Jose Mourinho hints at Anthony Martial stay

Perhaps there is some good news for Manchester United, at least for next season. According to Barney Ronay in The Guardian, Manchester City’s opponents have figured out how to play against Pep Guardiola. Attacking what is a basically rubbish defence, against a manager who has never had a strong focus or aptitude for organising effectively at the back, seems to bring rewards. It’s been demonstrated twice by Liverpool and once by Manchester United in recent weeks, and Spurs might be the next ones to show the way. The problem is that City can just spend £200m on defenders in a couple of months.

There’s more bad news for City. UEFA looks like it might actually be enforcing Financial Fair Play this summer, with Paris Saint-Germain’s accounts being looked at. There’s no hint that City’s finance are anything but above board, but we can all be sick into our own scorn when we look into what they tell us is really going on with their business.

Jose Mourinho has hinted that Anthony Martial could stay at Manchester United. The French striker has been umming and ahhing over a new contract and has reportedly rejected it until he is given assurances over his future involvement. There’s no doubting his talent, but would it not be better to make sure of your future appearances by playing so well you can’t be ignored? It doesn’t make sense that a player should demand to play for a club in any other way.

United are thinking of increasing their capacity to 90,000 at Old Trafford. In order to do so it may be necessary to leave the ground for a season. It is hard to work out where they might go - they would hardly be ready to share with City. Let’s hope they don’t realise that taking United on a world tour might actually be pretty profitable.