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2020-21 Performances


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5.1 Season Average Rating
Appearances
36
Goals
7
Assists
5
Yellow cards
1
Red cards
1
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Personally, I see Vardy more as a poacher who stays central, and is always on the shoulder of the last defender. Aguero can just do it all.
But on reflection, my opinion is probably a bit knee jerk from the last couple of games. Watching Martial's goals again last season reminded me of the variety he had, and how he was finishing with such conviction. Headers, volleys, shots from crosses, shots from distances. So maybe it's a confidence thing at the minute.

definitely when regards current form. Needs that goal and and i have no doubt he can hit a purple patch again..

Main thing is, going forward we shouldn't be relying on such an unreliable player
 
Some themes in this thread.
Martial has undoubted ability but his performance is unpredictable and unreliable. His application and attitude are often wanting. His skill set isn't ideal for a CF, meaning he's not a natural in that position. He can score goals but not consistently enough for what the team needs to be silverware contenders.
Maybe he's a good example of why we need a DOF? We're trying to fit him into the CF role which isn't a natural fit. We have similar issues with VDB and Pogba especially. Let's stop building the team formation around individual players, decide on how we want to play and then use the players which can handle what's needed in each position.
And if someone doesn't have a proper fit with how we want to play, we sell them and buy someone who does.
In Martial's case, I think this means on our left wing or another club.
 
Very much like Pogba he will go from our number 1 choice as a striker to like our 4th or 5th choice.
Rashford is ahead of him and Cavani and Greenwood should be too. And we have Diallo joining us soon so who knows.
 
I swear everytime he starts playing poor on the left, people claim he's better centrally as a striker and every time he doesn't play well as a striker for weeks, people claim he is better suited to playing out wide.

Anyway, I like Martial. I think he may come good yet and maybe United should be bit more patient with him. But his staunch supporters on here are the funniest, most hypocritical bunch. I happen to read posting history of two of them and they seemed to have camped in several threads just to hype up Martial's performance and claim that Rashford, Cavani and even Bruno (sometime back) are not as good as they're made out to be on here. It was the same when Zlatan had arrived. One of the main reason people refuse to cut Martial some slack is because his fans are willing to decimate any other United player and their performances, any manager's decisions, just about anything in order to make Martial better than he is, at times. I just don't get this obsession. It doesn't help either.

It is a fact that he's been below par in last few games. It is a fact that he was quite good towards the end of last season and that he may still rediscover his form. The problem is, he's been performing well in bursts for years now and I don't blame people for wondering whether a more capable striker can do a more consistent job.
 
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Martial is never a natural CF. He is a much better player when he comes deep and runs at defence. But when a team is playing with two wingers and a CF he is not going to deliver most of the time. Play him with a CF like Cavani and he is going to be much better. So now it is a choice between him and Rashford.
 
He is good enough for a squad player at United but he cant be our number 9 every game.

Saying that, I wouldn't rate him at the level of a players like Lacazette for example who are on next levels of trash in the PL playing for a relatively historic top club.

I still reckon though that if Pochettino ends up coming here - he will do to Martial what Ole did to Lukaku. Pochettino has predominantly liked a certain style of striker and I'm not even sure if Greenwood fits that criteria. Lambert's, Osvaldos, Kanes, Jenssens and Llorentes are big built up strikers able to try to get predatory in the box, something our forwards are not going to play exactly like.

Our front line gets reorganised, a new striker and the more I think about it and how people question whether VDB is an Ole transfer - it's looking like Pochettino's dele alli type player behind the striker - again taking the spot of Martial.

Let's see if he can improve and show some form soon for his own good, otherwise he is only making his future harder here.
 
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Martial is never a natural CF. He is a much better player when he comes deep and runs at defence. But when a team is playing with two wingers and a CF he is not going to deliver most of the time. Play him with a CF like Cavani and he is going to be much better. So now it is a choice between him and Rashford.

How so if Rashford plays from the left? That makes it a choice between him and Bruno and there’s only 1 winner there...
 
At some point Martial has got to start being more consistent. We won’t be a challenging team when our best forwards are both so inconsistent.

On their day, they’re fantastic but the cruel truth is that isn’t good enough if we want to take that next step forward.

I will him with all my heart to step up because he’s got all the tools necessary to be a beast and yet here we all are, same discussion all the time. It can’t go on forever. At some point he’s going to have to step up abs produce regularly.
 
I’ve said it before we will never win a league with him up top. I’m hoping Ole has a plan in the summer for this.
 
He possesses a unique combination of technique, strength, link-up play and finishing that none of our other forwards have. I can't wait for him to get back his scoring mojo. A few games into a strange season, and weirdos in here talking about him being only good for the bench or being replaced by grandpa cavani who's never been as good a finisher and relied mostly on running around :lol:
 
I’ve said it before we will never win a league with him up top. I’m hoping Ole has a plan in the summer for this.

Martial is not a world class forward, and never will be. However, clubs have won the league with worse forwards. He can be part of a club that challenges for a title for sure. Perhaps not as our only forward, but he can be part of a functioning forward line.
 
But he could be. That’s the most frustrating thing about him. He has all the physical and technical attributes.

personally I disagree, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a very good player, and he showed that last season. You don’t need world class players in every position to be successful.
 
I just don't think he is the center forward of a title winning side. If you go back this century, we have had RVP, RVN, Rooney, Tevez as out title winning strikers. I am not sure I will take him over any of them. In fact I will go further and say that we are not winning any major titles with him and Rashford(as much as I like him) as part of our starting attack. If you told me today that we could get both Haaland and Sancho, I will have no hesitation in sending both to the bench.

For Southampton, I will just stick Martial up top with Rashford on the left and Greenwood on the right. If we need a goal, we can bring Cavani off the bench. Martial wanted the No 9, so he should prove why he is deserves to be the starting striker of Manchester United. And before anyone brings up last season, it was an improvement, but he needs to kick into action this season. 2 goals at this stage of the season is just not good enough. I don't care how saucy or how exquisite his dribbles are, if you are not scoring, you are not doing a proper job as center forward. Haaland doesn't have technique like Martial, but he is just so hungry for goals. And that's what Martial should be. And he is 25 and not a kid anymore.
 
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Goals will come.

I'm a martial fan, but even I'd take someone of Haalands quality up top (and we did try to get him). But that wasn't the options was it. Our options were Dembele from lyon, Jimenez or gamble on Jovic.

Werner or Kane was never in a million years happening.

So this thread is basically a moan fest, which everyone sort of agrees on at different levels, including Ole (hence the Haaland attempt and brining in Cavani) but theres is currently no realistic option to fix it.
 
personally I disagree, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a very good player, and he showed that last season. You don’t need world class players in every position to be successful.

No I know that, that wasn’t what I was stating.
I’m one of Martials biggest critics but not because I don’t like him just because it frustrates the heck out of me seeing someone with so much potential doing so little with it.
 
No I know that, that wasn’t what I was stating.
I’m one of Martials biggest critics but not because I don’t like him just because it frustrates the heck out of me seeing someone with so little potential doing so little with it.

I presume you mean “so much potential”
 
He possesses a unique combination of technique, strength, link-up play and finishing that none of our other forwards have. I can't wait for him to get back his scoring mojo. A few games into a strange season, and weirdos in here talking about him being only good for the bench or being replaced by grandpa cavani who's never been as good a finisher and relied mostly on running around :lol:

Good post. I'm not worried with him because he is the same player as he was last season bar the goals. It's just about confidence with Martial like it is with every strikers.
I mean he has opportunities in games, we are not talking about a ghost who barely touches the ball...

But I do fear for Cavani when people are going to realize the type of striker he is. He will get absolutely destroyed in here.
 
I feel like once he gets one, he'll start banging them for fun. His movement is good, just the finishing is letting him down. Hopefully he can bag today.

I'd be tempted to try him on the left, with Cavani and Rashford in the centre-right today.

Martial is not a world class forward, and never will be. However, clubs have won the league with worse forwards. He can be part of a club that challenges for a title for sure. Perhaps not as our only forward, but he can be part of a functioning forward line.
He's not right now, but the frustrating thing about him is he's shown he has all the attributes to be world class, other than long term consistency. His movement is very good, his finishing prior to this season has always been very good, he's got a good turn of pace, intelligent on the ball, unreal dribbling, holds up the ball well. The talent is there. It's just about finding the consistency.
 
Good post. I'm not worried with him because he is the same player as he was last season bar the goals. It's just about confidence with Martial like it is with every strikers.
I mean he has opportunities in games, we are not talking about a ghost who barely touches the ball...

But I do fear for Cavani when people are going to realize the type of striker he is. He will get absolutely destroyed in here.
People will start to lay into Cavani when they realise for 90mins in the PL he can’t do it consistently.

Cavani is a really good option to have in the squad but he’s not the future of this club and Martial can be.

If Martial by the end of the season hasn’t performed then we look at a long term alternative like Haaland but there is absolutely zero reason to not put faith in him
 
I feel like once he gets one, he'll start banging them for fun. His movement is good, just the finishing is letting him down. Hopefully he can bag today.

I'd be tempted to try him on the left, with Cavani and Rashford in the centre-right today.


He's not right now, but the frustrating thing about him is he's shown he has all the attributes to be world class, other than long term consistency. His movement is very good, his finishing prior to this season has always been very good, he's got a good turn of pace, intelligent on the ball, unreal dribbling, holds up the ball well. The talent is there. It's just about finding the consistency.

we all want him to add consistency to his game. I’m not using the fact I don’t think he will ever be world class as a stick to beat him with, he can still be a very good player for us and be successful. Different types of strikers, but OGS, Sheringham and Cole were never world class - didn’t stop them from being part of a great team, and making big contributions.
 
Is he injured or something? Looking forward to being camped out in our half today as we watch Rashford and Greenwood man handled by the Southampton defense. Feck sake.
 
I'd honestly cash in on Martial and Pogba, both way too inconsistent, lethargic

Buy players with Hunger and application. Give Cavani or Greenwood a run of games.

Hope we sign Haaland to put the position to bed once and for all
 
Horrible season for him so far. Hopefully he isn’t out long & comes back strong. If he doesn’t improve perhaps time to cash in & go all out for Haaland?
 
I'd honestly cash in on Martial and Pogba, both way too inconsistent, lethargic

Buy players with Hunger and application. Give Cavani or Greenwood a run of games.

Hope we sign Haaland to put the position to bed once and for all
Why are you lumping Martial in with Pogba, because he's black and French? Just pathetic genralisation.
 
He possesses a unique combination of technique, strength, link-up play and finishing that none of our other forwards have. I can't wait for him to get back his scoring mojo. A few games into a strange season, and weirdos in here talking about him being only good for the bench or being replaced by grandpa cavani who's never been as good a finisher and relied mostly on running around :lol:

OldTrevil said:
The only thing Giroud is better at is heading, which he's a specialist to be fair. Still, I would contest that Martial is a specialist with his head and the only difference between the two is Giroud's height advantage.

OldTrevil said:
Rashford is neither the finisher nor technician that Martial is. Mason may match or perhaps best him in finishing, but also isn't on the same level in technical ability

OldTrevil said:
Martial comfortably has the same vision as Mata and Mkhi, if not more given the higher speed that he plays with.

OldTrevil said:
The thing is Martial is both a connector and a goal scorer, his potential as a 9 is higher than Firmino.

OldTrevil said:
Martial has a far better season for us than Bruno, it really was the media narrative that allowed him to be voted player of the season. When he was dropping stinker after stinker the commentators and pundits just kept on with the praise, it was weird.

Don't think Martial reads caf so he won't shag you no matter how hard you try. Your posts make him out to be next best thing since sliced bread and none of your claims are ever backed by any kind of stats or figures. And you seem to be camped in here, waiting to pick arguments after every bad game Martial has. You want people to see him as someone who has consistently been amazing which is incorrect as acknowledged by everyone who is not part of Martial FC cult. When someone doesn't, you throw veiled insults and use words like gullible and xenophobic. Your childish insults towards fellow posters who so much as happen to say a word criticizing his performances doesn't make you look any smarter than a tree trunk either. If anything, it makes people want to judge Martial more harshly. Agenda driven, gullible and toxic - you are exactly what you accuse more people of.
 
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