Paul Pogba wanted to prove his critics wrong against England - Hugo Lloris
The £89 million Frenchman failed to convince his massive transfer fee was worthwhile in his fdebut campaign which consisted of mixed performances. Back on home soil on Tuesday night, pulling on a France shirt in front of his adoring home fans, the 24-year-old proved, as he ran the game, that he is one of the best central midfielders in the world – if not the best. And as Pogba the puppet-master pulled the strings, Didier Deschamps’ exciting young French side responded in thrilling fashion as they ran England ragged with their pace and skill to win 3-2 with 10 men. “Maybe Paul had some things to prove on Tuesday night.” said France’s Tottenham goalkeeper Lloris. “Because he belongs to one of the best clubs in the world and he plays in the Premier League, and he has to show his level.
GETTY Hugo Lloris the best is yet to come from Paul Pogba
Maybe Paul had some things to prove on Tuesday night Hugo Lloris
“Against England he was fantastic. He helped the team a lot to manage the ball. I have no doubt that he will get better and better.” Statistics showed that Pogba, despite not appearing to dominate matches, actually had the best passing rate of any Premier League midfielder in the opposition half last season, and created more chances than any other attacking midfielder. On Tuesday his sublime touch and accurate passing were evident from the first minute as Pogba set up numerous opportunities for Kylian Mbappe – a United, Arsenal and Real Madrid target – and Ousmane Dembele, to make their fizzing runs. The duo ran England’s defence into dizziness, proving that France will head into the 2018 World Cup finals next year as surely one of the favourites.
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Lloris had a warning for his exciting young teammates though as he insisted that talent is not enough and they have to keep working this year. “We were very happy with the result, especially having only 10 men in the second half. We were able to make the difference, and we need to give credit to our spirit, because it was fantastic,” said Lloris. “Offensively we have talented players, who can make the difference. They can help the team a lot. But it is collectively that we made the difference.
GETTY Paul Pogba pulled the strings in the heart of midfield for France against England