
“That, on the one hand, is good, it is part of the evolution of modern football and the desire to play the ball more and more. But we often tend to forget how difficult it has always been to score more than 20 goals, even for the big players.
“And today, perhaps even more so, because the distance between the teams of high level has been reduced, especially in big competitions.
“Messi and Ronaldo have shown in recent years: doing what they did, maintaining those stats – that is the exception, not the norm.
“If an attacker today scores ten or 15 goals, he is likely to be told that it is not enough. But the player’s work must be judged with perspective.
“You have to remember that someone like Pavel Nedved won the Ballon d’Or without his team winning the Champions League or without having scored much himself.
“He was simply the best in his role and was rewarded for what he was capable of doing on the field.”
