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2017-18 Performances

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6.1 Season Average Rating
Appearances
45
Goals
11
Assists
11
Yellow cards
1
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ivaldo said:
I actually want to see the three of them up top together too and I think it’ll happen, but until we start to struggle with results I don’t think we can complain - particularly when we have scored so many late goals this season.
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Fair enough. But I'm not a big fan of complacency. I don't think we should have to drop points before trying to figure out our best team. If there's a potentially great partnership there we should be trying to develop it imo.
 
bosnian_red said:
So? With them on the pitch together there is a good chance that we'd get the goals we need earlier in games and put games to bed in the first half, leaving the second half only using Lingard/Mata/Miki as subs to add more control. Isn't that what you want? What's the purpose in having a game changing sub as a sub and leaving him for the last 20 minutes when he can do it from the start and not need the game being changed?
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Because if we don't, there's little we can do to change that later on and I don't think Jose is comfortable with that lack of control. Martial and Rashford are our two most impactful substitutions.

I'll try to elaborate on it tomorrow, I'm really tired now.
 
Scarecrow said:
It's not about dealing with eventual injuries but more so having an option to affect the game with the bench. I think Martial and Rashford are not in the same category as Mikhi, Mata and Lingard, even though they all play in the same line. The first two are the ones that can beat their man and score a goal. Primarily that's their job. The others offer different things and I don't think they're in direct contention with them. If you field both of them together you lose the option to use that skillset later in the game. I don't think we have another player who can do what they offer.
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Why is beating a man and scoring goals exclusively the left wingers job? What top team in world football doesn't try to hurt teams from various positions? I'd much rather have a couple of potential match winners in that line than one.
 
Scarecrow said:
Because if we don't, there's little we can do to change that later on and I don't think Jose is comfortable with that lack of control. Martial and Rashford are our two most impactful substitutions.

I'll try to elaborate on it tomorrow, I'm really tired now.
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So we should sacrifice a better first 60 min or so just in case it doesn't work out every now and then?
 
SteveW said:
Why is beating a man and scoring goals exclusively the left wingers job? What top team in world football doesn't try to hurt teams from various positions? I'd much rather have a couple of potential match winners in that line than one.
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We just don't have other players who do that, it has nothing to do with the left winger position. The two of them just happen to play there because they're right footed and that's where most right footed players that beat their men and score goals play at. Anyway, my point was that I think Jose prefers to have a player with that skillset on the bench and as an option from the bench, over having both on the pitch from the start. It also has to do with our other attacking players but I'm not sharp enough to be writing big posts now.
 
Scarecrow said:
We just don't have other players who do that, it has nothing to do with the left winger position. The two of them just happen to play there because they're right footed and that's where most right footed players that beat their men and score goals play at. Anyway, my point was that I think Jose prefers to have a player with that skillset on the bench and as an option from the bench, over having both on the pitch from the start. It also has to do with our other attacking players but I'm not sharp enough to be writing big posts now.
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They could easily switch between left and right wings. There would be a bigger goal threat in the team and it's a lot harder to defend against threats from various different areas than it is from just one. As it stands you'd just need to double up on our left wing and you could snuff out the threat of both of our most exciting young players.

Also surely the long term plan has to be having both players in the team? We'll hardly have one of these guys on the bench in two years time. Neither player is going to settle for that. So rigidly developing them both in the exact same position makes absolutely zero sense to me.
 
In Rainbows said:
So we should sacrifice a better first 60 min or so just in case it doesn't work out every now and then?
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Not really my place to say what we should and shouldn't do. I'd start them both, personally, but I'm highly skeptical of my ability as a football strategist. I'm mostly trying to understand Jose's POV because it's likely the right one, based on past data.
 
Jeffthered said:
Hold on a minute, I never said Martial was rubbish. I said other players have surpassed him. Dechamps and Mourinho aren't stupid or lacking experience. Are you guys telling me Rashford hasn't surpassed Martial?

Based on what? Of course he has. You can see it. There is no shame in that, it happens! Martial has talent, but, in my opinion, he has to evolve his game. he cannot keep cutting inside the overwhelmingly vast majority of the time. he has to add more to his game.

I'm surprised that others don't seem to see this. Course we are lucky to have the both of them, but if you see a Rashford and a Martial on the same level, then we have to agree to disagree. Rashford is still learning, is far from perfect. But he is, right now, in my opinion, a better player than Martial. Why do I say that...? Because Rashford seems to be able to apply his skills, whatever level they may be, more effectively during a game, than Anthony Martial. That's my opinion. Doesn't mean Martial is a poor player.
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Threadbanned!
 
Adisa said:
He has almost 3 years left. Barca can weigh up what they like.
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Maybe he will force his way out if they really come in hard for him. Mourinho football is not for Martial.
 
haram said:
Why's that?
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First of all, he doesn’t play. He had 25 mins pr. game prior to the Liverpool-game in the league. Secondly, complete emphasis on defensive structure instead of exploiting our attacking strengths - especially in the big games, which there are a lot of. If Martial played for one of the other big teams, he would always be attacking when he wanted to. Come tomorrow, he will most likely find himself on the bench again and that is a travesty.
 
If Barcelona wants to trade Dembele or Messi for Martial, then sure maybe. Otherwise they can go back to harassing Klopp for Coutinho.

Hope he gets more game time in big games. I really think he's going to be a world class player with regular games and right mentorship.
 
James Peril said:
First of all, he doesn’t play. He had 25 mins pr. game prior to the Liverpool-game in the league. Secondly, complete emphasis on defensive structure instead of exploiting our attacking strengths - especially in the big games, which there are a lot of. If Martial played for one of the other big teams, he would always be attacking when he wanted to. Come tomorrow, he will most likely find himself on the bench again and that is a travesty.
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Except it isn't.
 
For all the crying people do about this lad not starting, it's not like he ever really does much when he starts. He's been better coming on as a sub to run against tired legs.
 
Fair to say he doesn't thrive in high-intensity environments? Like a first half away to a team known for its high intensity style.
 
AndyJ1985 said:
For all the crying people do about this lad not starting, it's not like he ever really does much when he starts. He's been better coming on as a sub to run against tired legs.
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Or he's just having a poor game like almost everyone does once in a while. Does it have to be extreme and should we just rewrite everything just because you've found a game where he's been poor as a starter.
 
Anyone know where to find statistics on the players that get dispossessed most often in the PL?

Can't imagine any other player than Martial being at the very summit of that stat.
 
Been awful. I still maintain we need to play both though, we're becoming so predictable in attack. Teams are sticking two or three on him as we have nothing in the right. What sort of set up requires all inspiration to come from your left winger?
 
Santoryo said:
Or he's just having a poor game like almost everyone does once in a while. Does it have to be extreme and should we just rewrite everything just because you've found a game where he's been poor as a starter.
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He contributes very little almost every game he starts. His best performances have all came as a sub.
 
Hasn't been good, but is still much more useful than our other attackers behind Lukaku in terms of chance creation.
 
Rozay said:
Been awful. I still maintain we need to play both though, we're becoming so predictable in attack. Teams are sticking two or three on him as we have nothing in the right. What sort of set up requires all inspiration to come from your left winger?
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I concur with this.
 
He needs to turn it on second half. This is where he proves himself to Mourinho, when we need goals. Not when we're 2-0 up.
 
Scorpy said:
Hasn't been good, but is still much more useful than our other attackers behind Lukaku in terms of chance creation.
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What about Lukaku? He has been just as sh*t. He can't do anything without the team behind him whilst martial could at least dribble at the defences as a striker alongside rashford. No instead we wait for rebounds for Lukaku to tap in; not happening today because the rest of the team is just as poor.
 
Lost his head early, didin't recover it for the rest of the 1st half.
 
Non-existant attacking play on the right, so it's easy for Huddersfield to predict where the danger will come from.
 
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