FORMER Manchester United team-mate Dimitar Berbatov has defended Paul Pogba following his public war of words with pundit Graeme Souness.
The £89million midfielder finally responded to Souness’ persistent criticism last week.
Paul Pogba responded to criticism from Graeme Souness this week – and has been defended by Dimitar Berbatov
Speaking to the United Podcast, Pogba, 27, said: “I didn’t know who he was really, I heard he was a great player and stuff like that.
“It’s their job to speak. They’ve been talking. I’m really used to it, It doesn’t bother me. It’s just talk and selling stuff.”
And Berbatov, who played with Pogba at Old Trafford in the 2011-12 season, believes that the war of words has gotten “personal” now… and would understand if it were to “affect” the Frenchman.
He told Betfair: “Once again there has been another coming together with Graeme Souness and Paul Pogba.
“I think this is pretty personal now, you can sense it the way these two talk about each other. I find it all too funny, it’s like Greek Tragedy.
We are all humans and we can all say ‘it doesn’t bother you’ but trust me, it does.
Dimitar Berbatov
“Back in my early days, even when I was in my later playing days, social media wasn’t so big. It wasn’t like nowadays when players can easily get abused and you can see the opinion of pundits everywhere and it can affect you.
“We are all humans and we can all say ‘it doesn’t bother you’ but trust me, it does.
“It is necessary for a player to hear an outside opinion, but it must come from someone who has been there and done that, someone credible who knows what they are talking about and what it is like to be a footballer.
“However, some people talk for the sake of talking, so that they get noticed, and that can be irritating and disrespectful.
“With Souness and Pogba, I find it all a little strange, but when someone constantly criticises you, of course you are going to snap.
PAUL POGBA MAN UNITED STATS
2011-12:
Appearances 7
Goals 0
Assists 0
2016-17:
Appearances 51
Goals 9
Assists 6
2017-18:
Appearances 37
Goals 6
Assists 12
2018-19:
Appearances 47
Goals 16
Assists 11
2019-20:
Appearances 8
Goals 0
Assists 2
“Even if it is good criticism, if it is constantly aimed at you and it doesn’t matter what you are doing, at some point you are going to be like: ‘Wait a minute, am I the only player on the f**** planet here?’
“It doesn’t matter who the other person is, you are going to say something back and defend yourself, like what Pogba is doing, it’s normal.”
Berbatov, now 39, has admitted that certain things used to “p*** him off” during his career.
He continued: “There were lots of things that used to p** me off when I played, if I had a bad game or I didn’t score I would look in the newspaper and there would be someone saying s*** things about me.
“You read comments, you hear people talking about you and then, when you have a good game and score a couple of goals, it’s a ‘coincidence’ or it was ‘against a weak opposition’ and stuff like this.
“Of course that gets you thinking, for some people no matter what you do, it is never enough.
“You try to not pay attention to these things, but it is impossible to do, especially nowadays with social media you are surrounded with opinions. It was the same for me and my colleagues, there was always someone that didn’t like us.”
For more from Betfair Ambassador Dimitar Berbatov head to www.betfair.com/berbatov
Berbatov warns Man United it would be ‘huge mistake’ to sell Pogba
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
