Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has spoken out about the club's struggles last year, admitted the team were 'cheating' each other during their poor start to the season before turning their fortunes around.
The Red Devils endured a woeful spell of form at the beginning of the campaign, suffering a 6-1 thumping at home to Tottenham and exiting the Champions League group stage to put severe pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but the Norwegian has rejuvenated the team - who are now fighting to the title.
Pogba, who himself has come under fire for some sub-par performances at Old Trafford, believes the reason for United's slugging start to the season was a lack of 'effort' from the team as a whole and hailed his team-mates for upping the ante to trigger a drastic turnaround.
Speaking to former United defender Rio Ferdinand on BT Sport, the Frenchman was asked what had changed at the club to banish their poor form.
'The mentality, playing more as a team,' Pogba said. 'Playing much better altogther, pressing much better together. No one is cheating. When I mean cheating - no one is running less or not making the effort to come back.'
When asked by Ferdinand if that issue had been a major problem, Pogba replied: 'It's Always been a problem. When you're all together it's always going to be easier.
'If someone is making less effort, it's going to be a little problem for the team. When you're all together, you all work hard, you see the result.'
The World Cup winner has been vital to United's superb run and has scored the winning goal in two of their last three games - first against Burnley and then against Fulham to clinch narrow victories and keep them in the title conversation.
He has suffered injury problems this season and has been heavily linked with a summer exit from Old Trafford, but has brushed away speculation after featuring prominently in Solskjaer's side. He's started 12 games and scored three times and is arguably in his best form since his £89m move in 2016.
Question marks over his future will remain with one year left on his deal, and when asked by Ferdinand if he was ready to commit himself to Old Trafford, Pogba laughed and said he was happy but would be 'speaking with the club'.
'I am on contract, I am here, I am enjoying myself. Everybody knows that I have one year left, I'm going to speak with the club and see what's going on.
For now, my objective, my goal is to win something. That's all I'm thinking about is to win.'
More to follow.