Manager Jose Mourinho strips Paul Pogba of vice-captaincy at Manchester United

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho on Tuesday confirmed that French midfielder Paul Pogba has been stripped from the vice-captain’s role at the club following the 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton on Saturday.

Mourinho, however, denied that there was any rift between the pair and also refused to give any explanation for his actions.

“The only truth is that I made the decision that Paul will not be a second (vice) captain anymore but no fallout, no problems at all,” Mourinho was quoted as saying by Reuters after his team was knocked out of the League Cup by a second-tier team Derby County.

“The same person that decides Paul is not the second captain anymore is exactly the same person that decides Paul was the second captain – myself,” he added refusing to give any detail about his decision to remove the World Cup winner from the vice-captain’s role.

“I am the manager, I can make these decisions. No fallout, no problems at all just one decision that I don’t have to explain.”

The 25-year-old midfielder has been United’s stand-in captain for three league games and has been in fine form at the beginning of the season. He was, however, rested along with several other players for the Derby clash.

Ashley Young was given the captain’s armband for the League Cup match against Derby at home. United though lost 8-7 in the penalty-shootouts following the 2-2 draw in regulation time.

Mourinho felt that his side paid the price against Derby for not taking their chances despite going ahead as early as the third minute.

“It happened that we didn’t score when we could in the first half,” he said. “We had situations to kill it, we didn’t and at halftime I repeated basically the same words I repeated in the last match that their dressing room was for sure a dressing room with belief because the result was open and they were playing quite well and we need to go and kill the game which we didn’t.”

Earlier, record signing Pogba was critical of United’s defensive tactics after their 1-1 draw against the Wolves in the domestic league and said that the club had players to be more attack-minded.