[Bebestation]

The game against Watford showed what Martial does - the chance that Lingard missed - that has every chance of falling on to someone like Greenwood & he scores.

Rashford Martial Greenwood play as 2 wider strikers with one support striker.
Not a single winger in site & it becomes an absolute menace to defend against because they are all technically capable of creating chances themselves whilst creating chances for each other as well.

You take Martial out of that & suddenly the passing goes down a gear. You put James on the right instead of Greenwood - now you don't have a forward but you have a direct winger trying to cross the ball.

 

[Hawks2008]

Misunderstood by you, it seems.

It's pretty obvious to most people who have watched more than 5 minutes of football that he's dropping deep to link things up, if you can't see that I reckon you're watching the wrong sport.

Yes you are smart and I am not

 

[Raven]

Yes you are smart and I am not

I mean, it's pretty clear what he brings to the team, you're failing to see it. Besides, it was you who started with the smart shit, calling him a misunderstood genius.

 

[Devil may care]

He's having a decent season and was good tonight, I'm liking his progression.

 

[WR10]

He's a striker that is as complete as it gets. Brilliant footwork, great hold up play, great vision for a pass, flawless technique and a talented finisher.

You wouldn't be able to sign a player that does all that for less than 100m these days.

Just wish he puts on the show every game rather than every 3

 

[kouroux]

I was seriously impressed with his left foot shot that hit the post, this is some nice variety to his game. Another tool in his box to hurt defences

 

[arthurka]

Great performance from a great player.

Easy tiger he isn't even close.. On and off player.. but showed his best sides vs a very poor Newcastle side.. Wait for him to pull the vanishing act v Burnley.

 

[Hawks2008]

I mean, it's pretty clear what he brings to the team, you're failing to see it. Besides, it was you who started with the smart shit, calling him a misunderstood genius.

I see what he brings, but I also see he is rarely in the box when we need him to be. For a striker to have such poor presence in the penalty area is criminal and it's frustrating because he is probably our best finisher.

Today he was good and he showed that he can find space with the first goal and I liked his intensity with the second goal but god I wish he would show it more instead of just when he's up for it. Hes 24 now, has played 200 games for the club, and is being given a free run at his favoured position and he is still as streaky as ever, and I don't think he'll ever be that 20-25 goal a season striker we are lacking.

 

[He'sRaldo]

I see what he brings, but I also see he is rarely in the box when we need him to be. For a striker to have such poor presence in the penalty area is criminal and it's frustrating because he is probably our best finisher.

Today he was good and he showed that he can find space with the first goal and I liked his intensity with the second goal but god I wish he would show it more instead of just when he's up for it. Hes 24 now, has played 200 games for the club, and is being given a free run at his favoured position and he is still as streaky as ever, and I don't think he'll ever be that 20-25 goal a season striker we are lacking.

Rashford and Greenwood seem to be coming along nicely so I'd personally prioritize someone who can make them play better and score more goals. They both have potential for 20 goal seasons each in the future, which is better than one 20 goal target man.

Besides, with Martial's skills I wouldn't count him out of the goals just yet. A goal every other game ain't too bad for now.

 

[meamth]

Is he the youngest main striker in PL?

If he is, is he the best in the age bracket?

 

[Raven]

Easy tiger he isn't even close.. On and off player.. but showed his best sides vs a very poor Newcastle side.. Wait for him to pull the vanishing act v Burnley.

So what, you think he's average? Terrible perhaps? He's been consistently good this season.

 

[Raven]

I see what he brings, but I also see he is rarely in the box when we need him to be. For a striker to have such poor presence in the penalty area is criminal and it's frustrating because he is probably our best finisher.

Today he was good and he showed that he can find space with the first goal and I liked his intensity with the second goal but god I wish he would show it more instead of just when he's up for it. Hes 24 now, has played 200 games for the club, and is being given a free run at his favoured position and he is still as streaky as ever, and I don't think he'll ever be that 20-25 goal a season striker we are lacking.

He's been consistently very good this season. You don't seem to realise that there are different types of strikers.

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/roberto-firmino/profil/spieler/131789]

Have a quick peek at this fella's stats and tell me he's not a top striker.

 

[arthurka]

So what, you think he's average? Terrible perhaps? He's been consistently good this season.

No like I said on and off. He hasn't been consistently good by any stretch. But like anything here on the Caf either you are fantastic or rubbish. He is just a moody fecker in a team that needs consistency, don't worry he will get half the Caf pulling their hair out before long.

 

[InfiniteBoredom]

No like I said on and off. He hasn't been consistently good by any stretch. But like anything here on the Caf either you are fantastic or rubbish. He is just a moody fecker in a team that needs consistency, don't worry he will get half the Caf pulling their hair out before long.

He’s been pretty damn consistent this season when he plays. He’s not yet however the 1 goal per game forward, the one to pull something out of the bag when the whole team is dire. We hope he’d get there, and kind of need him to, but that’s a strict, strict standard that only the best current forwards in the game can claim.

 

[RedRonaldo]

Selling Lukaku to give Martial more game time at no.9 position is correct decision. Martial is going to be top class forward for us, he has the whole package.

 

[Trophy Room]

If he was playing for another team, he’ll be at the top of the muppets most wanted list.

 

[kafta]

My opinion on him hasn't changed much since his fist season. He is a very technically gifted footballer, with good hold up play, link up play and an eye for a pass. What he is doing better is running the channels and coming deep to collect the ball, which is great and helps unlock defenses.

I still think he is the key to our attack. When he has a good game, our attack just clicks.

Him and Marcus are both developing wonderfully. Excellent talents that we would've urged the club to sign if they weren't ours.

 

[Ace of Spades]

He was great, and his goal scoring record is not bad considering he missed a good few games to injury.

He can improve on his consistency and intensity of his play. Hopefully, he also becomes better at having a presence in the box as well.

 

[norm87cro]

Brilliant second goal and he should not have been taken off given he was on a hat trick

 

[roonster09]

Brilliant second goal and he should not have been taken off given he was on a hat trick

We have one more game in 48 hours, that game is important than hat trick.

 

[Hawks2008]

He's been consistently very good this season. You don't seem to realise that there are different types of strikers.

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/roberto-firmino/profil/spieler/131789]

Have a quick peek at this fella's stats and tell me he's not a top striker.

Firmino and Martial are not that similar, Firmino's engine and intensity is something that isn't part of Martials game and it means he has an impact on games even if he isn't scoring. If we are moving to a 433 then maybe a striker like him coming short to link play is necessary but given Ole favours a 4231 and strong links to creative forces like Maddison and Sancho it makes me question how viable such a striker could be. If this is what we are building towards a more direct goal threat is required and I don't think Martial can fulfil such a role.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

Firmino and Martial are not that similar, Firmino's engine and intensity is something that isn't part of Martials game and it means he has an impact on games even if he isn't scoring. If we are moving to a 433 then maybe a striker like him coming short to link play is necessary but given Ole favours a 4231 and strong links to creative forces like Maddison and Sancho it makes me question how viable such a striker could be. If this is what we are building towards a more direct goal threat is required and I don't think Martial can fulfil such a role.

You have to wonder how much of his development has been stunted due to being stuck on the left wing under Mourinho marking opposing fullbacks.

He was scoring a lot of scrappy goals early in his career by being in and around the goal mouth under van Gaal.

 

[Santoryo]

Is that the case? Because I see a player in Martial that is supremely talented, but requires the rest of the team to be on form in order for him to do what's needed. How often do see we see the team perform under par but Martial drags us through? We don't see him take the game by the scruff of the neck, we don't see him run his arse off, so what do we see him doing? If he isn't going to be a goal threat then he needs to justify taking the position of one. And when someone who supposedly makes the team tick doesn't work hard for that team,, he's going to be criticized. No matter how you try and manipulate the data, he doesn't work hard enough. An arbitrary eye test will tell us that. Imagine how good a player he could be if he put the effort in his teammates do?

Despite what some Caftards would like to believe, last game aline prove you wrong. The team played poorly yet Martial managed to create 3 chances which should have ended in 2 goals. That's an example of him making things happen despite the team not playing well.

I never understood why some are ctremely harsh with Martial, his works and positive things he does get easily dismissed and people try to pretend that players magically drag average performances from an entire team on their own and win games like that. Even Messi needs good players around him to win otherwise he gets wasted.

There is no such thing as a single player dragging an entire team, using that as a criticism of Martial is just silly.

 

[Raven]

Firmino and Martial are not that similar, Firmino's engine and intensity is something that isn't part of Martials game and it means he has an impact on games even if he isn't scoring. If we are moving to a 433 then maybe a striker like him coming short to link play is necessary but given Ole favours a 4231 and strong links to creative forces like Maddison and Sancho it makes me question how viable such a striker could be. If this is what we are building towards a more direct goal threat is required and I don't think Martial can fulfil such a role.

He's got quite a lot in common with Firmino as far as I'm concerned, if you haven't noticed as we, our options at CAM are shite, unless Pogba changes that, we absolutely do need Martial to use his link up play from deep. This is so disingenuous it's crazy, you're blaming him for being the wrong type of striker because of players we don't even have? Once Pogba or another CAM comes in, he'll be alot higher up the pitch a lot more often.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

Is he the youngest main striker in PL?

If he is, is he the best in the age bracket?

Tammy Abraham.

 

[Raven]

No like I said on and off. He hasn't been consistently good by any stretch. But like anything here on the Caf either you are fantastic or rubbish. He is just a moody fecker in a team that needs consistency, don't worry he will get half the Caf pulling their hair out before long.

Boring.

 

[arthurka]

Boring.

He sometimes seems to think so yes..

 

[Adisa]

Just happy to see him lace a shot.

 

[Dec9003]

He played really well yesterday, it was a proper strikers performance I thought.
I don’t think he’s a 10 or like Firmino because he’s good at different things really.
Martial is at his best when he’s beating a man and getting a shot away, he just needs consistency.

 

[roonster09]

In PL he has started 12 league games - scored or assisted in 7 games - 6 goals + 3 assists
In Europa league, he has started 3 games - scored or assisted in 2 games - 2 goals
In League cup, he started 1 game - scored or assisted in 1 game - 1 goal

So in 16 starts, he has scored or assisted in 10 games. That's a good record and tbf to Martial that's consistent record.

 

[Born2Lose]

Ole has to get some of the plaudits for his performances, he's such a different player from the sulky player he was under Mourinho

 

[Stacks]

In PL he has started 12 league games - scored or assisted in 7 games - 6 goals + 3 assists
In Europa league, he has started 3 games - scored or assisted in 2 games - 2 goals
In League cup, he started 1 game - scored or assisted in 1 game - 1 goal

So in 16 starts, he has scored or assisted in 10 games. That's a good record and tbf to Martial that's consistent record.

It is good. However I don't feel "good" is what we aspire to for our CF. In a 38 game season he will score or assist in 23 matches at that ratio which means 15 he will not make a goal Scoring contribution. That's a lot

 

[roonster09]

It is good. However I don't feel "good" is what we aspire to for our CF. In a 38 game season he will score or assist in 23 matches at that ratio which means 15 he will not make a goal Scoring contribution. That's a lot

If he can score or assist in 23 games, then it's a superb record. check in how many games Mane and Salah scored + Assisted in last season, same with Aguero, Kane too.

 

[OldTrevil]

In PL he has started 12 league games - scored or assisted in 7 games - 6 goals + 3 assists
In Europa league, he has started 3 games - scored or assisted in 2 games - 2 goals
In League cup, he started 1 game - scored or assisted in 1 game - 1 goal

So in 16 starts, he has scored or assisted in 10 games. That's a good record and tbf to Martial that's consistent record.

Thanks for the stats, he's been consistently good in his overall performances as well bringing so much more to our attacking game. Superb 9 we have in our hands, and he's bound to get better once he's fully comfortable in his role and his teammates are used to his game there.

 

[roonster09]

Last season
Mane - Goals + assists in 17 games out of 38
Salah - 22 games out of 38
Kane - 16/28 games
Aguero - 20/33 games
Lewandowski - 19/33 games

Ronaldo in 2007-08 - 22/34 games

23 games is just superb record for any player not named Ronaldo (at his peak) and Messi.

 

[meamth]

Just happy to see him lace a shot.

Was it a lace though?

Thought he whipped the first goal.
The 2nd was a toe chip.

I may he wrong.

 

[meamth]

Tammy Abraham.

So Tammy Abraham vd Martial, who is better?

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

So Tammy Abraham vd Martial, who is better?

He’s just younger and starting as a main man for a premier league team. Debatable if he’s better, I’ll leave that to someone who watches him as much as Martial.

 

[roonster09]

So Tammy Abraham vd Martial, who is better?

Neal Maupay
Dominic Calvert Lewin
Wesley
Joelinton
Oliver McBurnie/Mousset/ Callum Robinson

All are same age or younger than Martial, all lead the line for their teams.

 

[meamth]

Neal Maupay
Dominic Calvert Lewin
Wesley
Joelinton
Oliver McBurnie/Mousset/ Callum Robinson

All are same age or younger than Martial, all lead the line for their teams.

Good list.

Wonder how high Martial is in that list, in terms of ability, any thoughts?