3 tactical changes against Newcastle United that possibly saved Jose Mourinho’s job

#1 Giving Pogba the license to roam

Paul Pogba was finally given the freedom he craved for

The bone of contention between Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho this season has been the system which the Portuguese deploy the midfielder in. Two weeks ago, Mourinho was openly criticised by Pogba, after the Frenchman suggested the team needed to “attack” more.

However, on Saturday Pogba finally had his wish as he was liberated to operate in midfield. In one of his most assuring performances in recent times, the former Juventus man took the game by the horn and pulled all the strings in midfield.

Most Man United fans have often accused Pogba of being too sluggish and sometimes lazy. However, this was a new Pogba and his neat combination with Martial was what gave Man United the equaliser.

The decision to free Pogba in the midfield role is one that really paid off for Mourinho. He may not have admitted it in his post-match conference, but it is obvious that the Portuguese knows that Old Trafford craves for attacking football.

And, to bring out the best in Pogba, the midfielder needs to be given the licence to roam. Mourinho did exactly that in the second half against Newcastle and that was one of the reasons whey Man United won. He saved his job too in the process.