In Mourinho’s curious world Pogba has become the anti-Scott McTominay

The inexperienced McTominay is currently seen as being a more reliable choice than Pogba for Manchester United

In theory, it ought to have been a fine day for the brand. “Glory, glory Man United” echoed around Old Trafford as Manchester United closed in on a record-equalling 13th FA Cup. The marketing department could savour the sight of two of José Mourinho’s bigger buys on the scoresheets.

Yet two more languished unused on the bench even before the sense “United” appeared an inappropriate suffix when the manager eviscerated his team. If there was one thing worse than being castigated in public by the Portuguese, it was presumably being spared censure only by virtue of being omitted. If Saturday’s scorers Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic seem Mourinho’s disciples, two who he stated on Friday would form part of his legacy, Paul Pogba and Alexis Sánchez represent recent disappointments. They formed a contrast, a pair who are delivering and a duo who were dropped.

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