PEREYRA: 'EXTRAORDINARY' POGBA HAS 'EVERYTHING'

Watford midfielder Roberto Pereyra lauded the "extraordinary" talents of his former Juventus team-mate Paul Pogba and claimed he has "everything".

Pereyra is set to go head-to-head with the Frenchman on Sunday when Manchester United visit Vicarage Road in the Premier League and he knows exactly what he will be up against.

The pair played alongside each other for two years in Turin before their respective moves to England during the close-season and now Pereyra is hoping to come out on top as the two prepare to duel.

"He's an extraordinary player," Pereyra told The Guardian. 

"He's got everything, all the skills you can think of. He's one of the few players who really surprised me the first time I saw him play. 

"But we're ready to play against anyone. We all know it's going to be difficult but this is football. Anything can happen."

IBRAHIMOVIC BACKS POGBA TO PROVE 'JEALOUS' CRITICS WRONG

Manchester United star Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes Paul Pogba's "jealous" critics will be silenced by the midfielder.

World-record signing Pogba has made a slow start to life back at Old Trafford, where United suffered a 2-1 derby loss to Manchester City on Saturday.

But Ibrahimovic has no doubt as to the 23-year-old's talents, insisting the France international will prove people wrong.

"Paul came from a generation that is becoming important in France," the Swedish striker told SFR Sport.

"The national team did not win the Euros, unfortunately, but the generation is strong and they will become stronger and Paul is one of them, and with what he has done, he will become even better.

"I did not know Paul before and now I know him personally, he is a boy who works hard, he wants to progress and has a good attitude.

"But he is still young and all the jealous people talking about him will swallow every word they said about him because he will only get better."

Pogba is yet to score or have an assist in three Premier League games, but United sit fourth with three wins.

Ibrahimovic, who has already netted four times in the league, said the pressure on Pogba was enormous.

He said: "You have to be realistic, people are putting a lot of pressure on Paul. His transfer created a huge amount of buzz."

United return to action with a Europa League trip to Feyenoord on Thursday before travelling to Watford three days later.

MOURINHO BATTLED TO CONVINCE POGBA ON UNITED MOVE

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho bombarded Paul Pogba with calls and text messages as he battled to secure a return to Old Trafford for the France midfielder.

Pogba rejoined United in a world-record move from Juventus last month despite reported interest from Real Madrid.

Mourinho told Goal there was "another big club" in the running for Pogba, which meant the Portuguese felt the need to wage a relentless phone campaign.

"Oh, it was hard to convince him," he said. "I had many [conversations] on the phone, lots of SMS.

"I think he was getting one in the morning from the manager from another big club and one in the afternoon from myself.

"I had to try hard to convince him to choose us instead of the other one."

The Champions League gets underway in United's absence this week, while their 100 per cent start to the Premier League season was brought crashing to earth by a 2-1 defeat against local rivals Manchester City on Saturday.

Nevertheless, Mourinho's early days with the 20-time English champions have left him feeling optimistic about the future.

"I have a very positive feeling," he said. "Rome was not built in one day and a football team is probably more difficult to build than Rome was!

"The feeling is that they want to work for me, they have the same level of ambition and commitment that I have and step by step, by a tactical and mental point of view, I have great feelings with the answers they are giving. So yes, I am very positive."

MOURINHO BLAMES UNITED PLAYERS AND HIS SELECTION FOR DERBY LOSS

Jose Mourinho criticised his Manchester United players for being "really below the normal level" as they slipped to a 2-1 derby defeat to Manchester City at Old Trafford.

Kevin De Bruyne and Kelechi Iheanacho scored during the first half as City threated to run riot, but an error from debutant Claudio Bravo in the visitors' goal allowed Zlatan Ibrahimovic to reduce the deficit.

United pressed for an equaliser that never arrived during the second half, with Bravo's erratic showing giving them continued cause for encouragement, but Mourinho was left to reflect on three Premier League points lost before the interval.

"I think in the first half, they were much better than us," he told Sky Sports.

"We started the game badly. We started the game with some players really below the normal level, in terms of their concentration and their mental ability to play a game of this speed.

"You need to be sharp, the way you think and the way you play, we had a few players below the level. The team paid for it.

"In the first half, they were in control. The second half was completely different. We were in control, much more dangerous and had our chances to equalise."

Mourinho handed a full debut to Henrikh Mkhitaryan and recalled Jesse Lingard to his starting line-up, but both made way at the break and the former Chelsea boss stated he made selection errors.

"I had two or three players in the first half where, if I know what is going to happen, obviously I don't play them," he said.

"But this is football, and sometimes players disappoint managers, and sometimes players give us great surprises.

"I thought, because of the characteristics of the game, I thought we could hurt them playing with some individuals with some qualities. 

"They didn't give me what I wanted, therefore it's my fault. I'm the manager and it's always my fault, because it's my choice."

Somewhat customarily, Mourinho chose to question the role of the referee in one of his team's defeats, claiming Bravo should have been sent off for a lunging tackle on Wayne Rooney, whose later cross struck Nicolas Otamendi on the arm when the City defender had his back turned.

"Obviously, we are very disappointed with the result, but I am also very disappointed with two decisions of Mark [Clattenburg]," he added.

"It's a penalty and a red card for Bravo. If you tell me that that's not a penalty and a red card, I tell you that, for sure, outside the box it's a free-kick and a red card. Inside the box has to be the same.

"Even the best referees can make mistakes and he made a big one. The second one I also think is a penalty.

"Otamendi, it's a penalty. You can tell me he has no intention, I think he has intention. In spite of his arm being behind his body, he knows that the cross is not going in his face, it's going in his back, so he drops his elbow. It's two penalties against us."

RASHFORD HAS 'BRILLIANT' FUTURE - MOURINHO

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believes Marcus Rashford has an "absolutely brilliant" future, promising the teenager a start against Feyenoord.

Rashford came on at half-time of the Manchester derby as United fell to a 2-1 defeat to City on Saturday.

The 18-year-old is yet to start under Mourinho, but the Portuguese tactician is ready for that to change in the Europa League.

"For me the next big game is against Feyenoord and the next game he is going to play. That is the only thing I can say," Mourinho told UK newspapers.

"I trust him completely. I know his future will be absolutely brilliant. He is mainly a number nine – if you want to play him in different positions, we need to work him, we need to improve him, but his big personality is there.

"Normally, people look to the football talent but personality at his level is very important and he was showing that last season – he was showing that immediately."

Rashford scored eight goals in 18 appearances in all competitions in a stunning previous campaign for United.

Mourinho lauded the teenager for his derby display, having come on with Ander Herrera at the break, replacing Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jesse Lingard.

"Against City, I felt they had the fragility on the sides and the kid [Rashford] could give us in the second half on the sides what we didn't get with Miki and Jesse in the first half," he said.

"The kid gave us what we had needed and normally we would be here now speaking about a different result."

IBRAHIMOVIC: GIVE RASHFORD TIME AND HE'LL TAKE OVER EVERYTHING

Manchester United youngster Marcus Rashford will "take over everything", team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic has predicted.

Rashford made a lively impact as a substitute in his side's 2-1 home defeat to Manchester City on Saturday and was only denied an equaliser in the second half when his low shot deflected in off Ibrahimovic, who was offside.

The 18-year-old has enjoyed a stunning 2016 since scoring twice on his debut against FC Midtjylland, netting five goals in just four Premier League starts last season - including the winner in the Manchester derby in March - before a debut strike for England earned him a place at Euro 2016.

Rashford has struggled for a starting spot under Jose Mourinho since the arrival of Ibrahimovic, but he scored a stoppage-time winner against Hull City last month before linking up with the England Under-21 side, for whom he hit a hat-trick in their 6-1 thrashing of Norway.

And Ibrahimovic has backed his young team-mate to become a leading light on the global stage, provided he is allowed the time to develop.

"First of all, he's 18, he's still young. He has a lot of time," the former Sweden captain told MUTV.

"I think the way you have to approach a player like that, where everyone is talking about the talent and what he's able to do and what kind of potential he has, is to remember he still has a lot of time.

"It's not like he needs to take over the world today, the club knows that, the coach knows that and the team knows that.

"We know his quality and what he's able to do. What the world is seeing now, we already know because we see it every day. There is no need to rush to push him and put him in the heat zone and put a lot of pressure on him because that can have the opposite effect.

"Time by time, he will take over everything. It's about having patience."

Mourinho has highlighted Ibrahimovic as a key role model for the young players at Old Trafford, but the 34-year-old believes they would flourish without him.

"I'll help him every day, him and all the others, in any way I can. I'm happy it gives an effect but, even if I was not here, they would still do good," he added.

DON'T BLAME MKHITARYAN AND LINGARD FOR DERBY LOSS - MOURINHO

Jose Mourinho refused to make Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jesse Lingard derby day scapegoats after Manchester United slumped to a 2-1 defeat against Manchester City at Old Trafford.

Kevin De Bruyne and Kelechi Iheanacho got the goals as City dominated the first half, although an error from debutant goalkeeper Claudio Bravo allowed Zlatan Ibrahimovic to haul the hosts back into the contest.

Mkhitaryan, making his first start for United, and the recalled Lingard were hauled off at the break and United performed better with Ander Herrera and Marcus Rashford on in their place.

"It was not just about them. Other players were also not playing really well," Mourinho told a post-match news conference after United lost their 100 per cent record to fall three points behind early season Premier League leaders City.

"Obviously, it was my decision. I don't like to go in the direction of the players and single out players.

"Let's say our team didn't play well in the first half and the responsibility is my responsibility."

Pre-match, Mourinho said he included Mkhitaryan and Lingard in anticipation of City boss Pep Guardiola trying to bring his full-backs into midfield as he has done during the opening weeks of the season, but the tactic did not emerge during a pulsating contest.

"They respected our capacity to attack through the wings," Mourinho said. "They thought about [Antonio] Valencia, they thought about Luke Shaw, they thought about our wingers. They didn't do that.

"They brought [John] Stones into that space a few times. So we didn't have a tactical problem; we had a problem with poor performances – giving the ball away very, very easy.

"Our central defenders, who were top class until today, they lost easy balls. Bad, bad passes from [Eric] Bailly to [Marouane] Fellaini, from [Daley] Blind to [Paul] Pogba. We lost the ball in these kind of positions.

"So it was not just Mkhi and Jesse. It was much more than Mkhi and Jesse."