Former EPL star Darren Bent slams Paul Pogba critics

• EPL star Darren Bent has criticised Manchester United fans for not placing faith in Paul Pogba.
• The French midfielder has been inconsistent at Old Trafford and is yet to fulfil his potential in the EPL.

Former EPL striker Darren Bent presented a staunch defence of Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba in an interview with talkSPORT. Bent said that Pogba has received far too much criticism in the EPL and requested fans to give the player some time before jumping to conclusions.

Terming it a 'witch hunt', Darren Bent accused the fans of the EPL giants of focussing all their anger on a single player.

Darren Bent asked Manchester United fans to cut the French midfielder some slack. While Pogba may not have reached his full potential yet in the EPL, Bent is confident that the midfielder will improve in the coming months.

"We've seen how good he is, we've seen what he's done for France at the World Cup, he's absolutely fantastic. So I think people have just got to get off his back. Let him come back and play."

Pogba secured a move to Manchester United in 2016 and has blown hot and cold during his stint in the EPL. The midfielder is a different beast for his national team and was crucial to their iconic 2018 World Cup victory.

Former EPL striker calls Pogba criticism a 'witch hunt'

Paul Pogba has not had the best of times in the EPL. The midfielder had taken the Serie A by storm with Juventus and was tipped to be the player that would restore Manchester United to its former glory in the EPL.

Circumstances, however, played out very differently for the midfielder. Pogba is often called out for his dismissive attitude and has been labelled as a difficult player to work with. The midfielder was virtually ostracised from the team after his public disputes with former coach Jose Mourinho.

Former Tottenham striker Darren Bent felt that Pogba was unfairly being singled out as one of the few EPL players with several points to prove.

"It's kind of a witch hunt now, it's a tough time. I thought that everyone was taking shots at him."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has overseen a resurgence in Pogba's form in the EPL. The French midfielder was a key component of Solskjaer's winning streak when he joined the club. The Frenchman also recorded 16 goals and 11 assists in all competitions in the 2018-19 season and his efforts in the EPL saw him being included in the PFA Team of the year.

"You can see that he plays well. He had that period when Ole Gunnar Solksjaer first got the job, those 8 or 9 games got him into the PFA team of the year because he was that that good."

Pogba suffered consecutive injuries at the start of the 2019-20 season and has played very few games in the EPL owing to his lack of fitness.

"On the pitch, he is a top player. We just haven't seen it consistently enough at Manchester United but at least give him a chance to come back from injury, get himself back into the team and play."

Former EPL star Darren Bent also slammed Pogba's teammates for 'hiding behind' the French midfielder. Manchester United's players have been heavily criticised in the recent past for their sub-standard performances.

"A lot of people have hid behind him. There have been performances from some Manchester United players that have been awful as well. That snuck under the radar because Pogba takes all the criticism away from everybody."

Pogba is set to return ahead of the EPL's Project Restart and Manchester United will be counting on him to put the ghosts of the past to bed. The EPL is a highly competitive league and the Red Devils will need Pogba firing on all cylinders if they are to qualify for the Champions League.

Published 27 May 2020, 16:17 IST