Even though he’s not at his best, he’s still a penalty winning machine at the least.
9
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 36
- Goals
- 7
- Assists
- 5
- Yellow cards
- 1
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
Won the penalty. Not at his best at all but still dangerous. He'll come good
He's been poor so far this season. Hopefully he can get back to last year's form against Leipzig and Istanbul Basaksehir. Really need him to play well in the Champions League while he's suspended in the league.
Exactly. There's so many posters on here at the ready to throw him under the bus at any glimpse of poor form, it's madness.
If Martial, Rashford and Greenwood replicate their goal haul from last season and Bruno hits 20, we're looking at around the 80 goal mark again.
Cavani is the unknown. If he can push 15 or so, that could bring us to around the 100 goal mark from those 5. They're really good numbers, especially compared to what we've had to endure the last few season.
Even without scoring he brings an element to our side in big games that pretty much no other forward in our squad does. He's extremely press resistant and good in tight spaces, so even when nothing is coming off as far as goals and assists he adds a measure of composure and an outlet in our general play that is vital. People that can't see this either don't want to our genuinely don't know football.
Couldn't the same be said though for just about any top CF but then they also score a lot to go with it? His output is still miles better than some of the others we ve had who tried and failed but you always are left wanting a bit more when you watch him play. Maybe that's unfair to him.
Ive made it no secret before that one of the things I admired so much about a RvP wasnt even what he did up front - it was the tracking back and the numerous times he also prevented goals rather than just score them. In that regard I saw some positivity in the OG yesterday. Yes it was clumsy, but he was there helping the team. Hope he got some kudos for that too despite what it lead to.
Yes I agree, but Martial DID score a lot last season. He's had a shite start this season in terms of productivity (where he is normally top class in terms of G/A per 90), but I would be surprised to see that last too long. Unfortunate he still has to sit out two more PL games, but when he was in form after the restart he was our best player and arguably a top 3 striker in the league. I just want people to have patience instead of listening to cnuts like Scholes mouth off about needing a "proper number 9". Unless Haaland or someone on that level walks into Carrington, we aren't going to find a better overall option than Martial.
He's still our best player as far as I'm concerned, he's taking time to get back to where he was but you can see him improving game on game. He'll be back to his best in the coming weeks, I'm sure of it.
Love to see it.
I know he didn't play today, but we really missed his creativity and willingness to take players on. Our attack definitely suffers without him.
Our defence doesn't though..... Seriously though sooner he is back and back to his best the better.
The guy can draw a penalty from crap all.
He really is the only player that does not lose the ball under any pressure. Gotten us the most penalties aswell. Really waiting for him to get back if not as the CF then he is nailed on for the left wing.
The shame is that we could be using this as a tactic aswell.
I'd love to see Martial deeper in the pitch as a false 9 trying to hold on to the ball when deciding who to interlink with - the CM's AM's behind him or to make a pass to the players in front of him like Rashford & Greenwood. He has a great first touch and an underrated ability to make a pass as a forward. His dribbling is great when he is a bit deeper in the area in front of the defence and has the ability to build momentum with a dribble and do a quick piece of skill to trick the defenders.
He really interlinks our game together but even then Ole plays him as the furthest striker forward trying to be a striker that gets in behind the defensive line from the balls Rashford and Greenwood play through to him rather than the other way around.
He wont ever be this predatory striker that some people crave - but that's perfectly fine as long as we use him to his advantages.
He was crap today. Couldn't buy a penalty for all his efforts.
Are you saying that we should be using him like Barca used Messi? Dropping deep and running with the ball while we have a different CF? if so I think it is his best position too. Let him roam all over.
A joke right? Hard to tell around here sometimes.
Yep. From a deep position he has the ability to
First - have a great first touch like he does 90% of the time when receiving the ball then decide
A) to pass it back to the midfielders because he is great with his back to the wall of the defence
B) has the ability pick a decent pass to the players making runs off of him in behind the defence
C) go on a run by himself from deep
Martial
Rashford- Bruno -Greenwood
For example right now we play as a 4231 with Martial in front of Rashford and Greenwood. It does nothing to his natural game of a player who drops back deeper more often than making runs in to the box.
Now consider a 433 with a false 9
Rashford------------Greenwood
Martial
In this position Martial can interlink the front 2 whilst they will be cutting in, make passes to them or have the ability to take on the defence itself by receiving the ball and dribbling at them whilst they already have the other 2 to occupy in dangerous positions. Rashford gets to play like David Villa did next to messi and so does Greenwood on the other sides; a balance of both being forwards that merely start off slightly wider until the chance comes to move centrally. Rashford & Greenwood create a slight central partnership when the time is right and Martial acts like the glue. You can see Martial doing this to our play even now, the ball sticks to him and comes off of him to a well placed player because it's hard to get the ball off of him.Martial
Even the 352 we saw vs Paris:
We played Martial on the left hand side of Rashford and they were struggling to get in to a rhythm.
Martial - Rashford
How would a 3511 be with Martial behind Rashford instead? Let Rashford focus on making the runs whilst Martial has the ball behind him, deciding whether to pass or dribble.
Rashford
Martial
He isnt the type of striker who is getting in to the box on time and scoring header after header. He wants the ball to feet and deep away from the box to be part of the build up play before making a run in to the box afterwards. This is why I'm okay with us buying a predatory striker but dont think Martial should be sold because he gives us a different flexible way to play the striker(s). This hasnt been done yet properly though.Martial
The weird thing is that I thought this was happening during last season with Martial linking Rashford and Greenwood up very well but now the homegrown double sit so far behind Martial almost as LM and RM that Martial looks isolated playing upfront.
Shows the position he wants to be in and what he can do to our game.
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With the depressing performance of today we need it sometimes.
I really wish this guy could get the same support from our fans as Rashford, but you know what they say different strokes for different folks.
I honestly believe a loud minority of our fans will turn on any player. It doesn’t help that half of our ex-players won’t be satisfied until we sign Kane.
Rashford ---------Cavani(Greenwood)
--------------Martial
--Pogba------------Bruno
--------------Fred
--------------Martial
--Pogba------------Bruno
--------------Fred
Yup was invisible on the pitch. It was honestly like he wasn’t there at all. Did he even get a touch? I need to see some stats.
With his fan club constantly posting hyperbolic nonsense like this, is it any wonder he gets singled out for criticism when he plays badly?
That's just people looking for criticism any opportunity they get similar to what his haters do.
Its obvious that no one in the world is going to not lose the ball under pressure perfectly all the time. That's just impossible, but what the guy was trying to say is that Martial has a great ability to control and shield the ball whilst bringing others in to play more often than not which brings a fluidity to our game.
One thing I noticed when Cavani came on pitch was how different they play (Yes, I knew that before).
With Martial there is always pretty close connection with other attacking players. Thats why I think he could be very good as false 9. Drops deep and builds play, also holds the ball up the pitch and has good passing range. He is also a threat outside of the box.
Glad we have different options up front.
With Martial there is always pretty close connection with other attacking players. Thats why I think he could be very good as false 9. Drops deep and builds play, also holds the ball up the pitch and has good passing range. He is also a threat outside of the box.
Glad we have different options up front.
Bebestation I entirely agree with you. He needs to be allowed to roam. I can't remember if it was under LVG or Jose that he dropped deep and just went by everyone and with a return pass scored a brilliant goal.
There is no point in playing with width and putting in crosses because
1. Martial is not going to be on the end of it
2. None of our strikers are going to head it.
So if we play Rashford and Greenwood let Martial drop deep.
There is no point in playing with width and putting in crosses because
1. Martial is not going to be on the end of it
2. None of our strikers are going to head it.
So if we play Rashford and Greenwood let Martial drop deep.
Martial has the ability to start deep and make a run or position past the CDM and then make a dribble through the CB'S in a flash.
We have seen it so many times.
I remember when people were questioning his work ethic because he wasnt making the runs in behind the defence like other strikers do. Then I tried to show people how many times Martial does the opposite- the guy makes runs backwards to drop deep and receive the ball to try make an attacking move that not just utelises him but the others in front of the line.
Its these little things that stops players building a consistency in their game.
His hold up play has really improved over the last one and a half seasons. We missed that against Chelsea.
That’s what I find the most annoying. Not least because it goes hand in hand with criticism of everything Rashford does. I should’ve known us not beating Chelsea would be because Martial wasn’t playing. Not that him playing has been of any help in our other games this season.
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Yeah the guy gets a penalty near every 2 games for us and he does crap all. Tall about hyperbolic nonsense.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ma.../man-united-news-penalty-martial-18748437.amp
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ma.../man-united-news-penalty-martial-18748437.amp
The “fluidity” we saw when Brighton and Crystal Palace were kicking our arse?
This place is fecking nuts. The single best way for any player to inflate his reputation is by not playing. Works every time.
Yeah let’s talk about that.
Yeah and then people forget a whole seasons work in 2 or 3 games.
Works every time.
Pick a player you want to hate on and even if someone else like a defender have a horrid game it becomes the hated players fault.
It's cool, numbers is numbers, I'm not a data analyst but the current manager spoke about something he even does in this season on poor form.
Think he really grew into the #9 role last year with his hold up play but, still doesn't have the knack of a pure CF. Happened to catch the semi final against Everton in the FA Cup - what he does when facing up players and his interplay can be lethal. It would be interesting to see if we ever line up with him behind say Cavani and let him play a more free role. Only thing is he'd have to commit to working his socks off in a defensive capacity too.
Martial does not win a penalty every two games. Not even close.
Still our best player in my opinion. Looked way sharper against PSG, expecting a good game from him against Leipzig. Needs a goal and I'm sure the floodgates will open.
Well he does enough for the manager to talk about it, a bit different to saying he does shit all.
Funny thing is that Ole talks about how it's so hard for defenders to play against him because the ball sticks to him - the same thing the OP was saying +/- 10% before some guy was acting like a scarecrow on the forum calling crap hyperbolic?
Like chill, the managers and fans see that the ball sticks to his feet & he is an asset to our gameplay because of it - because people are not English journalists or mathematicians doesnt make them hyperbolic.
- Status