Thought it was an above average performance made a good one by the goal.
Anyone else clock that the finish he used was the same technique he tried against Leicester but got horribly wrong? Could be adding top corner finishing to avoid becoming predictable. Fun to watch these young players evolve and elevate their game. Expect Rashford to score a similar one soon. He picks up on these things quickly.
It was always in his locker but we all know the bottom corner finish is his go-to move in certain situationsHe’s scored top corners for us before. Stoke at home two seasons in a row for a start.
The understanding between Martial and Pogba to play those intricate quick passes, its a level above everyone else in the team.
I think we can agree his ceiling is way higher than Lukakus. He has potential to be the best player in our squad.
It's a weakness to an extent. I don't consider Martial a very accurate shooter from outside the box. His speciality and main comfort zone is that low shot in the bottom right corner, no matter what. The few times he decides to shoot it from the edge or outside of the box, it often times doesn't even hit the target. He needs to work on his shooting quite a bit before I'd say he's wasting opportunities by not shooting more on sight. I think he knows his limitations with that right now and keeping wild shots in check. He's also not quite on the comfort level to try all kinds of shots because I'm sure there's a certain fear still that if he messes up too much, he could be back on the bench.
He does.
I really don't get how no one from our coaching staff is capable of guiding him by observing his positions throughout the game. Lad has tones of talent and just requires someone to give him clear instructions in terms of movement and staying in the box. Sterling been the same, now look at him popping up with these tap-ins everywhere.Yeah, same. I was building up a head of Nani-style frustration with him when I kept noticing that he was nowhere near their box every time we looked like creating something then second later, boom, all was forgiven.
The understanding between Martial and Pogba to play those intricate quick passes, its a level above everyone else in the team.
Which is why it's so clear the team needs to go 4-3-3. It means Martial doesn't have to cover the 60-70% of the pitch like he does in a 4-2-3-1. It means Pogba is usually taking up the places where he is at his best. It means Lukaku isn't isolated. No-brainer really.
Been starting regularly for over close to two months nowOne of my favs and don't understand why when others are out of form, they play but not him. Martial seems to always be the player substituted too. I think we'd see an even better player if he played every week rather than is it him or Rashford the next game...
One of my favs and don't understand why when others are out of form, they play but not him. Martial seems to always be the player substituted too. I think we'd see an even better player if he played every week rather than is it him or Rashford the next game...
Been starting regularly for over close to two months now
In the last 11 league games, he has started 8 games. 1 game he was injured, 1 game he was just back from injury. Only 1 game he came off the bench when fully fit.
Like said above, don't get the sense he's in Jose's inner circle of players and I believe he should be. Some players when they have a dip in form, they still start but others don't. Some players play the 90 mins and others you can guarantee won't. Martial is the latter and you wonder how good he would be in a team where he was the 'go to' player....
I think he suffers a little bit with accumulation of matches,' Mourinho told United's official website. 'I could feel that in the second half he was going down and down and down.
'He’s still a young guy and his body, his biological situation has space to improve but in the first half, during the time, he had strength and explosion in his legs. He was dangerous and [scored] an important goal.'
I think he’d look even better in the front two in a 3-5-2 or 4-4-2 diamond, hands down. His link up play with both Pogba & Lukaku is very good.
He might not be the guy who buzzes like a bee and makes a thousand runs on the back of the defenders. But he drops a bit deeper in the AM position and links up with short passes, plays the give and go and pulls defenders out of place.
There is no inner or outer circle. People said same thing about Mkhitaryan that he is poorly treated, all of a sudden he played in all the games in our most important cup.
This season Mkhitaryan stunk the place, people said Jose won't drop him because he in on Jose's good books, after Chelsea game he wasn't even involved in the match day squads for number of weeks.
Luke Shaw is playing so many games even though Darmian and Blind are available. Apparently Rashford was undroppable for Jose, now he isn't starting league games at all.
Jose praised Martial so many times that he has lot of offer which means he rates Martial very highly and he has proved that by playing starting him all the games and binning the rotation game he was playing at the start of the season.
Absolute Rubbish that there no inner circle. Jose at ever club he manages functions in that way. You really trying to tell me that Rom, Pogs, Matic, DDG or Tony V are not the first names on his team sheet irrespective of their form? That's the inner circle and my opinion is Martial should be in there too. Whether Jose has praised him or not, he's not yet there and generally those players play 90mins as Jose always keeps the players he trust the most on the pitch. Martial 11 starts, 9 substituted.
This is the thing with Martial. It's all about efficiency for him. Some people say that he just wants to dribble through players. That is simply not true. Martial is ultra efficient in what he does. Be it shooting, moving with or off the ball or dribbling. He only does things when his rather conservative instincts tells him to do them. You will seldom see him making runs anticipating a ball, shooting speculatively, gambling on a long ball or pass, running around like a headless chicken.
If somehow, his efficiency can consistently be married to effectiveness, you will see an unreal player. The flip side to this is that I don't think he can ever become a true no. 9, as he won't completely develop a poacher's instinct. He will(and does) look poorer than others on days when his insticts aren't sharp. He is simply an extremely clinical player and a finisher without being someone who likes to gamble on chances, decisions or passes. I just look forward to his development here at Old Trafford.
De Gea, Valencia, Matic, Pogba, Lukaku are first names as they are the only players in that positions who are good enough, Martial and Rashford were used as left wingers rotating them every game.
Obviously every coach trusts few players more than others, that doesn't mean there is a inner circle. I bet there is a separate whatsapp group for inner circle players?
WhatsApp? Too modern. They wear dark, full length, hooded robes and have secret, candle lit meetings every full moon. Secret handshakes, code-phrases and everything
De Gea, Valencia, Matic, Pogba, Lukaku are first names as they are the only players in that positions who are good enough, Martial and Rashford were used as left wingers rotating them every game.
Obviously every coach trusts few players more than others, that doesn't mean there is a inner circle. I bet there is a separate whatsapp group for inner circle players?
Forums eh, you post one thing and some seems to have to be pathetic and want an argument. It's not about being good enough, players will all have a dip in form but certain players irrespective of that still play others once their form dips, they are out. The players named will always be first choice regardless and my point was Martial should be that too. It's well documented about Jose at Chelsea and Real creating divisions within dressing rooms with that style of player management and even though you thought you were being funny, it's also documented that he text some players and not others. Inner circle, what's app group, secret hand shakes or Roped meetings at midnight, Martial should be there too.
In the whole December Martial played 8 games and had 1 assist. That was in the first game of December against Arsenal. After that it was 7 games without a goal or assist but still he was first choice player.
That surely proves he is playing regardless of form now?
He's an extraordinary talent. Some of the recent hate in the last 3 games where the entire team was playing shite but he was singled out is laughable. If you cannot see Martial's world class potential you're watching the wrong sport.
Stick him as a wide forward in a fast moving attack and watch the figures climb.
I have always opined for Martial ahead of Rashford. He's a better finisher and physically stronger to deal with defenders. Mourinho is slowly coming around. JM will also realize it's worthy rotating Lukaku with Martial more often as Lukaku has a heavy tough and would never have scored the goal Martial scored. His obsession with a traditional no.9 may also have hindered the team play as he alluded to playing with more freedom. Long term Lukaku just isn't technically good enough for United.It is clear as day that he should be ahead of rashford in playing as a striker, his link up play and surprisingly hold up play is better than Rashford and lukaku. I think if given enough chances he can shine in that role.
Before Jose came along, I actually believed that Martial and Rashford could be our next Cole and Yorke pair. Their abilities seemed to complement each other very well. Now, I'm not so sure, with Rashford not showing the finishing skills, flicks, linking up he showed previously. I think he has evolved under Jose, for better or for worse, it is yet to be seen.This is why he needs to play upfront with a partner who has a poachers instinct. To me when Rashford first came through - he showed exactly the things that martial didn't have. I'd love to see them build a partnership
Lukaku is a flat-track bully and I never worried about Lukaku when he played for the opposition. Blind always had him in his pocket. The rationale for buying him would have been it was the small teams we were drawing against and it's been working so far this season. It is up to the manager though to figure out how to utilize /rotate Lukaku with Martial and Rashford in the big games. It does my head in this nonsense that Lukaku can never be rested or even subbed regardless of form and has cost us a lot of points. Reminds me of a certain 'My captain shall always play' mantra from a certain LVG...and we know how it all worked out.He genuinely is. Genuine World Class talent, but not genuine World Class player yet. For that, his ability needs to combine with his hard work and good coaching. The Caf creams itself over Dybala, but Martial is of a similar ilk.
Martial is such a lovely player to watch when on top of his game and I would love to see a proper partnership being formed between him and Rashford.
Sadly, because of our new expensive striker, who is literally undroppable, I don't see that happening at all and we might have to sacrifice one of them since an investment of 75 million pounds, up to 90, is hard to neglect and I suspect the owners would be livid if Lukaku does not prove his worth, so Mourinho has to play him into form.