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       #Post#: 40--------------------------------------------------
       Football Mourinho hails 'monster' Pogba performance as Man Utd m
       ake winning start
       By: sparrow Date: August 11, 2018, 11:53 am
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       Jose Mourinho hailed captain Paul Pogba's willingness to put his
       body on the line to lead Manchester United to a winning start in
       the Premier League with a 2-1 victory over Leicester City on
       Friday.
       Less than a month since Pogba scored in the World Cup final to
       help France lift the trophy, he was thrown straight into action
       by Mourinho despite just returning to pre-season training this
       week.
       Pogba's third-minute spot-kick settled the hosts' nerves as
       United allayed some of the doom and gloom predicted by Mourinho
       after failing to land a series of targets before Thursday's
       transfer deadline.
       Luke Shaw sealed the points seven minutes from time before Jamie
       Vardy headed home a consolation for the visitors.
       After a week in which Pogba has been linked with a move away
       from Old Trafford, with Barcelona's interest piqued by the
       Frenchman's frosty relationship with Mourinho after he was
       repeatedly dropped last season, the Portuguese showed his faith
       in the midfielder by surprisingly handing him the armband.
       "Pogba was a monster," said Mourinho. "We thought maximum (he
       could play) 60 minutes, but he managed 80."
       On top of his transfer troubles, Mourinho had a host of injuries
       and players lacking match sharpness after the World Cup to
       contend with.
       "Paul was fantastic, his contribution was amazing but the fuel
       was disappearing. We were in trouble," added Mourinho.
       "I don't remember in my career to be in so much in trouble to
       make my changes because I wanted to make five or six and I could
       only make three."
       The hosts got a much-needed lift after just two minutes when
       Daniel Amartey was harshly adjudged by referee Andre Mariner to
       have handled Alexis Sanchez's shot.
       Pogba resisted the pleas of Sanchez to take the spot-kick and
       after a prolonged stuttering run up, dispatched his shot into
       the top corner giving Kasper Schmeichel no chance to repeat his
       penalty saving heroics at the World Cup for Denmark.
       "We don't have a penalty taker, it's how we feel and I decided
       to take it. Maybe on the next game I leave it to Alexis," said
       Pogba.
       "I didn't have any pre-season games, I came back on Monday so it
       was very hard for the legs."
       play
       Rave reviews: Luke Shaw was praised by Jose Mourinho after
       netting his first Manchester United goal
       (AFP)
       Mourinho was particularly annoyed to miss out on a series of
       centre-back targets, including Leicester's Harry Maguire who
       shone for England in Russia.
       "It will be a difficult season for everybody, not just for us,"
       said Mourinho. "I had my plans for many months and I find myself
       with the market closed in a situation I did not think I would be
       in."
       However, he can still rely on one of the world's best
       goalkeepers as David de Gea put his poor World Cup showing
       behind him with a fine save to prevent James Maddison levelling.
       Both sides' top scorers from last season, Romelu Lukaku and
       Vardy, started on the bench after their World Cup exertions and
       were introduced for the final quarter.
       Vardy nearly made a vital contribution as provider when he
       outmuscled Shaw and picked out Gray in the middle who was denied
       by another fine save by De Gea.
       Shaw, who himself has suffered plenty of criticism from Mourinho
       in the past two seasons, then appeared to make the game safe
       when he fired low into the far corner to spark wild celebrations
       from his manager.
       "Even if I forget the goal, it was a complete performance," said
       Mourinho of the left-back's display.
       Vardy pulled a goal back deep into stoppage time when he stooped
       to head in after Ricardo Pereira's cross came back off the post
       and United were forced to see out a nervy final few minutes to
       get off to a winning start.
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