Manchester United should let go of both Jose Mourinho and Paul Pogba

One of the most talked about situations at the beginning of this season has come out of Old Trafford regarding the situation between under fire manager Jose Mourinho and Manchester United record signing Paul Pogba. The rift between the two looks bad and where the club currently is, there looks no way back for either the manager or player. The club is in disarray, a predicament we never thought we would see at one of the biggest clubs in the world.

The tension between the two has been broadcast extremely publicly, from the pictures shown during training last week to the lack of communication shown after Mourinho felt the need to substitute Pogba during Saturday's defeat at the hands of West Ham United. The match itself only highlighted further how bad currently the mood is within the Manchester United changing room. The former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager looked helpless on the sidelines, more hopeful of a reaction from his underperforming group than actually expecting one. For how good West Ham played, Mourinho's team were equally as poor. The shape of the team was very much questionable, most notable was the inclusion of Scott McTominay in the back three, actually looked like a statement more towards the Manchester United board and a decision in which had more a negative impact on the performance.

This group of players has got far more potential than it is currently showing. Are the differences in the dressing room causing a divide among the players? The constant criticism from Mourinho will certainly not be of any benefit for the players in which he has singled out. Realistically the Manchester United central defenders would have been coming into the season extremely short on confidence as Mourinho earmarked the position as one he needed to and must improve going into this season. This has shone through especially with Eric Bailly.

The Ivorian is the clubs best central defender but his confidence looks low and the lack of support he has received from the manager who signed him is reflected in his performances which has been blown out of proportion when you watch the players surrounding the former Villarreal defender. Mourinho saying he feared for the outcome of the penalty shootout defeat at the hands of Derby when it was coming towards Eric Bailly and Phil Jones to hit was extremely unprofessional and one which has infuriated Manchester United fans who earlier seen two of the Derby defenders both convert penalties.

Lindelof and Bailly have both been signed by Mourinho and been scapegoats thus far this season

The struggles at Old Trafford have certainly not been all down to Jose Mourinho, there is only so much we can blame on the manager but the players currently need lifting and brought together, however, this does not look like it can happen with both Pogba and Mourinho at the club. It looks as if the player and manager have a following among the group at Old Trafford and this is extremely unhealthy. Players such as Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez and Ashley Young must be in a way happy that the two big names are taking much of the attention and the below-par performances from each of these players including others are not getting the focus it deserves.

Ashley Young was given the run around by Felipe Andersen and the rest of the West Ham in the recent defeat

The performances of Pogba have been nowhere near the level that we would have expected going into this season from the World Cup winner. When Mourinho announced Pogba as captain for matches this season, it looked a welcome decision, however, this has backfired his performances have suffered, he drops into areas of the pitch where he is not needed and almost looks like he is hiding in some games. Such is his ability we want to see the Frenchman grab a game by the scruff and lift the players around him. We have seen nothing like this from Pogba. The armband made him feel he could talk more openly with the press and perhaps publicize his disrepute with Mourinho further. Following the Wolves game when Man Utd were lucky to get a point from their home game Pogba was quoted as saying:

'We are at home and we should play much better against Wolves. We are here to attack. When we play like that its easier for us.'

Following that, Pogba was asked what is stopping the team attacking more and his response was: 'I can't tell you because I'm a player, it's not me.'

The former Juventus midfielder has made a number of public statements such as this expressing the lack of attacking football the team plays. The question that would have to be asked in relation to these comments from Pogba is whether he is speaking just for himself or does a number of players within the group feel the same way? The club will need to act soon if this keeps continuing in which Pogba keeps publicly criticizing his manager.

Many of us expect more from both Sanchez and Pogba as well as others within this squad

The club simply has to act, the season is already slipping away from the team, already out of one competition, they once again look like they might be in a fight for only the top four as they are already nine points behind the leaders Manchester City and Liverpool. Do the club sack Mourinho? They should as he looks a shadow of the manager that once graced the Premier League, and right now he looks short of ideas. The board must be considering this right now as the current situation at Manchester United is one that we do not expect to see from such a prestigious club.

What does the club do within the long-term with Paul Pogba? Well, the Frenchman was linked with a return to former club Juventus and also a move to Barcelona during the summer and this looks like it could be playing some part of the disruption of Pogba at Old Trafford. Pogba, since his return to Old Trafford for a club record deal, has played nowhere near close enough to the level in which the club and the fans have expected from the central midfielder. Should the club receive an offer they feel is good enough, they must surely look to get Pogba out of the club and look to improve the fortunes of the club and not just the individual which right now that is what Pogba looks to be playing for.

So if the Manchester United board are thinking Mourinho or Pogba we need to get rid of one, they need to get both out of the club to ensure that the club can get back to the level and standard of challenging for the major trophies in both English football and European football.