Was quite bad yesterday. He starts to remind of Memphis last season, but I expect him to come good. Would prefer him as striker though, his speeds, and finishing are amazing, and it seems that his ability to take a man on isn't great at the moment. So play him based on his others specialties.
9
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 42
- Goals
- 8
- Assists
- 8
- Yellow cards
- 3
- Status
Feel sorry for him. Another player who suffers for being fast.
His best attribute for me is his finishing and composure in front of goal. He's far more effective through the middle but is used wide.
His best attribute for me is his finishing and composure in front of goal. He's far more effective through the middle but is used wide.
He played through the middle last season too. He's obviously out of form at the moment but I do feel he's wasted shunted on the touchline as he's great at running in behind centrally.
Miles better as a wide player last season. There were plenty of games last season up front where he did nothing.
It isn't the manager, the system or other players either, its all on him. There was barely any great movement from him last season. We played the ball to his feet and he was picking up the ball and running past players for fun. This season he's simply not good enough on the ball.
It isn't the manager, the system or other players either, its all on him. There was barely any great movement from him last season. We played the ball to his feet and he was picking up the ball and running past players for fun. This season he's simply not good enough on the ball.
As I remember it he spent the majority of the time on the left and I'd actually say that running in behind (whether centrally or from the left) is one of his weak points at the moment.
I do agree that he is wasted hugging the touchline but his own insistence in getting the ball to feet and not really offering penetrating runs off the ball makes me think it is more to do with Martial, and his decision making, than the tactical instructions he is given. The wide men seem to be given a fair bit of lee-way to roam and interchange in the current set-up as we have seen when Lingard, Rashford, Mata and even Rooney play the role. Martial's inertia only seems to be broken when he gets the ball at his feet, alas even that isn't really working for him at the minute.
He'll come good but he needs to learn how to utilise his pace and acceleration to find pockets of space between and behind defences if he ever wants to score 20+ goals a season.
Do you think he's better with the ball from stationery or when already in motion? I've noticed he seems to get it alot to his feet at the moment whilst I prefer it knocked in to him whilst he's on the go.
Honestly, he gets the ball so rarely on the move (I think largely due to his own lack of making the right kind of movements) that I wouldn't be confident making a judgement. He does occasionally get involved in nice interplay that slips the ball in to his path but I struggle to remember him getting on to the end of a through ball or receiving the ball whilst running at full pace in the final third.
I instinctively think he'd be great at it, as he has the touch needed, and would love to see him doing more of it now that we have a few more players who can slip those balls through (Pogba, Ibrahimovic, Mata and even Herrera).
I'm not putting all the blame on Martial, last season our build up was so slow it meant we had no space to run in to and whilst better this season we are still suffering from a slightly ponderous approach.
Yeah I'd agree. We are work in progress let's not forget. I think we have some superb attacking options and I think we are all guilty of forgetting how hard it can be to transform our approach of the past 2 years when we are only a few months in under Mourinho.
He's better up front, his hold up play was fantastic last season and he had the pace to get in behind but as has been said he's been shoved out wide.
You don't understand ? Mourinho could ditch him, that's whats meant by that. Mata was playing out of his skin at Chelsea - certainly better than Martial currently is for us - and he sold him in a January window.
I wouldn't get shot of Martial, I like him, but the best managers in the business are brutal and Mourinho isn't recognised as a manager who shows extreme patience waiting for potential to be realised.
That might be true, but it is such an abstract feature of a player. He had four good opportunities yesterday (one offside), in positions where he has shown ability to score in the past. Three were down to bad technique, one down to arriving too late in the box. Of course one can call that a confidence-issue, but that will be a discussion about what is causing his lack of quality more than what it is.
Can people stop peddling this lie?
How many games did he play as 9 for us last seaon. Barely 5 in a row and then played in the wing where he had his best perfomances for us. Being in the wing has nothing to do with his poor perfomances.
I dont know if he is better upfront or on the left, but it doesnt work currently on the left, so why not try him out upfront when Ibra isnt there? Maybe he would score one or two and his confidence would be back. Currently nothing major happens, so i dont know why he palyed out left.
Again with this "up front" nonsense.
He was excellent coming inside from the left wing last season...
We aren't in a position to accommodate anyone. The system players have to adopt to and if they don't, others will come in who can. Martial will have to offer more otherwise he'll potentially be another one season wonder.
He's better centrally for me
Out of curiousity, how did you form this opinion?
Hes better out wide in my opinion. Hasnt played too much this season though. What id love to see is him, Miki and mata with Zlatan up top and Pogba and herrera behind.
It's not a lie.
Based on the games he played, I think he had more potential as a striker than as a winger. He played striker for a while until Rooney got pushed up front and Martial on the wing because Depay was rubbish. For all we know, if he had played the entire season as a striker he could have been even better.
But I am not saying that he should be playing up front right now though. He's our best wide player and him not performing well is down to him being young and inevitable inconsistent rather than because he on the wing.
The areas he seems more effective infront of goal for me are central.
Difficult second season. Happens to loads of players. He'll figure it out himself in good time.
He may have played well on the wing but it doesn't mean he didnt play well as the striker. I prefer him as the striker (Not including Rashford) and he has even said he wants to play up front.
What he has said is irrelevant as he is still young (hell even a player experienced like Walcott keeps changing opinion on his position). However what you said about the preference is one thing and that is your right to think so. He played much more and much better on the wing (at Man Utd, Monaco and for France) so I honestly don't understand this "up front" myth that is believed about him. Maybe he will turn into a fantastic striker one day but just not right now.
Exactly. That Dolberg kid that's (rightfully) being hyped in the other thread said in a recent interview that up until last year, he considered himself a winger and never considered himself a striker. Now if you've seen Dolberg play, he looks as much a classic #9 as it can get. Just goes to show how difficult it can sometimes be for players to rate and classify themselves.
Not too long ago, teams had to put two men on Martial when he played from the left wing, and he was still unstopable at times. No reason at all to assume he won't return to being magnificent playing from the left wing, probably quite quickly too if you take into account how tremendously talented he is.
Will have to agree to disagree then.
Just another in the line of top players we seem to turn to crap.
He's lazy, I love his burst on the ball and he's got huge potential, but he's got to get more involved.
Who are the rest?
Depay, ADM, Schneiderlin, Darmian ...
You don't spend the sort of money we have in the last three seasons, and have managed only limited, if any progress without there been a problem with our transfers.
Yet most of the players that leave here then really struggle to pull any trees elsewhere
Maybe we are just signing poor players without the temperament for this club
Depay,really? How did we ruin him? Did we prevent him from being able to beat man?
WhoScored.com ratings from last season below, I don't know how accurate the data is or how reasonable the ratings are, but it might be interesting to you guys. I think it just counts starts.
Premier League:
Champions League:
Europa League:
Centrally: played 16, avg rating 6.92
Wide: played 22, avg rating 7.34
Depay came here looking like a world beater, we paid a fee that reflected his position as one of the top young players in the world, now look at him, would this decline have happened if he'd joined another top club? Maybe, but I wouldn't mind betting he'll improve drastically elsewhere, ADM was fantastic before he came here, ok he's not been as good for PSG as he was or Madrid, but he's a darn sight better than he ever was for us, Schnierderin came here as one of the best DM in the prem, Darmian was thought of as real coup when we got him, now they look average at best.
Whether we are buying the wrong players wasn't my original point, it was more that we don't seem to have been able to improve any player we have bought post Fergie (Bailly aside), and alot have regressed, it's become the norm.
In a limited number of games that he played up front last season I share your opinion partially, as in he has the ability to perform to a good level and also a potential to get a lot better. But collectively, the games he was out wide were much much more impressive. He was maybe an Aubameyang three, four seasons ago up top but out wide he had had Messi-esque moments, not exactly but you know what I mean.
Thanks for the stats, was too lazy too look up myself
Maybe they're regressed or maybe they haven't been that good in the first place. Depay isn't the first nor will be the last who shined in Dutch league but fell after that. Darmian looked decent or so we hoped he is a good buy. He's still a decent buy imo but nothing more nor did I think he will be that good in the first place.
Schneiderlin maybe shined in a specific formation in Soton but can't prove his worth at United and ADM had attitude problems which didn't help him or his career at United. Maybe it's just wrong buys.
We're shite. Three managers since Fergie and no progress. Shite I tell ya
People didnt believe when I said that he will have a difficult 2nd season. Now it is up to him to find his form again and solve his private issues if that's bothering him. I like him as a wide left striker and as a player in general but he needs to up his game now
IMO he just needs consistent game time, he'll get match rhythm/sharpness and will find his form again. Mourinho should make him a regular on the LW for the next 4-5 weeks and he'll benefit from the confidence it will give him knowing he's first choice.
I think so too, Martial hasn't played an entire league game yet this season and beyond the first couple of games has been mostly restricted to substitute appearances.
Perhaps part of the problem is that he's not getting enough of the ball either. Martial was our outlet in attack last season so got plenty of the ball, whereas the priority now seems to be getting the ball to Ibrahimovic or Pogba.
- Status