Former Manchester United star Ryan Giggs has urged Paul Pogba's current teammates to show the Frenchman no mercy in training after his purported departure fell through. The ex-Red Devils skipper insists that the players should not hold back kicking the wantaway midfielder in a bid to get his head back in the game and at the club.
Prior to the commencement of the new season, Paul Pogba revealed his desire to seek a new adventure outside the walls of Old Trafford after his side's poor campaign in last season's Premier League. However, despite speculations about his future dominating headlines, the midfielder and his controversial agent Mino Raiola could not escape the clutches of the Red Devils.
With the transfer window closing in England, Pogba's move away from Manchester United now looks extremely unlikely albeit claims that Real Madrid is yet to give up in its pursuit of the French superstar. The World Cup winner looks set to make a bow in his first game of the new Premier League season and, ahead of Sunday's clash with Chelsea, Ryan Giggs has admonished his teammates to give him some ill-treatment in training for wanting to leave early on.
According to the ex-Welsh international, the former Juventus midfielder's situation is reminiscent of that of Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United between 2008 and 2009. Just as it became the fate of the Portuguese superstar, he insisted that players should kick the French midfielder in training.
"Kick him [Pogba] in training," Giggs opined as per the Evening Standard.
"But that doesn't happen anymore. You are starting to lose that. Now I'm not saying you kick everyone. But that was how Ronaldo got better.
"Scholesy would kick him if he took too many touches. And suddenly it clicked that you can't keep dribbling or else I'm going to get kicked.
"I saw an interview with [Vincent] Kompany at the end of the season. And he's a bit old school. He was asked about the week ahead of the last game at Brighton and he said 'sometimes I have to give a player a kick!'
On the subject of whether or not Manchester United should part ways with Pogba, Giggs said: "I think the fans are split. Some fans say 'let him go', some fans recognise the quality he has got and that if he does go there will be a big void.
"If you get rid of all the players and you haven't got the quality to replace them then that is difficult as well. So it is a tough job for Ole that balancing act.
"Cristiano Ronaldo said he wanted to go and then did an extra year. Whether that is going to happen or not I don't know."
