Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was understandably bubbly over Paul Pogba’s excellent run of form as h enthusiastically lauded the World Cup winner’s match-winning solitary goal performance at Fulham and believes the French midfielder has never been fitter and more focused for the club.
“I’m very happy with his performance,” Solskjaer said. “Sometimes ‘impressed’ is a strong word but I know what he can do and it was all about getting Paul fit, running fit, match fit.
“Today, he’s played in the centre midfield role, he made some good runs into the box as well, he made challenges, got an early yellow card as well – which is dangerous – but he kept his discipline well and won tackles for us.
“He does everything. We know Paul can do more or less everything that’s asked of a midfielder. Now he’s putting all the elements together in the same performances, which is great to see.
“I would like to say [he’s never been more focused and fitter], yeah. He’s enjoying his football. He’s happy, mentally very happy, he’s physically in a very good shape and we know all about his talents. And today we decided to play him in midfield and it was worth it.”
When asked whether he himself as a player had scored as spectacularly as Pogba had at Fulham, Solskjaer replied:
“I wouldn’t think so, no. I had a couple of decent left-footed strikes, one in France against Lille [in 2001] but didn’t have 25-yard strikes in the top corner. Great goal.”
Pogba’s second winner in successive weeks with a superb left-footed curler in the 2-1 victory at Craven Cottage to lift United back to the top of the Premier League, making quick history of Manchester City’s brief duration at the top after the latter’s controversial 2-0 win over Aston Villa earlier in the evening.
27-year-old Pogba netted a deflected volley to secure three points at Burnley the previous week and his form has been on the rise since the Carabao Cup quarter-final win at Everton a month ago.
Pogba has played on the left, the right and in central midfield during that time and Solskjaer feels the France international is now operating at his optimum. Which is justifiably cause for joy for both manager and charge as the Norwegian had long taken flak for his staunch defense of the French forward’s stuttering form last season.