[InfiniteBoredom]

Mature performance. Made the right decisions, drawing fouls and freekicks, and could've had an assist had Lukaku not bungled the chance.

This isn't enough though, back on the bench next league game he goes. Absolutely pathetic that Mourinho didn't even attempt to go for it with 30 min to spare.

 

[Ace of Spades]

I really don't understand why we did not go with a 3 at the back today, and let Martial stay higher up and attack.

Our best chance in the game came with him and Lukaku linking up.

 

[Rajma]

Speaks volumes that we did not look remotely like scoring after he came off.

 

[NinjaFletch]

Speaks volumes that we did not look remotely like scoring after he came off.

Well we didn't when he was on the pitch either for vast periods of the game to be perfectly honest.

 

[Devil may care]

Unlike Lukaku who was petulant and Mkhi who was invisible he actually showed some composure to win us a couple of freekicks and created our only chance as well as covering Darmian more thasn once, we were sent out with such little intent to attack it was the best he could do, Rashford and Lingard found the same isolation when they came on.

 

[Janson]

The only attacker who looks like he can do something today. Hasnt been amazing but still a threat. Just give him the ball and let him run.

It's not that simple unfortunately, he was rarely even in a position to receive the ball today.

 

[Garethw]

It's not that simple unfortunately, he was rarely even in a position to receive the ball today.

He was very rarely allowed past the half way line.

Mourinho should have gone 352 today with Martial up top with Lukaku.

Bizarrely we seemed to play with two left backs and two right backs instead.

A cowardly and pathetic display from the manager.

I feel for Martial as he’s likely to find himself back on the bench and through no fault of his own.

 

[Santoryo]

Well we didn't when he was on the pitch either for vast periods of the game to be perfectly honest.

I think his point is that we were so negative that it was extremely hard to see us create anything offensively yet despite that he initiated and was involved in our best attacking moment with a bit of skills.

When he got subbed it meant even that remote and rare chance of something to happen(like in the first half) went with him.

 

[Eyepopper]

He got absolutely zero support from Darmian today, was up against 2 or 3 defenders every time he got the ball with no one overlapping or giving him an option.

It was the same for Rashford when he came on.

 

[Raees]

He needs to start up front for the big games and unleashed from defensive duties. Only way Mourinho shower of shit style football will finally work imo

 

[Garethw]

He got absolutely zero support from Darmian today, was up against 2 or 3 defenders every time he got the ball with no one overlapping or giving him an option.

It was the same for Rashford when he came on.

Don’t get me started on fecking Darmian. The guy is a complete fraud.

I was praying that Mourinho would see sense, sub Darmian for Mata and then have Young at left back.

Whenever Darmian starts you know that the there will be almost zero threat from us down the left.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

Don’t get me started on fecking Darmian. The guy is a complete fraud.

I was praying that Mourinho would see sense, sub Darmian for Mata and then have Young at left back.

Whenever Darmian starts you know that the there will be almost zero threat from us down the left.

He's an absolute coward, I don't know how any footballer is expected to play with that for support.

 

[Eyepopper]

I was praying that Mourinho would see sense, sub Darmian for Mata and then have Young at left back.

Thought we might see this too.

Didn't eve think Darmian did particularly well defensively today, and he was absolutely fecked after an hour.

 

[Santoryo]

He's an absolute coward, I don't know how any footballer is expected to play with that for support.

Is he a coward or was he simply following manager's instructions?

Given how we set up I'm more inclined to believe he was told not to cross the half way line and just stay back.

 

[TheRedScot]

Thought he looked our best attacking player, from the limited attacks we had. Worried hes gonna want to leave if he keeps being rotated and not giving the platform to showcase his attacking ability. Love martial

 

[prtk0811]

Pretty much what i expected.

Time and time again i have mentioned, Mourinho needs to give our wingers defensive freedom to make them look good in attack. 4231 can never bring the best out of them in all the big games.

 

[MadMike]

Thought he did well, within the context of the game. He did the defensive side of the game well, which is the first thing Mourinho always expects. He tracked Joe Gomez till he got subbed off. He basically created our biggest and only chance after combining with Lukaku and playing him through. While didn't get much joy out of Gomez, who had a good game, he also didn't surrender possession anywhere as much as the other forward players did.

Evidence of how tough that game was, bringing Rashford and Lingard on didn't make things any better.

 

[sammsky1]

He was ineffetive but that was the fault of Herrera and Mhki who consistantky failed to provide him (and Lukaku) any kind of penetrative passes to run onto.

 

[Varun]

Is he a coward or was he simply following manager's instructions?

Given how we set up I'm more inclined to believe he was told not to cross the half way line and just stay back.

Yup. If people on a football forum can see it, safe to say the entire Man Utd support staff + manager are too and given the way it panned out, it's clear instructions.

 

[Pyro19]

Told to play defensively plus we had little to no support offered to both him and Lukaku on the counter. Put in a solid defensive shift instead, decent showing for him.

 

[MadMike]

Yup. If people on a football forum can see it, safe to say the entire Man Utd support staff + manager are too and given the way it panned out, it's clear instructions.

I don't even think it's specific instructions. Darmian gets picked when Jose wants a LB that will stick to the task and do nothing else. For more offensive contribution he will pick Blind or Young for that position. He doesn't have to tell him to play defensively, by putting him the team it's quite obvious what he expects. Like If I put a duck in the water, I expect it to swim I don't have to tell it.

 

[Adisa]

Think he'll start against Benfica.
Then Rashers returns to duty next weekend.

 

[Ban]

No wonder Mourinho has put him in a game like that, just so he can't show what he's capable of. Typical.

 

[RedDevilCanuck]

Our only player capable of not shitting pants when pressed.

Should have been moved centrally when it became clear we couldn't make the ball stick anywhere.

Won a couple free kicks and should've had an assist.

 

[Pexbo]

I thought it was everyone else's fault but his that he wasn't brilliant today.

 

[Skills]

Created our only chance of the game. Did well at LB back too.

 

[Adam-Utd]

When he did get the ball he was our best attacker by miles. Did his job defensively well also when required.

Such a shame we didn't give him the chance to show his good form, subbing him at the 60th was bonkers.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

It's so obvious that Mourinho doesn't fancy him.

 

[Backrow Singer]

Thought he was solid considering. Didn't get any quality passes into him, any bit of space he made was off his own back. Darmian was clearly told to sit and we didn't have much going on centrally.

Defensively he was strong, made a hugely important block I think in the first half.

I really like him, think he's got a presence about him.

 

[BluesJr]

Our best and most talented player alongside Pogba. If we had a few Martials we would have had some quality on the ball today at least. Everything kind of good came from him including the chance Lukaku should have scored.

 

[Adisa]

It's so obvious that Mourinho doesn't fancy him.

Yet he starts in our toughest game of the season.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

Yet he starts in our toughest game of the season.

And got taken out despite being our most dangerous attacker(which tbf isn't saying much).

But it's not even this. It's the muted praise he has for Martial whenever he plays well compared to Rashford or other players.

It's not really a knock on Mourinho. Sometimes managers don't fancy certain players.

 

[Adisa]

And got taken out despite being our most dangerous attacker(which tbf isn't saying much).

But it's not even this. It's the muted praise he has for Martial whenever he plays well compared to Rashford or other players.

It's not really a knock on Mourinho. Sometimes managers don't fancy certain players.

If he didn't fancy him, he won't play simple as.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

If he didn't fancy him, he won't play simple as.

I don't think it's black and white as that. He knows he can bring something positive to the team. I just don't think he has Jose's full trust.

But hopefully I am wrong and Jose actually believes in Martial.

 

[Adisa]

I don't think it's black and white as that. He knows he can bring something positive to the team. I just don't think he has Jose's full trust.

But hopefully I am wrong and Jose actually believes in Martial.

I think your judgement is clouded by what happened last season.
He has singled out Martial for praise on about five occasions this season.
I don't even think he's praised any other player more, maybe Matic.
How often does he praise Dave...hardly.

 

[Red_toad]

It's so obvious that Mourinho doesn't fancy him.

Yep obviously playing him in the biggest game of the season so far, really shows how much disdain he has for the player.

Martial carried out his instructions very well, I for one cannot fault him for following the managers instructions. Only wish he'd be given a go at the expense of Mkhitaryant, he and Rashford should both be starting.

 

[breakout67]

More excuses for Martial. Its never his fault, its the left back for not helping him or the manager for not letting him attack. Forget about the fact that Martial was one of our most advanced players when he was playing.

Martial was pretty good in the first half, but you still have posters in here talking about unleashing Martial. Newsflash he isn't Lionel Messi; he's just a promising young attacker. His level dropped in the second half and Liverpool looked like scoring so Mourinho made changes.

Overall a good showing from him.

 

[MadMike]

More excuses for Martial. Its never his fault, its the left back for not helping him or the manager for not letting him attack. Forget about the fact that Martial was one of our most advanced players when he was playing.

Martial was pretty good in the first half, but you still have posters in here talking about unleashing Martial. Newsflash he isn't Lionel Messi; he's just a promising young attacker. His level dropped in the second half and Liverpool looked like scoring so Mourinho made changes.

Overall a good showing from him.

I don't think to say that he didn't see enough of the ball to influence the game is an excuse, it's a fact. Like others have said, he was the only forward player not to shit his pants when he got the ball. He can handle a bit of press and find a simple pass and play a one-two to open the space. He had a decent game and would have had an assist if Lukaku had buried his relatively easy chance.

Not sure who likened him to Messi that you felt compelled to correct them.

 

[criticalanalysis]

More excuses for Martial. Its never his fault, its the left back for not helping him or the manager for not letting him attack. Forget about the fact that Martial was one of our most advanced players when he was playing.

Martial was pretty good in the first half, but you still have posters in here talking about unleashing Martial. Newsflash he isn't Lionel Messi; he's just a promising young attacker. His level dropped in the second half and Liverpool looked like scoring so Mourinho made changes.

Overall a good showing from him.

I agree there is some exaggeration on how much the team/manager is holding back Martial but the fact you've mentioned Messi is also why it's not quite black and white.

This is a lazy comparison but it's generally true, look at Argentina; even the GOAT struggles to find cohesion with his superstar team mates and get results for the national team.

You have to give people the tools to succeed and in this case, better offensive support (individually from team mates) and a more efficient system/set up would massively help (i.e better coaching):

1) A full back, who doesn't sh|t himself one-on-one at the back (so he needs cover all the time) or with the ball at his feet and can actually do something with it.
2) We conceded a lot of harmless possesion sure but when your team doesn't have the ball, how are you supposed to make a contribution regularly?

He won a few free kicks, which relieved pressure, put them on the back foot and created a brilliant chance for Lukaku. He was easily our best outfield player. Not to mention he actually covered Darmian quite decently as well.

 

[breakout67]

I agree there is some exaggeration on how much the team/manager is holding back Martial but the fact you've mentioned Messi is also why it's not quite black and white.

This is a lazy comparison but it's generally true, look at Argentina; even the GOAT struggles to find cohesion with his superstar team mates and get results for the national team.

You have to give people the tools to succeed and in this case, better offensive support (individually from team mates) and a more efficient system/set up would massively help (i.e better coaching):

1) A full back, who doesn't sh|t himself one-on-one at the back (so he needs cover all the time) or with the ball at his feet and can actually do something with it.
2) We conceded a lot of harmless possesion sure but when your team doesn't have the ball, how are you supposed to make a contribution regularly?

He won a few free kicks, which relieved pressured, put them on the back foot and created a brilliant chance for Lukaku. He was easily our best outfield player. Not to mention he actually covered Darmian quite decently as well.

You missed my point completely mate. I thought he was our best player in the first half! But you still have posters making excuses for him to try to elevate him (if the manager did it 'correctly' Martial would have been way better). Martial being helped by the full back goes both ways. Darmian is shambolic 1 on 1, but in the second half he was getting no help from Martial. Martial was subbed of because Liverpool were too strong on his side. When Rashford plays no-one makes excuses for him like they do for Martial; he just had a bad game cos he's young. But with Martial we have to go through every other factor. Its not as if we have a really good left back to play with Rashford; whoever plays on our left side will not have much help from the left back.

You saw when Martial was subbed off that the manager was happy with his contribution; on another day Lukaku would have buried that chance and Martial would have had an assist to add on to a good performance. Martial is improving as a player; he has variation in his play that is on the same or higher level as his first season.

What I am seeing is a better understanding between Martial and the manager; which is a good thing. Just like how Mkhitaryan is a starter after he spent last season a fringe player.