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Paul Pogba responds after being called a ‘cheat’ by Wolves fans

Paul Pogba responds immediately after being called a ‘cheat’ by Wolves fans, with the football world up and down the nation praising him.

The Manchester United star went from zero to hero with the Molineux faithful on Sunday when he gifted a supporter his shirt at full time.

The midfielder was at the centre of some controversy which ended up contributing to the Red Devils’ winner, with supporters shouting him a ‘cheat’ following a tackle on Ruben Neves which was adjudged not to have been a foul by referee Mike Dean in the lead up to Mason Greenwood’s 80th minute goal.

Paul Pogba was loudly booed by Wolves fans during his post-match interview with Sky Sports

Fans reckons that his tackle was dangerous and slow motion images appear to show there was indeed contact on the Portuguese midfielder’s leg.

However Pogba then won back the home supporters by unexpectedly handing his match-worn shirt to a fan – which received a round of applause from a group of nearby supporters.

Manchester United were largely uninspiring throughout the match but ultimately found the breakthrough courtesy of teenager Greenwood.

The 19-year-old hit home his third goal in as many Premier League matches to pick up a victory for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

And this is what caused the controversy as Paul Pogba catches Ruben Neves but goes unpunished as Man Utd play on and hit the winner

Souness believes the goal shouldn’t have stood following Pogba’s challenge on Neves leading up to the strike in the 81st minute.

“It is a foul,” he told Sky Sports. “Pogba doesn’t make any contact with the ball whatsoever. He made contact with the shin and the shinguard.

“How is it not a foul? The referee is not blind-sided by anything, he’s two metres away from it. Whether Neves goes down immediately or doesn’t go down, that is immaterial.

“That referee has deemed that not to be a foul. That’s impossible for anyone who knows anything about football to say that’s not a foul. He’s two yards away.

“He’s nowhere near the ball. It’s more than worrying. It’s alarming when a so-called senior referee doesn’t see that as a foul.”

Keane agreed with Souness’ assessment, suggesting Pogba overstepped the mark in spite of referees having been given a new directive to allow games to flow more this term.

“The real frustration for Wolves is that they’ve played really well and still lost the game,” he said. “It rubs salt into the wounds. We all like the physical part of the game, but today I think that was a foul.

“Usually, when a poor decision is made we talk about the referee’s position but [Mike Dean] is in a great position. There was contact and I think it was a foul. Their biggest frustration is that they’ve lost the game.

“If he gives that as a foul, not one Manchester United player would’ve complained. Most fouls come from a bad touch, and Pogba took a bad touch there. He’s chasing after it but I think Neves could’ve been a bit smarter.”

Robbie Keane added: “The issue for Ruben is that he’s too honest. We don’t want players rolling around and falling all over the place. That’s where the referee has to come in, standing so close to it, to say that’s a foul. VAR needs to look back and see that.”

Pogba insisted he did not touch Neves in the tackle in the build-up to the goal.

“My view is, this is the Premier League, it’s a 50-50, every weekend you have this happening and today it was a question,” Pogba added.

“If it was a foul it would be a foul. It was 50-50, I need to see it again but I don’t touch him.”

Neves disagreed with Pogba and insisted he got to the ball first and was fouled.

“Everyone saw it. Everyone saw my leg. I don’t know why to be honest with you. We always have meetings and everything about VAR – I don’t know why,” Neves told Sky Sports.

“They said before the season starts they would look for contact and if the contact is strong enough they will give the foul.

“I showed them my leg, that’s their decision now. I think maybe because last game (for Manchester United against Southampton) it was before the attempt on goal.

“Now they did the opposite. But I’m not here to talk about the ref, everyone saw my leg, I showed it to the assistant ref, but I cannot say anything now, that’s their decision.”

Wolves boss Bruno Lage pointed out that his team had kicked the ball out of play when Bruno Fernandes was down injured in the first half but Manchester United did not return the favour following this incident, instead going on to score.

“VAR is there to help the referees,” he added. “The referee did not see the foul. The VAR did not see the foul. For me, I just saw the leg of the player.”

When asked about the incident, Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: “Last week I was complaining because we didn’t get a foul – it’s the way of the game now. They want it flowing, they want more lenient refereeing.

“I don’t think it’s a foul, I think two of them go for the ball and it’s a good tackle by Paul [Pogba].

“It has to be consistent, but it will take a few weeks to find that correct line. We were told before the game today that the referee would let the game flow. With the crowd, the passion, the game was all about passion in the crowd and on the pitch.”

Fans reacted as Paul Pogba responds after being called a ‘cheat’ by Wolves fans…

@Tonyafam: Sometimes, k*** them with kindness.

@thomasdorrian: Games gone fuck me

@hazza_lines: Typical modern-day fickle support. Cos Pogba’s a cheat how!? 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

@Brody2_: The hate he gets is ridiculous tbh

@george_downes17: I can’t tell what’s worse. Dingle fans asking for Pogbas shirt, after losing 1-0. Or Pogba actually giving them the shirt rather than a young United Fan. 2 very strange clubs

@RyanHitchin: Cheat you know 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

@timtaylor96: Any wolves fan that 1 – asked for his shirt or 2 – applauded the giving of the shirt should be banned from all English football stadiums. So embarrassing

@Cal_Wood1990: Absolute mockery

@Connor_bwfc98: That’s embarrassing

@PaulBywater7: I’m sure @SkySports and especially souness will say, ‘there are kids in the ground and he takes his top off’! The agenda against out boy is unreal!!

 

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