Last season he had issues in front of goal which isn't consistent with what we've seen from him over the years. Now he's clearly not match fit as he's coming back from injury and no real pre season.
9
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 11
- Goals
- 1
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 0
- Status
We devalue players so much before we make a decision to sell them.
That’s a big issue for this club right now.
That’s a big issue for this club right now.
I've always thought that he was never a true 9, a natural 9 I mean. Even in his best form, I was never fully convinced. Whatever his best position, it's painful to see how far he is from the level we hope he should be
Last season he was appalling. We're not just talking about his goal scoring here, his movement is absolutely terrible from a so called top class striker, he has zero desire or instinct when it comes to getting on the end of a ball in the box. We signed a finished Michael Owen who still knew where the net was, Martial has no excuses left.
Let's say for one second that he isn't match fit yet and needs more games, sure I'll buy it, but what about the whole of last season where he was benched for a 34 year old who's season didn't start until October? What about his inability to run into space behind the defender? What about him having no desire to get on the end of a cross or running straight into a defender with the ball at his feet?
In what other job can you be absolutely shit for 18 months and still have people make excuses for you?
Well normally you expect most players to stay at a club like United while they are still good.
That includes the players themselves, they rarely want to leave unless they get no playing time.
I know in Martial's case there are plenty that say they saw the signs early, but then you have players like Lukaku where a significant portion of our fanbase says he never should have been sold (but he was cause he himself wanted to leave).
I honestly might riot if he starts at the weekend or midweek.
Cristiano won't be having it and Cavani's return should completely balance the hierarchy.
I honestly might riot if he starts at the weekend or midweek.
I'm sure Ole's trying to be diplomatic and simply get behind his players. It would be even more insane if Martial starts over Greenwood.
I think there’s a difference to a player that is still ‘good’ and ‘good enough’ for united. Chelsea and other clubs manage to do a much better job than us knowing when to sell.
Maybe he just needs a micro manager like Pep or Klopp to be good? He doesn’t seem to be able to work it out on his own, even when training alongside the likes of Zlatan, Lukaku, Ronaldo and Cavani.
But the only person devaluing Martial is Martial himself.
Honestly, recently he has been simply awful. Shows no interest. And last night, the very best thing you can say is that he was anonymous. Really don't understand his mentality apart from that he does not want to be here.
Best thing is for him to move in January.
Appalling.
We should only see Tony again this season in garbage time.
We should only see Tony again this season in garbage time.
Martial is a sad case. I mean that, honestly. I'm not taking the mick.
The kid has got talent in spades. Its also not true that he cannot do a striker's job. Late in 2019-20 he was making near post runs, getting across defenders in the box. He looked like he was about to kick on.
However, the man looks quite easily shaken and I think we are seeing it again. Obviously, to be a pro footballer you have to be tough upstairs. Very few of us have a job where, if you mess up, tens of thousands of people start jeering you. I'm not saying Martial is delicate. However, when we got Zlatan he did not respond well. When we got Lukaku he did not respond well. When we got Cavani he did not respond well. Does not look like he has responded well to Cristiano coming back.
I feel like Martial will only ever show his best stuff at a club where he is without a doubt the main man, and that will never be Man Utd. United won the treble, had the best striker partnership in Europe, and Fergie was pretty much immediately after Van Nistlerooy. United isn't a club that stands still for anyone. Martial looks like he wants it to stand still for him.
We are seeing a player low on confidence. However, to restore his confidence we would have to put him on a pedestal. That just isn't going to happen.
I reckon Martial will go to a different club, a smaller club maybe, be their main guy and do well as a result. However, if he ever has to be part of any kind of rotation it will always go for him as we have seen it go in recent seasons. He wants top billing or nothing else. When he can't have it he loses a bit of his spark.
The kid has got talent in spades. Its also not true that he cannot do a striker's job. Late in 2019-20 he was making near post runs, getting across defenders in the box. He looked like he was about to kick on.
However, the man looks quite easily shaken and I think we are seeing it again. Obviously, to be a pro footballer you have to be tough upstairs. Very few of us have a job where, if you mess up, tens of thousands of people start jeering you. I'm not saying Martial is delicate. However, when we got Zlatan he did not respond well. When we got Lukaku he did not respond well. When we got Cavani he did not respond well. Does not look like he has responded well to Cristiano coming back.
I feel like Martial will only ever show his best stuff at a club where he is without a doubt the main man, and that will never be Man Utd. United won the treble, had the best striker partnership in Europe, and Fergie was pretty much immediately after Van Nistlerooy. United isn't a club that stands still for anyone. Martial looks like he wants it to stand still for him.
We are seeing a player low on confidence. However, to restore his confidence we would have to put him on a pedestal. That just isn't going to happen.
I reckon Martial will go to a different club, a smaller club maybe, be their main guy and do well as a result. However, if he ever has to be part of any kind of rotation it will always go for him as we have seen it go in recent seasons. He wants top billing or nothing else. When he can't have it he loses a bit of his spark.
My intent is that this is my last message in the Martial Thread. I've come in here and complained enough...
So will say my bit and leave it at that. Every minute Martial is on the field is taking away from another player that could be developing. We've given him more than enough opportunity to develop to a world class player and he's certainly not that. He was brought into a side as a teenager that was considerably weaker than this current team and had ample chance to improve, develop and mature. We have reasonably higher ambitions now with a more talented squad than when he arrived. IMO Anthony doesn't display the movement, ability to hold up the ball and connect passes, or even just be a part of movement and a flow in the team that has quick/fast, decently skilled players around him. He has a hard time with vision and seems to do only one or 2 things above average. He dribbles well in traffic (when he finally gets into this situation which isn't easy to achieve with his lack of movement and understanding of spacial relativity) and he is decent at putting the ball in the net in front of goal. For those reasons he should be able to play at a far less ambitious but still top league type team and have a nice career.
I tend to allow my opinion to become so negative because I get frustrated with his lack of movement, inability to hold up the ball when we are playing counter attack football and he's isolated up top. I get so disillusioned that I admittedly forget some of the really nice goals that he's scored for us over the last few years.
His inclusion in the team now angers me and is becoming a problem in this team IMO as we can't play a fluid attacking style if we are down an attacker (feels like we're down a man when he's in). I truly hope he's sold outright in January. Let's tie a pretty bow on this failed project and shift his minutes to Cavani, Sancho, Rashford, Jessie or a younger player.
So will say my bit and leave it at that. Every minute Martial is on the field is taking away from another player that could be developing. We've given him more than enough opportunity to develop to a world class player and he's certainly not that. He was brought into a side as a teenager that was considerably weaker than this current team and had ample chance to improve, develop and mature. We have reasonably higher ambitions now with a more talented squad than when he arrived. IMO Anthony doesn't display the movement, ability to hold up the ball and connect passes, or even just be a part of movement and a flow in the team that has quick/fast, decently skilled players around him. He has a hard time with vision and seems to do only one or 2 things above average. He dribbles well in traffic (when he finally gets into this situation which isn't easy to achieve with his lack of movement and understanding of spacial relativity) and he is decent at putting the ball in the net in front of goal. For those reasons he should be able to play at a far less ambitious but still top league type team and have a nice career.
I tend to allow my opinion to become so negative because I get frustrated with his lack of movement, inability to hold up the ball when we are playing counter attack football and he's isolated up top. I get so disillusioned that I admittedly forget some of the really nice goals that he's scored for us over the last few years.
His inclusion in the team now angers me and is becoming a problem in this team IMO as we can't play a fluid attacking style if we are down an attacker (feels like we're down a man when he's in). I truly hope he's sold outright in January. Let's tie a pretty bow on this failed project and shift his minutes to Cavani, Sancho, Rashford, Jessie or a younger player.
Give up
Agreed. But if other clubs were interested with a serious offer in August I'm pretty sure we would have seriously considered selling him. But we all know the problem: his wages. What club, pandemic or no pandemic, would pay say 30m for a woeful player on 250k/week? To move Tony on, we need to seriously consider letting him go a number below 15m, maybe even a free transfer. And even then, who other than a few French or Turkish clubs would be interested, given his wages, even on a free?
I always thought we’d have been better playing Greenwood up front, Sancho on right and Tony on the left. Greenwood would have been more deadly in the box and wouldve made more runs, moving the central defenders, allowing Tony to waltz in and shoot. Tony is more static than Tony Soprano. Really don’t get why he hasn’t ever tried to change that, especially when he sees Ronaldo scoring by doing exactly what he doesn’t do.
For all the talk of him getting sold, I think we will struggle badly to get rid. Might get lucky, but with that salary, and probably an unrealistic expectation from our club about his value, I doubt we will manage to sell him. Maybe a loan to Ligue 1, BL or Serie A next year?
We would be very lucky if we had an offer of £20 mill. Would be a huge salary of the books.
We would be very lucky if we had an offer of £20 mill. Would be a huge salary of the books.
Looking back on the posts from just over a year ago is just CRAZY. This isn't to shame anyone, more so to see how really excited we was and how much he has let many of us down. The flip reversal is astonishing. the difference 12 months makes. What people were saying then to now just shows how football can change so quickly. Reading it makes me giggle simply because of what people are saying now. Anto man..........
I still can't believe there's people who wouldn't take a straight swap with Martial and Harry Kane
He's on another level.
It also makes you think we maybe shouldn't be so quick to write him off. Yes he was bad last year, but injuries also took a toll and I think have probably had a knock-on effect on his confidence going into this year. The big issue I suppose is that he just might not get many more opportunities.
I've never seen him get torn to shreds this much before. Something changed with this West Ham game. It wasn't his worst performance of the past year or so yet it's the most criticism he has received. Interesting.
Amazing how many players we have turned to shite in this club. There certainly not many have improved.
Are we giving him a new contract to preserve the value?
Most people are losing patience at his perceived lack of desire or effort.
This is an inverse wumminator vigilante shame stunt
For what it's worth, I was one of the smart ones thinking he won't come good
I miss 19/20 Martial. What happened to my boy.
Looks to me like he's lost some pace and his close control isn't as good as it was. It's a damn shame, he was an elite talent who could have been one of the best in the world but I think persistent injuries and loss of confidence have ruined him.
It was a glitch in matrix.
He does not have history of persistent injuries. He has just turned shit.
I disagree. I never thought he was a left winger as previous managers seemed to play him rotated with Rashford.
I think he has the pace, is a natural finisher and has bery good feet on tha ball to cause problems to any defence and was glad to see Ole move him there over the last couple of seasons as thats where he deserved his chance................BUT.....he has had it now and he hasnt taken it. His movement and intelligence finding space is just dreadful as is his work rate. Not sure who the pundit was commentating against West Ham but he picked it up, time and time again when we have the ball he has hi sback to goal, wanders about and his only movement is to drop 5yds to the side, it was so unimaginative and easy for the defenders. I only see him being effective when we are sitting back and hitting sides on the break and his pace and quick feet can cause a problem.....but Id much rather see Greenwood there for those moments, let alone others. He is 4th choice as a striker for me now and pretty much the same on the left. I wonder if he was only kept as we were worried about Cavani being out for long spells and Greenwoods inexperience as a striker....before we signed ROnaldo, now we have ROnaldo he is mkost certainly surplus to requirements, without a doubt should be sold in January or the summer
He isn't a natural finisher. The only natural finish in his locker was curling the ball far and that seems to be completely gone. A man who is a true striker, has better movement and doesn't have his finishing turn into nothingness just like that.
That thread was batshit crazy.
Agree that without the movement he cant be a top class finisher as that is half the job ad that lets him down. I do think he is a natural finisher, but strikers more than any position rely a lot on confidence and lets face it, hi sbody language hasnt shown confidence for a ling time now.
Not saying he is an elite natural finisher, but I do think due to his awful form admittedly for some time now, people are under playing his finishing ABILITIES
I'm genuinely baffled to see people almost surprised about Martial performance yesterday. It was literally the same thing we've seen time and time again from him, yet I don't remember him being criticized that much.
I even think he wasn't THAT bad yesterday. I'm usually very critical of him, but I thought he had some decent moments in the game, especially in the first half when he contributed nicely with some one-twos with Sancho, Lingard and Mata. I've definitely seen worse performances from him in the past.
Of course, if we look at him from the perspective of the role he was meant to play, he was appalling. But, like I've said, it's nothing new, that's always been the case with him. I truly believe that if you put Ronaldo or Cavani in his place then we end that game with a win. The only thing Martial's got of a center forward is the number on his back. His positioning when playing upfront is just horrible and his movement is almost non-existent. I was always of an opinion that he is at his best when he's playing on the left. I know that he had his best season number wise like 2 seasons ago, but personally I think he thrived the most early days under van Gaal. He was playing in a rigid system, usually told to hug the touchline waiting for the ball to come to his feet. It brought the best from him as it masked his low in-game intelligence and allowed him to make use of his best qualities.
Hopefully this game was the last we've seen of him leading the line.
I even think he wasn't THAT bad yesterday. I'm usually very critical of him, but I thought he had some decent moments in the game, especially in the first half when he contributed nicely with some one-twos with Sancho, Lingard and Mata. I've definitely seen worse performances from him in the past.
Of course, if we look at him from the perspective of the role he was meant to play, he was appalling. But, like I've said, it's nothing new, that's always been the case with him. I truly believe that if you put Ronaldo or Cavani in his place then we end that game with a win. The only thing Martial's got of a center forward is the number on his back. His positioning when playing upfront is just horrible and his movement is almost non-existent. I was always of an opinion that he is at his best when he's playing on the left. I know that he had his best season number wise like 2 seasons ago, but personally I think he thrived the most early days under van Gaal. He was playing in a rigid system, usually told to hug the touchline waiting for the ball to come to his feet. It brought the best from him as it masked his low in-game intelligence and allowed him to make use of his best qualities.
Hopefully this game was the last we've seen of him leading the line.
Well there was a period where his body language and confidence looked to have changed and he was finishing well. There isnt any doutb he has ability so I can understand the hope at that time. I think he was wasted on the left for a lot of time here, but he has had a good 2.5years as a striker now and 4months or so of good form in that period simply isnt good enough for a top four striker, should be 4months of bad form more like. Ive certainly given up on him now. With Ronaldo starting and hopefully Greenwood getting chances to play there plannig nlonger term he simply SHOULDNT be gettign opportunities now.....and thats before Cavani comes back
He's not a number 9 and never has been he's a wide player and in fairness he's had a few decent cameos out left when brought on this season. Playing him up top is just complete lunacy at this point.
No. No one is surprised. Some people on the forum still clung on to the hope that he will come good somehow. Because he had a decent season in recent past.
Many posters had already given up on him years back.
He's so far down the pecking order when all our forwards are fit that it's looking increasingly likely he could go out on loan in January.
I think a lot of people were willing to write last season off as just a complete disaster and hope it was a one off.
But last night was exactly the same from Martial as last season, he looked lazy, disinterested, slow and his finishing was again terrible.
He's been here 7 years now and he's putting in performances like that, I think last night was the final straw for a lot of Utd fans. Mine personally was the defeat at home to Sheff Utd when Martial was a disgrace but there you go.
I don't just blame Martial. Any manager worth his salt would be warning him from the touchline. "You give up on another ball and YOU ARE OFF". Ole sits there, arms crossed talking to mister no-expression Carrick. What is going on at Utd? You can't just buy the best players and FM it to glory.
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