Manchester United Star Is 'Lazy,' 'Cheats A Bit,' Says Marcel Desailly After UCL Exit

Chelsea legend Marcel Desailly called Paul Pogba "lazy" after Manchester United's Champions League elimination on Tuesday. He added that the midfielder "cheats" a bit.

After a 1-1 draw at Wanda Metropolitano, Atletico Madrid defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the return leg at Old Trafford and progressed to quarters on aggregate.

Pogba did not start the second leg Round of 16 fixture Tuesday as Ralf Rangick went with Fred and Scott McTominay ahead of the former. Pogba came off the bench in the 67th minute, replacing Bruno Fernandes, but failed to rescue the Red Devils, who had conceded a goal in the first half.

"Quality-wise, you cannot compare Paul Pogba to Fred or [Scott] McTominay or [Nemanja] Matic. But he's lazy, if you allow him to be some kind of playmaker behind [Cristiano] Ronaldo he will take advantage of it," the Chelsea great told BeINSport.

Pogba has had an injury-hit season and has so far made only 23 competitive appearances for Manchester United. He has provided nine assists, along with scoring a goal.

"When he goes well, then he's fantastic. When he doesn't go well, offensively he hasn't gone to what everyone was expecting, and at the same time, he will cheat a little bit and not drop back. He cheats a little bit and doesn't help with the midfield defensively," added Desailly about his French compatriot.

With the Champions League exit, it is confirmed that Manchester United have gone without a trophy once again in a season. For the sixth straight year, the Red Devils have failed to bring silverware to Old Trafford. The last time Manchester United won titles was back in the 2016-17 season, where they triumphed in the Europa League and League Cup.

Meanwhile, for Cristiano Ronaldo, the 2021-22 season is the first time he ended a season without a trophy in 12 years. The last such campaign was his first season at Real Madrid back in 2009-10, more than a decade ago.

Ronaldo too had a forgettable night at Old Trafford on Tuesday. It was only the third time in his Champions League career that he played 90+ minutes in a match in the competition without having a single shot; the others were Man Utd vs Panathinaikos match in November 2003, and Real Madrid vs Barcelona in May 2011, according to Opta Joe.

While Ronaldo's last Champions League title was in the 2017-18 season, Manchester United's UCL win is even older than that. The Red Devils have managed to win the top European competition only three times in their history, with the last win coming in the 2007-08 season.