Rafa Benitez has managed to annoy some Manchester United fans with his comments about Paul Pogba.
Following Newcastle United’s 4-1 defeat at Old Trafford on Saturday, in which Pogba scored and set-up a goal, Benitez was asked if Pogba is now on the same level as Steven Gerrard.
The Newcastle manager said that Pogba isn’t on the level of the former Liverpool captain yet, because he needs to be consistently excellent over a number of years, as Gerrard was across his career.
“No, they’re different,” Benitez told reporters.
“Stevie was a top-class player for so many years. He was very consistent and could make the difference in every game, with or without the ball. He was a top-class player. Pogba is a great player, but he still has to be consistent for years like Stevie was for 10 or 15 years. Pogba is not my player, so I don’t need to talk too much about him. He’s a great player, like the majority of the Manchester United players.”
The former Liverpool manager has a point, as it’s probably too soon in Pogba’s career to make any concrete comparisons between the players.
It’s even more difficult to proclaim Pogba to be equal to Gerrard after a routine win over Newcastle at Old Trafford, regardless of how well he played in the game.
Gerrard was an excellent player for more than a decade for Liverpool and became a club legend. Pogba can achieve that status at United with consistent performances over the next decade. That’s all Benitez appeared to be saying, but his comments managed to touch a nerve with some United fans.
https://twitter.com/Carrick4united/status/932603975035125760
Have to agree with Benitez here, because Pogba’s better than him. https://t.co/Nvkh7sdQja
— Retro United (@Retro_Utd) November 20, 2017
Who told Rafa Benitez to compare Pogba to Gerrard?😂😠It’s like someone getting 70/100 on a paper & you telling them to get 75. Set higher standards man, aim for 90 atleast.
— Azza Wan Bizza (@TheKylianJoke) November 20, 2017
Just seen Rafa Benitez said that Pogba is no Steven Gerrard. Isn't that the same guy to sold Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid in favour of Gareth Barry but ended up with Alberto Aquillani?
— Steeley (@Steeley_99) November 20, 2017
https://twitter.com/RantUtd/status/932572040208502784
https://twitter.com/Richard91953954/status/932529486381363201
https://twitter.com/AndyJeffery97/status/932515768910123008
