Did nothing at all. He plays with a single dimension. If the game doesn't go according to that flow or if the opponent mixes it up he seems clueless. That's why I rate Rashford over him. Atleast Rashford mixes it up a bit!
9
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 45
- Goals
- 11
- Assists
- 11
- Yellow cards
- 1
- Status
Not his best game but remains our best attacking option. Only Jose knows why he was started on the right when he has been playing so well on the left..
Some pretty daft criticisms in here by agenda pushers. Lost the ball a few times but did alright. Created chances, won freekicks and carried the ball. The last 3 games he's pretty much partnered Lukaku. He's never going to shine as a wide left winger just as Lukaku will never shine as a lone targetman.
He wasn't crap by any means. People are either venting or are simply coming back to his thread with a vengeance after his good performances recently. If he isn't fed the ball, he won't be effective simple as that. And that is true for most attackers in the game. And the very least, he carved out our most clear chance of the day and looked to get the team going after we conceded the first goal. That's way more than some of the others did. He plays a different game and has a different role to Lingard, I really don't understand the point of the comparison. They were both meh. But crap, c'mon.
That sitter to Lukaku almost made me cry after we missed to convert it twice.
I think Mou should find ways to get him more involved in games, instruct midfield players to find him. The game today was mostly characterised by long balls to Lukaku for him to hold it and bring the play but unfortunately he spectacularly failed at doing such.
I think Mou should find ways to get him more involved in games, instruct midfield players to find him. The game today was mostly characterised by long balls to Lukaku for him to hold it and bring the play but unfortunately he spectacularly failed at doing such.
Because not much tactics apart from defend & have players that can cross the ball to lukaku. Martial & Rashford are not good enough for that & his inability to be a more technical manager is why he spent half the season rotating Rashford & martial
Capable, too bad he never. Give him another 8 out of 10 for his performance though if you like.
Probably he considered Rashford more suited into tracking back Walker.
He was okay, considering how little possession we had as a team, did not help that we hoofed the ball a lot as well.
He could maybe show a bit more variety in his play though, would take him another notch in effectiveness.
He could maybe show a bit more variety in his play though, would take him another notch in effectiveness.
Exactly.
Saying Martial was crap doesn't make sense. Because as far as reality is concerned he was good on the ball, made some dangrouse runs past city players and created our most clear cut chances with a beauty of a first time pass into the box. As an attacking player he showed the good stuff on the ball which is what every attacking players should thrive on.
Now some are on his case because of his involvement that they find lacking because he didn't run around like Lingard. I mean what sort of criticism is that. What did those running around git Lingard? Nothing. Attacking players would be left starving if they don't get the ball no matter who their are, and should mostly be judged on their contributions and output on the ball and in attacking phases which Martial was good at in this game.
And that says it all about our glorious leader. Pragmatic he likes to call himself, so much so he is more concerned about how to stop Kyle Walker by sacrificing our most effective attacker from playing in their normal position. Negative containing tactics. I wonder if Pep had so many sleepless nights about our Valencia...
I'm guessing Rashford is more trustworthy to track Walker.
So you missed him setting up Lukaku for what should have been the equaliser?
Martial will never get criticism from his little fan club on here but he was ok today. No more, no less. Tough game for him but he does tire late on in games.
This makes no sense to me. The high press was one of our best chances of getting a goal. City’s defence had on the ball mistakes in them as was evident a few times. Shame Martial and Lukaku couldn’t be bothered.
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Mixed performance for me. Had some good moments, but his pressing was not up to standard in many moments. Definitely one of our better performers this game.
He was mostly neutralized for the game, much like the rest of the team. Everytime he had the ball he was surrounded, his only real contribution being a would-be assist for Lukaku which, as others have mentioned, is more than what most of the team provided today.
Honestly, I expected more of him today.
He needs to play as a no9.
None of our forwards will really shine when they aren’t given the ball and even when someone does attempt to play a ball to them they leave them next to no chance of taking it down nicely and getting a look at play.
We could barely string 2 passes together.
We could barely string 2 passes together.
Actually looked threatening the 3 times we managed to get him the ball in a dangerous area.
Swap him and Sane today and performances would be much the same in either side yet sane will get lauded. City's midfield got him the ball constantly martial was left feeding on scraps for the most part. As was rashford
Swap him and Sane today and performances would be much the same in either side yet sane will get lauded. City's midfield got him the ball constantly martial was left feeding on scraps for the most part. As was rashford
Need to build our attack around both him and Rashford and stop this having them both as part of the supporting cast. Either play them together up top with Lingard behind in a 3-5-2, or play 1 up top and 1 on the left in a 4-3-3 and get someone else for the right, but either way. Both Rashford and Martial had generally positive games, inconsistent as you'd expect with so little of the ball, but were a threat throughout whenever they got on the ball.
Bingo, both could be used in Diamond formation too, but the point stands they shouldn't be used as wingers when Lukaku is the one not deserving his place currently.
It wasn't his best game and that's exactly why I'm not surprised he's getting criticized by some. Most were just waiting for the opportunity.
My opinion on him hasn't changed one bit. He is every bit as good as Sterling/Sane or actually even better. I remember clearly when Pep was at Bayern and played Douglas Costa and Kingsley Conman as his wide players. Costa, who in reality is a bang average player, was transformed and got erroneously rated as world class here and there were even calls for us to him this transfer window as our main winger and Martial should leave the club. Kingsley Conman was terrifying on the wings too under Pep and this forum always tried to convince me he was more talented than Martial. Where are these players today? The forum barely talks about them at all.
Pep attacking wide players are always gonna look fantastic. It's a given. It's not a slight on Jose as some defenders can look better under him but this isn't my point anyway.
Our attack is still far from superb but Martial is easily our best attacker(has the most goals/assists since joining the club) and given Mourinho attacking signings haven't done as much as expected because they have been average overall like Lukaku, Mkhitaryan, or Zlatan (who is the best out of a bad bunch but is too old).
This is exactly why we should be hoping Martial never leaves the club and continues in hex development into a world class attacker. World class attackers aren't exactly easy to come and we have made too many poor or average signings in recent years. We'd regret it a lot if we ever left the club while we holding on to players like Zlatan or Lukaku.
What we need to do is to sign better attacking players or players more suited to Jose system, and until then a discussion about a player of Martial's quality leaving the club is simply beyond stupid.
My opinion on him hasn't changed one bit. He is every bit as good as Sterling/Sane or actually even better. I remember clearly when Pep was at Bayern and played Douglas Costa and Kingsley Conman as his wide players. Costa, who in reality is a bang average player, was transformed and got erroneously rated as world class here and there were even calls for us to him this transfer window as our main winger and Martial should leave the club. Kingsley Conman was terrifying on the wings too under Pep and this forum always tried to convince me he was more talented than Martial. Where are these players today? The forum barely talks about them at all.
Pep attacking wide players are always gonna look fantastic. It's a given. It's not a slight on Jose as some defenders can look better under him but this isn't my point anyway.
Our attack is still far from superb but Martial is easily our best attacker(has the most goals/assists since joining the club) and given Mourinho attacking signings haven't done as much as expected because they have been average overall like Lukaku, Mkhitaryan, or Zlatan (who is the best out of a bad bunch but is too old).
This is exactly why we should be hoping Martial never leaves the club and continues in hex development into a world class attacker. World class attackers aren't exactly easy to come and we have made too many poor or average signings in recent years. We'd regret it a lot if we ever left the club while we holding on to players like Zlatan or Lukaku.
What we need to do is to sign better attacking players or players more suited to Jose system, and until then a discussion about a player of Martial's quality leaving the club is simply beyond stupid.
If he got the ball in positions like Sane and Sterling did...
He receives the ball too deep and has to get past 3-4 players to get near the box. Even Messi would struggle with that.
He receives the ball too deep and has to get past 3-4 players to get near the box. Even Messi would struggle with that.
You know that being on Delph wing is more favored than playing on left vs Walker in this occasion, no? I meant Delph ain't pushing up as much so Martial ain't having to track back as much and Delph has more mistake in him, which ironically he did when Rashford & Martial swapped wing!
Martial despite the glimpse of great play was pretty tactically well marked, and being supply cut off by City on the left. That's the problem coming up against better defender in Walker than Delph.
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Stop playing him wide.
We should be building around him and Pogba.
We should be building around him and Pogba.
Mourinho shouldn't have started him on the right.
Otherwise, an average game overall. Nothing really to comment about.
Otherwise, an average game overall. Nothing really to comment about.
Give this guy the cf role and watch what kind of monster he can become. It just feels like a waste having him on the wing. We should be building our team around getting the most out of him as he is clearly our most effective attacker.
I seriously don't know what some of you expect, Martial already plays in a system that's detrimental to his style and he still contributes. Dribbling, running, and passing/linking up in tight spaces are his strengths, he's not going to flourish in a team that struggles to retain possession, lacks proper midfield transitions, and uses "longball to Lukaku" strategies. He would flourish in La Liga or Seria A.
And the criticism about workrate, lol, you already have Lukaku, rashford, and Lingard tracking back...why do you need more players? Defensive workrate is how we judge our forwards today? Mourinho has really damaged our expectations
Aside from some good runs and that great chance in the end he was a bit average. This team is just not for him and I honestly don't see him extending his contract, which saddens me deeply.
And the criticism about workrate, lol, you already have Lukaku, rashford, and Lingard tracking back...why do you need more players? Defensive workrate is how we judge our forwards today? Mourinho has really damaged our expectations
Aside from some good runs and that great chance in the end he was a bit average. This team is just not for him and I honestly don't see him extending his contract, which saddens me deeply.
I think this issue with our right hand side is slightly overblown.
We're dangerous down the left because Young is always looking to get forward and Pogba likes to drift to that side. Anyone who plays on the right is totally isolated because we have a fullback who absolutely refuses to pass the ball forward or make a run of any sort. Sort that out and we will see a lot more from whoever plays there.
I agree that Valencia inability to dribble anymore is part of the problem, however, we also lack any proper right winger. Both Martial and Rashford game depends on cutting inside with their strong leg and not suited for the right winger position. We need to get left footed right winger.
Not that I oppose the idea, but playing devil's advocate a bit and offering another viewpoint....
City play Sterling on the right and Sane on their left, so the same side as their dominant feet and they seem to be doing more than fine. Mkhitaryan had the best season of his career playing that RW/RF role for BVB and he's right footed. Sadio Mane was fantastic for Liverpool last season playing from the right which is also his dominant foot. C.Ronaldo scored tons of goals and assists playing down the right for us etc. etc.
My point being a good right footed player on the right can still grab loads of goals and assists and in fact is more likely to be able to stretch the game. So I don't feel it's a necessity for whoever we bring for the right, to be left footed. But he does need to carry pace, skill and goal threat. I believe that's what Mourinho hoped he was getting when he signed Mkhi, but it now looks really doubtful he'll be able to replicate his form here.
I would actually like to see Rashford on the right side role for a bit, as a trial, because I believe it will suit him more than the left. He's very good with placing direct shots across the goalie. His style is not as reliant as with Martial on cutting inside I feel.
I have no problem with a right footed right winger, but I always prefer to have a winger that can cut inside and shoot at any time.
I don't understand something. Jose is a world class manager so he obviously knows more than I do but looking at Martial it is obvious to me that he belongs upfront as a center Forward. He's just the exact kind of guy you'd want upfront. Running at defenders, good goal scoring and fast pace.
I don't even feel like rating his performances on the wings. He just isn't a winger for me.
I don't even feel like rating his performances on the wings. He just isn't a winger for me.
I think a right footed left winger is enough. Having someone on the right who also favours cutting in will make us too narrow. We need someone who can hug the touchline and use pace to give us width and other options. Rashford could possibly be developed into this as he seems to lack the skills to make it as a centre forward, and he has the basic ingredients.
Not much to discuss here. We hardly got the ball to him. No idea why this thread is so busy
It's the endless argument between the fans who adore him and see no wrong in anything he does and everyone else.
Or maybe it's a mix between the die hard followers, the realistic fans/detractors and the blind haters? 'Everyone else' is a very generous description.
There's not much to discuss, really. The way I see it his performance was nearly identical with the Spurs match, and if Lukaku didn't shit himself this thread would be full of people jizzing over him. Praise and criticism tend to be extreme on the Caf.
Dare to aim any criticism at him and those that adore him class everyone in the anti Martial brigade.
Lad is a work in progress, some would have us believe he's the best wide forward player in the league and future Ballon D'or winner. I see a very talented 22 year old, who as yet hasn't hit his potential.
- Status