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Cape Town - Former Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has lifted the lid on the frosty relationship between Jose Mourinho and Paul Pogba.
The Swede revealed that Paul Pogba never had the confidence of Jose Mourinho during their time together at Old Trafford which affected their relationship.
Ibrahimovic also pointed to Mourinho's tactics as a reason for stifling Pogba's performances that even led to the Frenchman failing to make the starting line-up in the latter stages of Mourinho's tenure.
"There are these players that need to be free, they need to feel free to do what they are able to do under the disciple of the coach," Ibrahimovic told ESPN.
"Obviously, he has his tactics, he has that, but some players they go above these limits, and you need to let them be free, and I think Paul [Pogba] is one of them.
"Paul didn’t feel confidence from the coach, and the coach didn’t feel confidence for Paul.
"It’s difficult to perform as a player if you don’t have confidence from the coach and you don’t have that energy, that motivation, and Jose felt the same thing about Paul.
"These things happen, and that is part of the game also; I mean, not everybody can go among each other and do well together.
"I feel like you come to a moment where it is too blocked and one goes or the other one goes. At this moment, the coach left, and Paul is more free now."
Since Mourinho's departure Pogba has netted five times and assisted four in his past six Premier League outings, which are, coincidentally, the six games for which Solskjaer has been in charge.
The 25-year old has equalled his best return in a single season in the top five European leagues - he also scored eight goals for Juventus in 2015-16 and 2014-15.
