FRANK LAMPARD DOES not believe Paul Pogba has been the game-changer Manchester United needed when they paid a world-record fee for the player.
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France international Pogba returned to Old Trafford from Juventus for £89.3 million last August and he has been a fixture in Jose Mourinho’s side fighting for honours on four fronts this season.
However, he put in a below-par performance as a Zlatan Ibrahimovic-inspired United beat Southampton in the EFL Cup final last month and debate continues to swirl over whether Pogba is better deployed in a central midfield two or three.
Pogba has four goals and three assists in 25 Premier League appearances this season, with none of those coming against the current top six.
Former West Ham, Chelsea and Manchester City player Lampard is the top scoring midfielder in the competition’s history with 177 and believes United are entitled to expect more from their investment.
It was a signal of their intentions to spend £90m on a player who I wouldn’t say is the finished article,” Lampard told Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football. “He’s got fantastic attributes – he’s strong, great feet, he’s bigger than you and quicker than you as a midfield player.
“But when you have a £90m price tag on your shoulders we analyse more and we wonder more. When you look at him at this stage of the season I’m still wondering what is his best position? What kind of player is he? What does he want to be?
I feel like he’s falling a little bit in between everything. When you pay £90m you want to see those results and he hasn’t quite delivered.
“He’s young and he possibly will do but, as it stands, he hasn’t been the game-changer.”
Lampard added: “We do need to give him time and flip forward to next season and see if he’s improving. At £90m he has to be that dominant midfielder and I do believe that’s in him.”
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Watch: Jamie Carragher and Frank Lampard dissect Paul Pogba's season so far
FRANK LAMPARD DOES not believe Paul Pogba has been the game-changer Manchester United needed when they paid a world-record fee for the player.
France international Pogba returned to Old Trafford from Juventus for £89.3 million last August and he has been a fixture in Jose Mourinho’s side fighting for honours on four fronts this season.
However, he put in a below-par performance as a Zlatan Ibrahimovic-inspired United beat Southampton in the EFL Cup final last month and debate continues to swirl over whether Pogba is better deployed in a central midfield two or three.
Pogba has four goals and three assists in 25 Premier League appearances this season, with none of those coming against the current top six.
Former West Ham, Chelsea and Manchester City player Lampard is the top scoring midfielder in the competition’s history with 177 and believes United are entitled to expect more from their investment.
“But when you have a £90m price tag on your shoulders we analyse more and we wonder more. When you look at him at this stage of the season I’m still wondering what is his best position? What kind of player is he? What does he want to be?
“He’s young and he possibly will do but, as it stands, he hasn’t been the game-changer.”
Lampard added: “We do need to give him time and flip forward to next season and see if he’s improving. At £90m he has to be that dominant midfielder and I do believe that’s in him.”
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