Paul Pogba has been told that he is “no leader” at Manchester United in the Roy Keane or Eric Cantona mould, with Andrei Kanchelskis looking for more in “big games” from the Frenchman.
A World Cup-winning midfielder has enjoyed a welcome return to form for the Red Devils since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer succeeded Jose Mourinho.
The 25-year-old has delivered nine goals across his last 11 appearances, along with a number of important assists.
He did, however, see red during a Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain and will sit out the return leg of a tie that United trail 2-0 as a result.
Pogba will get another chance to make a telling contribution in a heavyweight encounter on Sunday when Solskjaer’s side play host to title-chasing Liverpool, and Kanchelskis is looking for an £89 million asset to prove that he can be a talismanic presence.
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The former United winger told 888sport: “Everybody is talking about Paul Pogba and how he performs in the big games. Now we will see against Liverpool, in a big derby against an excellent team.
“At the moment he is no leader. In the
United have not needed to rely on individuals over recent weeks, with a marked improvement having been made as a collective.
The likes of Pogba, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford have rediscovered their spark, but performance levels have been raised across the board from what was being delivered under Mourinho.
Eleven victories have been collected from 13 outings under Solskjaer and confidence will be brimming when old adversaries pay a visit to Old Trafford.
Kanchelskis, who also represented Everton in his playing career, is hoping to see United put a serious dent in the ambitions of Liverpool when they make the trip to Manchester on Sunday.
He added: “I hope Manchester United win. I’m a big supporter of them of course. It will be a good story if United win, with them having won so many trophies and Liverpool not winning a title for 29 years.
“Now that Liverpool
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