Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho started with Paul Pogba on the bench in the 3-1 defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Liverpool because his team has been more aggressive without the Frenchman.
Pogba has been in and out of the side since his poor display in the 2-2 draw against Southampton in which it is reported that Jose Mourinho labeled him a virus.
The former Juventus midfielder started in the 2-1 loss to Valencia in the UEFA Champions League but his performances were not enough to convince Mourinho of a starting berth against Liverpool.
In a pre-match interview minutes before the game, Mourinho was asked to explain his decision to drop Pogba, “I made many decisions, I made many decisions. Starting with eleven players and leaving some on the bench. I always try to choose what I think is the best for the team.
“I think the team lately with Herrera, Matic and Lingard, the team lost some qualities but at the same time we became more aggressive, more simple and more intense without the ball and that is what I think we need to play a fast team like Liverpool is.”
Would the results be different had Pogba started?