The Reds’ own media team has posted a video of Sweden centre-back Victor Lindelof intervening in what seemed to be a clash between France’s slightly tense-looking Paul Pogba and Team England’s Jesse Lingard, shortly landing in the crosshairs of Premier League fans.
Nothing like a walk to stretch the legs after a 16-hour flight 👌😊 #MUFC #MUTOUR pic.twitter.com/3jc4dfVNpx
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) 8 июля 2019 г.
The clip was supposed to show the squad recharging their batteries as they arrived in Perth, Australia for the first leg of their pre-season tour, so the altercation was perceived both with interest and dismay, especially given the controversial caption:
“Nothing like a walk to stretch the legs after a 16-hour flight 👌😊 #MUFC #MUTOUR", United’s SMM team wrote.
The camera indeed focused on most of the players taking it easy, smiling and chatting during the much-coveted tournament break, but then shifted to Lingard, who seemed to be bombarding the French fellow player with questions, prompting the latter to at first turn back and then prepare to confront Lingard.
That was the moment Lindelof approached the duo, grabbing the £150million-rated Pogba, a Real Madrid and Juventus target, by the shoulder and leading him away, in an apparent bid to lighten the atmosphere.
Despite the voices being inaudible in the video, fans weighed in, agreeing that it could indeed be a non-vociferous altercation, pointing to “the absolute state of this squad”, as one netizen put it.
"Absolute banter club. Just flush it away", another wrote in a more straightforward way.
“Pogs is about to smack Lingard [sic] 00:11”, another wrote, with many more elaborating on it:
Is it me or did I just see lindelöf cut an argument between lingard and Pogba? 👀👀👀
— Doppleganger🔱 (@iamdubii) 8 июля 2019 г.
Others openly wondered why the club posted a video of an apparent argument between players.
"I can’t believe United have released a video containing a clip of Pogba and Lingard arguing, with Lindelof calming it down. We’re a joke club", MUFC fan Danny H wrote.
One commenter picked up on Pogba’s sports agent Mino Raiola, who is rumoured to be negotiating his prodigy’s transfer, while Pogba himself earlier told media that “now” is an appropriate time for “moving elsewhere”.
Wait till Raiola starts stretching your pockets
— M•A•J (@Ultra_Suristic) 8 июля 2019 г.
Many demanded that the Glazer family of “parasites” be kicked out of the Reds’ management:
#GlazersOut pic.twitter.com/yqxArG8OKY
— DoF is a waste of Time FC 🔰 (@iconic7_) 8 июля 2019 г.
#GlazersOut pic.twitter.com/qXNiqeOaSH
— DoF is a waste of Time FC 🔰 (@iconic7_) 8 июля 2019 г.
Manchester United have so far received no concrete offers for Pogba and are now calm about their £89m record signing, although Real Madrid and Juventus have both declared a huge interest in the 26-year-old.
