Manchester United and Paul Pogba have dodged World Cup hangover insists Jose Mourinho after recovering from early season slip

James Robson @jamesrobsonES21 September 2018

Jose Mourinho claims Manchester United have avoided a World Cup hangover - and believes Paul Pogba is benefiting from France’s triumph.

Despite losing two of their first three games of the season, United have recovered to win their last three.

They can record four straight wins for the first time since January if they beat Wolves at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Mourinho is refusing to get carried away with the turn around in form from his side, but has acknowledged an uplift in the atmosphere of his squad since back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Tottenham last month.

In Pictures | Watford vs Manchester United | 15/09/2018

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He believes that has played a major part in avoiding physical and mental fatigue among the players who were involved in the World Cup.

United had seven players who reached the semi finals, with Pogba going on to win the tournament with France.

Mourinho says he has seen little sign of the rigours of the summer having a detrimental effect.

Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

“I think good results, good performances, they make miracles and bad results and bad performances, they make you look more tired, more upset, more ugly, more everything,” said the United manager.

“Football is a little bit like this. A team that yesterday looked very bad, today looks very good and yesterday looked very good today looks very bad. I think this is more the influence of the moment.”

Pogba, who has scored four goals in six games, may be the biggest beneficiary of the tournament in Russia.

Mourinho added: “I think Paul, he came from the World Cup, he was the last one to come because he played the final. I think the happiness, the confidence, the self-esteem was what pushed him to play the first match against Leicester almost without training and played a very good match.

“It’s more about the moment and the momentum, like you like to call it, is very important in the positive and negative way.”

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