Do you think so? He has been here what 5 seasons without stamping anything here. He is on 7 goals now, I personally will hold my reservations until I will see him play a full season scoring over 20 goals and showing some consistency. I want to love him but he is a hard one to love, but over the moon he is having a good spell.
9
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 48
- Goals
- 23
- Assists
- 8
- Yellow cards
- 1
- Status
Disagree. Halaand would have buried that chance that Martial missed. Even though he’s doing well, he’s still not clinical enough IMO.
He was injured for 2 months bud.
I don’t think he’s not clinical. He wants to be too clinical. He only seems to want to shoot when he’s sure he’s going to score.
He's key to our attack. Love the way he drops off into pockets of space. It allows Rashford and James to run in behind, where he has the vision to find them. Really happy with him. Someone compared him to Benzema. I think thats a very accurate comparison. Another good game, with a cool as ice finish.
He wasted 2 years of his career being managed by Mourinho
The biggest challenge will be to stay fit
He's been stop/start with injuries but he's averaging a goal or an assist every 110 minutes in the PL so far. That's pretty good showing.
I think it's fair to argue that Martial has yet to materialise the phenomenal potential he does have, but I do agree with the notion that he's [unfairly] held to a higher standard than most of the squad.
Thought he was really good again today.
Unlucky not to have that 2nd goal, didn't think there was much contact on the defender at all - definitely wouldn't have been a foul the other way around put it that way.
Should have done better with the other chance when he was through on goal too, thought he'd shoot on his left as he's been good with it recently but he changed his mind then lost momentum which is't like him.
Anyway, he' so important to our attack he just makes us tick. If or wingers can learn to start making their runs into the space he creates we will be deadly.
Unlucky not to have that 2nd goal, didn't think there was much contact on the defender at all - definitely wouldn't have been a foul the other way around put it that way.
Should have done better with the other chance when he was through on goal too, thought he'd shoot on his left as he's been good with it recently but he changed his mind then lost momentum which is't like him.
Anyway, he' so important to our attack he just makes us tick. If or wingers can learn to start making their runs into the space he creates we will be deadly.
If between now and the end of the season, Martial can continue with these kind of performances, then going into next season, he should be first choice. Then what we should be looking at is purchasing a back up striker, who is reliable. City have Jesus, Liverpool have Origi, Chelsea have Batashuyi, etc.
We have ovbiously been linked with Haaland, who, although young, is used to playing games and would obviously not want to come and sit on the bench. That said, he's only 18/19, so I cant imagine he'd expect to join such a big club and play week in week out.
If not, players like Callum Wilson or Moussa Dembele would be good cover players.
Why wouldnt Greenwood be able to fill that back up spot?
One of the best allround games as a striker he has had for us, imo. He has had way crazier games out wide for us, but his style of play is coming together nicely in that position. There really has been an improvement offensively, we are much more balanced in the way we're set up. Martial doing his tasks nicely and scoring goals is great. If he can nail that position down with consistency he'd be a well-rounded cracking player. He has dribbling, passing, shooting etc. Has everything in his locker really. If he can be a bit more assured in his creative decisions in front of goal, he'd be a really good support striker.
These would haves are always framed as positives for the would be acquisitions. Halaand is kicking ball in Austria
I think Greenwood is more suited to playing on the wing for now. But if he was to fill that back up spot, then instead of getting a striker, we get a right winger.
Rashford/James Martial/Greenwood Winger/James
How much I disagree with that depends on exactly what you mean by ‘supporting member’. Mane and Salah are the goalscorers, Firmino facilitates that - in that sense he is certainly a supporting player. Not positionally though. When Liverpool are in possession, Firmino predominantly plays from a position starting against the centre backs and coming towards the ball into pockets of space, Salah plays on the shoulder but very much from the right and Mane offers penetrative runs from a deeper starting position on the left. I do think it was more obviously the case when Klopp first settled on this attacking trio - Salah has progressively looked to occupy a higher position on the park, generally (and I’m talking very fine margins on the whole), while Firmino and Mane are more willing to drop in when defending deep, but then both are more intelligent and team-oriented players. Perhaps if Mane continues at the same level (which looks likely), he will be afforded a bit more freedom and Firmino’s role may be subtly modulated to accommodate, to the point where the setup could be more accurately described as Firmino playing off of the two wider players (in a kind of diamond/ 4-3-1-2 formation). As things stand I don’t see that as the case.
I’m not saying Firmino and Martial are identical in style and strengths, but most of the time players can be broadly categorised. I think that from a central attacking position, both are most comfortable taking the ball into feet, are strong and use their body well and are certainly technical players, so can take it in under pressure. Both look to drop into space and show intelligence with their awareness of what’s around them and with either their choice of pass when they have time and options or with their ability to think quickly and improvise in tight, difficult situations. With both excelling coming towards the ball, they can play to their strengths more with willing runners around them.
I think Firmino is the closest to Martial stylistically in the league. I see him as somewhere between a Firmino and a Lacazette, but his penchant for dropping off to link play (preferable to running the channels) puts him closer to the former, and certainly close enough to categorise them together as similar players.
Don't need Haland when you got this guy & Greenwood as options. Once again good performance today, he's been good consistently since the City game. He's basically playing in similar role as Firmino, the link of our midfield & also our wide players. He was a bit crap before City (Aston Villa & Sheffield), but in those games we had no midfield, so he had no service going to his feet to work on to begin with.
Things are looking good with Martial. Undoubtedly the slickest No.9 since RVP or Zlatan.
It seems like he is finding the way to break defensive teams, and his teammates know that, just pass it to Martial.
Exciting times ahead if he stays fit until the end of the season.
It seems like he is finding the way to break defensive teams, and his teammates know that, just pass it to Martial.
Exciting times ahead if he stays fit until the end of the season.
If his disallowed goal happened on our end it would be counted as a goal and Lindelof would be blamed for being soft.
Hope this season he will stay away from injury and continue to realize his enormous potential. Still had some moments where he could be more selfish but it’s just the way he plays, a wonderful team player.
There are still some doubters who have agenda toward him from the start but with these performances they will no longer able to show up to post their nonsenses.
There are still some doubters who have agenda toward him from the start but with these performances they will no longer able to show up to post their nonsenses.
To be fair his hands came in first, he should have shouldered it instead.
On another day it wouldn't be disallowed, harsh decision that.
Great game once again. We look so much better when he is upfront. Can't wait for Pogba to play the No 10 role behind Martial. They will rip teams apart.
Would be interesting to see our win % with and without him this season
Very good once again. Ole just needs to find a way to keep him arsed consistently; to be fair he has done that this season so far.
Excellent last night. Carried our attack.
Said it many times. Best striker we've had with his back to goal since Saha.
That's what I have been saying since summer. Bring a right side inside forward that is between 26 and 30, let Greenwood be the 4th-5th option with James and our attack is sorted for at least a couple of seasons. Even though he isn't a big goalscorer I like the idea of Ziyech combining with Martial, when you add pure creativity other players can benefit greatly and I could see Rashford and Martial reach incredible figures in that type of front three.
Excellent yesterday. He’s great at linking play.
Not sure why people think this means we don’t need Halaand? We need depth, plus you could play the two of them together.
Not sure why people think this means we don’t need Halaand? We need depth, plus you could play the two of them together.
When he’s good he’s good but still throws in way too many disinterested performances to be considered our undisputed number 9 – i.e. don’t go into the market and buy an upgrade.
His last two games were strong but the Watford game was abject. In fact, he’s the team in microcosm, but is 24 now so time to take some proper responsibility.
Be consistent, get us in the top four and win us a trophy, then we can start to mete out some major credit.
His last two games were strong but the Watford game was abject. In fact, he’s the team in microcosm, but is 24 now so time to take some proper responsibility.
Be consistent, get us in the top four and win us a trophy, then we can start to mete out some major credit.
I think Haaland is the perfect signing to be his back up.
Greenwood and James on healthy rotation on the right, Rashford will play left wing for 2/3 games with Angel Gomes covering him occasionally.
Haaland can start with Martial or come in as a sub.
He’s not going anywhere to be a Europa league team backup.
Yeah. Ziyech can create, score and perform without to much space. Need to add some non-pace based creativity. Would also argue that Hwang would be excellent to our attacking lineup, despite not being as technically gifted as Ziyech.
Both players have played in all the attacking positions (at least showed signs of functioning in them during matches). Hard working, able to play in a high press and somewhat in a low press.
I disagree with that view, the issue is that sometimes we seem to purposely play away from him, we try to play in a way that doesn't suit his skills and he is logically out of the game. The same happens with Rashford that we sometimes try to use as if he was Neymar picking up the ball deep and expecting him to dribble his way into a goalscoring opportunity, in general in these games we expect Martial to play as Rashford would. It's a bit boneheaded because it should always be the opposite since Martial actually has the ability to bring Rashford into games and help him shine.
As we now learned Martial isn't a player that can impose his will on a game like the very best forwards can, he is a support player(potentially a great one) and we can't expect to see him play well when our gameplan doesn't include him and his strength.
Do you feel the same about every position on the park? Perhaps if we focus on upgrading in our weaker areas then we might show some consistency, get top four and win a trophy.
I agree with what you are saying in the sense that we need to build a better foundation to properly service the likes of Rashford and Martial
Scholes alluded to it on BT yesterday when saying that a midfield refit could be transformational for the team in terms of getting players into the side who tell the forwards which runs to make and then find them
That said, these forwards are still inconsistent, Martial more so, and need to become more clinical. Hopefully it will come
Yes you are probably right.
This team has definitely underperformed though
the way I see it is that upgrading the side should put us nearer title contention, notwithstanding ridiculous Liverpool form of course
the existing squad is easily good enough for top four and the manager coaching team and players are all culpable for not coming up to scratch so far
This is such a cliche at this stage. His work rate has noticeably improved this season and he's leading the press very well.
Unfortunately I missed the Watford game but from what I read, he was clearly one of our better players. I'm not sure what you expect him to do really, there is no player in the history of the game that has managed to pull a squad as weak as ours to major silverware, it has simply never happened.
Have to say Martial is finally starting to grow on me. Never been one of my favorites basically because of some of his disgraceful performances he's put in over the years but watching him this season it finally seems to have clicked with him what is required to be a United player. Looks even more fired up than he did in his first season. Long may it continue.
This right there simply isn't true at all. The man came out of that game having created 3 massive chances and should have walked away with at least an assist or 2, yet you call his performance abject.
Interesting seeing him compared to Benzema, it’s not what you’d have expected years ago but worth remembering that Benzema was considered as similar to the Brazilian Ronaldo when he came through originally, which was why Madrid went for him. Ended up totally different, a slow-burn player who sometimes had low-scoring seasons. At the end of his career he’ll be seen as a great player.
Martial could end up going a few different ways, it might be later in his career that he starts hitting loads of goals. Whatever happens he’s surely worth sticking with, he’s not really had the benefit of playing under a top coach yet for United. Imagine how good he’d be now if he’d had four years under Klopp, Nagelsmann, Pochettino or Pep, you might have mostly got the wonderkid from the first season.
Martial could end up going a few different ways, it might be later in his career that he starts hitting loads of goals. Whatever happens he’s surely worth sticking with, he’s not really had the benefit of playing under a top coach yet for United. Imagine how good he’d be now if he’d had four years under Klopp, Nagelsmann, Pochettino or Pep, you might have mostly got the wonderkid from the first season.
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