Paul Pogba doesn’t need José Mourinho, he needs N’Golo Kanté | Richard Williams

Neither member of France’s World Cup-winning midfield axis has enjoyed the start to the season – perhaps Manchester United should be paying closer attention to events at Chelsea

Sometimes it’s not easy being a World Cup winner. That might not be how Kylian Mbappé feels as he cruises along with Paris Saint-Germain, already eight points ahead of the pack after eight games. But for two men whose contributions were just as fundamental to France’s victory in July, the new season has turned out very differently.

N’Golo Kanté, the finest player in the world in one of the most demanding roles in any football team, has been displaced from his position in the Chelsea side by a new manager’s tactical rejig. In no time at all Maurizio Sarri has brought a sense of joy and adventure back to Stamford Bridge, but at the cost of depriving football lovers of the pleasure of watching Kanté do what he does with such unassuming brilliance.

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