Manchester United legend Bryan Robson believes Jose Mourinho and Paul Pogba “don’t have to be friends” to guide the club to success.

Rumours of strife between the pair have been swirling around since the summer, and were given fuel by Pogba’s comments after United’s win over Leicester City in their first Premier League game of the season, when he implied he wasn’t happy at the club.

“Within a football club you’ve all got to get on well together,” Robson told ESPN FC. “You don’t have to be friends but, after getting off to a slow start, that’s the time when you all pull together.”

The former United captain also believes some of the criticism of Pogba is unfair.

“He came through the ranks when the Class of 92 were there,” Robson said. “He knows what it takes to be a Manchester United player.

“There is a little bit of unfair criticism for me about Paul. Every time Manchester United don’t play well and get a poor result, it always seems to be Paul who gets most of the criticism.

“If I just look at one game this season when we were really poor, our worst game of the season – against Brighton – there were a lot of other players who have to take responsibility. Not just Paul.”