Paul Pogba needs to be more consistent to be anywhere near as good as Steven Gerrard according to Rafael Benitez.

Manchester United thrashed Newcastle United 4-1 on the weekend thanks to goals from Anthony Martial, Romelu Lukaku, Chris Smalling and the returning Paul Pogba. Mourinho welcomed Tynesiders to Old Trafford along with the trio of Marcos Rojo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Pogba. All three men returned from longtime injuries but Pogba was the only one to feature from the start. Apart from scoring, the Frenchman also assisted Martial’s goal.

After the match, Newcastle manager, Rafael Benitez was asked whether the 24-year-old was as good as Steven Gerrard and his answer was as emphatic as it could be. He said that Pogba needs to perform at the same level for at least a decade more to be considered as good as Gerrard.

“Pogba is a great player but he still has to be consistent”

Pogba’s match-winning performance had United fans swooning over him. Benitez was not the one to get carried away with the flow. Post-match he was asked whether Pogba was as good as his former player Steven Gerrard.

“No, they’re different,“ Benitez said.

Rafa Benitez knows all about top Premier League midfielders pic.twitter.com/5IgCdIFsyQ

— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 20, 2017

“Stevie was a top-class player for so many years. He was very consistent and could make the difference with or without the ball. He was a top-class player. Pogba is a great player, but he still has to be consistent for years like Stevie was for 10 or 15 years.”

“Pogba is not my player, so I don’t need to talk too much about him. He’s a great player like the majority of Manchester United players. But I’m concentrated on trying to improve my players.”

Author’s Take

Rafael Benitez managed Liverpool from 2004 to 2010. During his time at Anfield, he shared a fierce rivalry against Manchester United. No wonder he straight up refused to even consider whether Pogba is as good as Stevie G.

Paul Pogba is truly a special player. His display against Newcastle proved the same. The magic in his feet helped gel the United side which was not ticking since his injury. His dribbling and passing brought back the fluidity displayed by United during the first few match days. Even Romelu Lukaku looks a different player alongside the French midfielder.

Pogba was highly criticised for his performances last season. He has improved a lot this season and now needs to keep going. Steven Gerrard was an inspirational captain and an influential player. As Benitez said, Pogba needs to be extremely consistent with his performances to be considered as good as Steven Gerrard. Simply put, Pogba is not at the same level as that of Stevie G but he can be.

The post Manchester United star not as good as Liverpool legend says Rafael Benitez appeared first on The12thMan.