Paul Pogba has been slammed for being "disrespectful" to Man Utd over his latest comments shining a negative light on his situation at the club.
The United midfielder admitted in an interview while away on international duty that he is going through the "most difficult" period of his career.
He also hinted at a cold feeling around Old Trafford, telling RTL: "The France team is a breath of fresh air, the group is exceptional, it's magic.
"It’s not that in the club we don’t have fun, but here it’s not the same. We laugh. It’s really a family."
Pogba has put United in awkward positions in the past by making similarly suggestive comments about his future at the club, and pundit Micah Richards feels the midfielder has overstepped the mark again this time.
"He needs to have a little bit of respect for Man United because I've backed him to the hilt so many times," Richards told BBC Radio 5 live .
"We've come out before and said he shouldn't have his agent saying things for him, which we all agree on, but going away with your national team because you're playing well with your national team, then sort of creating problems in the team that has shown a lot of faith in you and put a lot of trust in you. I think it's disrespectful.
"I'm not the one to jump on any bandwagon with Pogba, I still believe he should stay, I still believe he's good enough to take the team where they need to go to if he's fully focused.
"But I lost a bit of respect for him when he said that because he knows how big he is, not just on the field but off the field, he knows there have been so many problems surrounding him playing, then being on the bench, so to make that comment when you're away, this is the first time I have to criticise Pogba."
The Frenchman's comments have perhaps been more bitter to United's taste given his inconsistent performances at club level.
Pogba has struggled to produce his best form in recent seasons, particularly over recent weeks, where boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has frequently started him on the bench.
How should Man Utd deal with the latest situation involving Pogba? Have your say below.
It was only in October that Pogba stressed he was focused on putting United "where they deserved to be", but in the same breath admitted a move to Real Madrid would be a "dream".
France boss Didier Deschamps admitted the 27-year-old has been "impacted mentally" by his surroundings at United, while Pogba has since been warned over what he says in public by compatriot Frank Leboeuf, with Richards also not impressed.
Richards added: "He should know better than that and if he wants to send a message, how many times has Ole come out and protected Pogba?
"So he should show a little bit of decency, even if he feels that way, just go and speak to the manager and tell him how he's feeling. Don't do it on international duty."
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