The Portuguese manager must trust his “experience and intuition” in dealing with the star midfielder, according to the Tottenham boss
Mauricio Pochettino insisted there is no single correct approach to managing player relationships following criticism of Jose Mourinho’s handling of Paul Pogba.
Manchester United boss Mourinho and his star midfielder shared a frosty exchange in training on Wednesday amid talk of a deepening rift between the pair.
The episode played out in full view of the assembled media and followed just a day after Mourinho confirmed he had stripped Pogba of United’s vice-captaincy.
Questions have been raised over the wisdom of airing such issues in public, but Pochettino believes it is a complicated issue which requires case-by-case attention.
“There is not one solution. Nobody is going to teach you, it’s not in a book,” the Tottenham manager told a news conference.
“It’s like in a game. Every single action needs a reaction [using] your intuition, experience.
“When something wrong happens in the dynamic of the group it’s always about your experience, how you are going to manage. But there’s no clear way to behave.
“I think everything is different and you are going to react depending on your emotional state, whether you are in a good or a bad mood.”
United, beaten on penalties by Derby County in the EFL Cup in midweek, return to Premier League duty with a trip to West Ham on Saturday.
Tottenham head to Huddersfield Town seeking back-to-back league victories.