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2022-23 Performances

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5.6 Season Average Rating
Appearances
29
Goals
9
Assists
3
Yellow cards
0
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The holy trinity 68 said:
Black, French, striker, played for Monaco. That is the only comparison they have. They are nothing alike and it is just a lazy comparison.
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When he first broke through, Martial operated in that inside left channel which was also why he was compared to Henry.
 
Skills said:
I don't think he's anywhere near as high maintenance as people think. He was Mourinho's best performer when shit hit the pan and Mourinho never liked him. The fact is though, you just can't keep fecking people around and still expect them to engage with you.

Ten Hag from the off has seemed to try and develop a relationship with all his players. Not one of a strict drill sargeant, but more of someone who engages his players. You can see it the way he talks to them individually.
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That's true, and I agree with you. He's more of a Nani than a Cantona in terms of maintenance. But he seems to play best when he's praised and appreciated in the team, which he isn't always going to be guaranteed that. Not trying to slam him for it, more just an observation.
 
Greck said:
I think one of us is misremembering because Martial when he competed for the left with Rashford was the best Martial we had seen in years. He, Rashford and Lukaku meshed so well when either 2 or all 3 were on. People wanted one of them played on the right just to have all 3 on the pitch at the same time. In fact now that i recall, that one season competing with Rashford should kill this thing. Both players were that good against the competition of the other. That was maybe the last true meritous competition situation we've had since SAF left. The rest are manager favourite/preference situations. Even that was ruined by Jose stupidly signing Sanchez, so typical that he'd poison the one healthy competition with another unwarranted favourite.
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Trequarista10 said:
I recall it differently. The competition seemed to spur each other on initially, but not for long. I recall on the occasions Martial got a start, him slumping off the pitch looking pissed off when inevitably subbed after 60 minutes. The calls for Rashford - Lukaku - Martial to all start together were due to frustrations with our RW options or lack thereof, and the lack of opportunities for our two most promising young forward options. Martial also voiced his desire to play as a 9, and Jose criticised his defensive work as a LW, called him immature and mentality weak, and requested the club sell him, identifying Sanchez and then Perisic to replace him. He was also not selected for most big games.

He got 4 league goals in Jose's first season. Better the next with 9, but not many important goals (scoring the 4th in a 4-0 victory etc). He was evidently better under LVG and during Ole's first full season. Stats alone, as you bring them up, he scored 11 league goals under LVG (from the wing, as a 19 year old) and 17 league goals in Ole's first full season). His best return by a mile. Its really not a debate.
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In Jose's first season (or Zlatan's first season if you wish), Martial was very poor. Everybody points to that being due directly to having competition from Zlatan but ignore everything else. Jose changed his position (under LVG he was more of a striker or left forward), stripped him of his shirt number, was quite obvious in not really liking him, and his relationship with the mother of his child was breaking down (with her going very public about it). That's a lot going on for a 20 year old to handle. Maybe there might have been a bit more than just not being able to handle having to compete with Zlatan.

The following season when we bought Lukaku in, Martial outperformed Rashford comfortably on the left for the first few months of the season but Jose's dislike for him meant that he kept favouring Rashford. Finally even Jose had no choice but to acknowledge the form difference and installed Martial as first choice, with Tony going on to be our best attacker for the next two or so months. Then we bought Sanchez, moved Martial over to the right (where he has never performed well) and dropped him within a couple of games with him only getting the odd chance after that.

Basically if you go over his career seasons with us:

15/16: Good to very good
16/17: Poor, which people like to say was due to competing with Zlatan but as I noted above there was a lot more going on.
17/18: Our best performing left attacker when he actually got to play (and our best attacker fullstop in the only run he had as first choice), but through no real fault of his own he was 2nd or even 3rd choice for the manager most of the season.
18/19: Basically the same as above. Started out of the team, and Jose waited until he was about to be sacked before bringing him back in and he basically kept him in the job. Unfortunately was injured or ill most of the time under Ole.
19/20: Great, our best player over the course of the season.
20/21: Very poor, which people say was due to competition from Cavani. But Cavani was obviously considered second choice, and even while Martial was terrible Ole kept trying to start him over and over. So it wasn't really much of a competition.
21/22: Even worse than the previous season. Did struggle with injury quite a lot which wouldn't have helped, but even without that he was terrible.
22/23: Has started promisingly...

So I really don't buy the doesn't handle competition thing that some people go on about. His first bad patch coincided with a lot of stuff going on (most notably for us the change in how the manager wanted him to play), and the second happened when he was clearly 1st choice (and then continued the following season where it would have been more of a competition with Ronaldo). Meanwhile he was out-performing his competition in 17/18 and 18/19 when he got a chance.
 
Bebestation said:
I genuinely think that his first touch with back to goal is the best in the world.

The way he just brings the ball down at any speed is beautiful to watch.

He seems a very specialist at what he does.
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Good grief.
 
MadDogg said:
In Jose's first season (or Zlatan's first season if you wish), Martial was very poor. Everybody points to that being due directly to having competition from Zlatan but ignore everything else. Jose changed his position (under LVG he was more of a striker or left forward), stripped him of his shirt number, was quite obvious in not really liking him, and his relationship with the mother of his child was breaking down (with her going very public about it). That's a lot going on for a 20 year old to handle. Maybe there might have been a bit more than just not being able to handle having to compete with Zlatan.

The following season when we bought Lukaku in, Martial outperformed Rashford comfortably on the left for the first few months of the season but Jose's dislike for him meant that he kept favouring Rashford. Finally even Jose had no choice but to acknowledge the form difference and installed Martial as first choice, with Tony going on to be our best attacker for the next two or so months. Then we bought Sanchez, moved Martial over to the right (where he has never performed well) and dropped him within a couple of games with him only getting the odd chance after that.

Basically if you go over his career seasons with us:

15/16: Good to very good
16/17: Poor, which people like to say was due to competing with Zlatan but as I noted above there was a lot more going on.
17/18: Our best performing left attacker when he actually got to play (and our best attacker fullstop in the only run he had as first choice), but through no real fault of his own he was 2nd or even 3rd choice for the manager most of the season.
18/19: Basically the same as above. Started out of the team, and Jose waited until he was about to be sacked before bringing him back in and he basically kept him in the job. Unfortunately was injured or ill most of the time under Ole.
19/20: Great, our best player over the course of the season.
20/21: Very poor, which people say was due to competition from Cavani. But Cavani was obviously considered second choice, and even while Martial was terrible Ole kept trying to start him over and over. So it wasn't really much of a competition.
21/22: Even worse than the previous season. Did struggle with injury quite a lot which wouldn't have helped, but even without that he was terrible.
22/23: Has started promisingly...

So I really don't buy the doesn't handle competition thing that some people go on about. His first bad patch coincided with a lot of stuff going on (most notably for us the change in how the manager wanted him to play), and the second happened when he was clearly 1st choice (and then continued the following season where it would have been more of a competition with Ronaldo). Meanwhile he was out-performing his competition in 17/18 and 18/19 when he got a chance.
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I attribute his past 2 season mediocrity to injuries. For some reasons he turned into a sick note the last 2 seasons after his great season with Ole.

Something similar happened at Sevilla. He started well then succumbed to injuries and became poor.

If he has a healthier year I expect him to have a much better season then he's had recently.
 
MadDogg said:
In Jose's first season (or Zlatan's first season if you wish), Martial was very poor. Everybody points to that being due directly to having competition from Zlatan but ignore everything else. Jose changed his position (under LVG he was more of a striker or left forward), stripped him of his shirt number, was quite obvious in not really liking him, and his relationship with the mother of his child was breaking down (with her going very public about it). That's a lot going on for a 20 year old to handle. Maybe there might have been a bit more than just not being able to handle having to compete with Zlatan.

The following season when we bought Lukaku in, Martial outperformed Rashford comfortably on the left for the first few months of the season but Jose's dislike for him meant that he kept favouring Rashford. Finally even Jose had no choice but to acknowledge the form difference and installed Martial as first choice, with Tony going on to be our best attacker for the next two or so months. Then we bought Sanchez, moved Martial over to the right (where he has never performed well) and dropped him within a couple of games with him only getting the odd chance after that.

Basically if you go over his career seasons with us:

15/16: Good to very good
16/17: Poor, which people like to say was due to competing with Zlatan but as I noted above there was a lot more going on.
17/18: Our best performing left attacker when he actually got to play (and our best attacker fullstop in the only run he had as first choice), but through no real fault of his own he was 2nd or even 3rd choice for the manager most of the season.
18/19: Basically the same as above. Started out of the team, and Jose waited until he was about to be sacked before bringing him back in and he basically kept him in the job. Unfortunately was injured or ill most of the time under Ole.
19/20: Great, our best player over the course of the season.
20/21: Very poor, which people say was due to competition from Cavani. But Cavani was obviously considered second choice, and even while Martial was terrible Ole kept trying to start him over and over. So it wasn't really much of a competition.
21/22: Even worse than the previous season. Did struggle with injury quite a lot which wouldn't have helped, but even without that he was terrible.
22/23: Has started promisingly...

So I really don't buy the doesn't handle competition thing that some people go on about. His first bad patch coincided with a lot of stuff going on (most notably for us the change in how the manager wanted him to play), and the second happened when he was clearly 1st choice (and then continued the following season where it would have been more of a competition with Ronaldo). Meanwhile he was out-performing his competition in 17/18 and 18/19 when he got a chance.
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Relying on Martial to stay fit, motivated..in good form....to get us top 4 as the main man up top seems a bit of a reach to me. We may well have to given the outlay in other areas but I can't see it working over the whole season. He's not consistent in fitness or form. His style then attracts so much criticism when form dips and this place will soon be calling him out for looking disinterested again I'm sure, me included. Hope i'm wrong.
 
Although we all want Tony to do well this season, we've got to be honest and say he isn't the guy to lead our line.
 
Tibs said:
Although we all want Tony to do well this season, we've got to be honest and say he isn't the guy to lead our line.
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If he were to put in the effort and stay injury free he's got the talent for it. But obviously there's still a big question mark around his mentality and it'd be a gamble to put so much reliance on him
 
Tibs said:
Although we all want Tony to do well this season, we've got to be honest and say he isn't the guy to lead our line.
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Why I want the club to get another linkup striker because neither is Ronaldo. Martial won't stay fit and we can't afford to go back to having no link up and rigid play in the front 3. Rashford is twice the player when he doesn't have to facilitate and Sancho is better when he has a middle presence to swap and combine with.
 
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I like Martial. I think he is very talented and our best player in holding the ball and also dribbling in tight spaces.
He created the goal brilliantly but I also didn't like the fact he jogged after passing the ball to Rashford. I think it's the biggest issue with him. He likes to drop deep and players should run off him and he will create chances.
 
MadDogg said:
Basically if you go over his career seasons with us:

15/16: Good to very good
16/17: Poor, which people like to say was due to competing with Zlatan but as I noted above there was a lot more going on.
17/18: Our best performing left attacker when he actually got to play (and our best attacker fullstop in the only run he had as first choice), but through no real fault of his own he was 2nd or even 3rd choice for the manager most of the season.
18/19: Basically the same as above. Started out of the team, and Jose waited until he was about to be sacked before bringing him back in and he basically kept him in the job. Unfortunately was injured or ill most of the time under Ole.
19/20: Great, our best player over the course of the season.
20/21: Very poor, which people say was due to competition from Cavani. But Cavani was obviously considered second choice, and even while Martial was terrible Ole kept trying to start him over and over. So it wasn't really much of a competition.
21/22: Even worse than the previous season. Did struggle with injury quite a lot which wouldn't have helped, but even without that he was terrible.
22/23: Has started promisingly...

So I really don't buy the doesn't handle competition thing that some people go on about. His first bad patch coincided with a lot of stuff going on (most notably for us the change in how the manager wanted him to play), and the second happened when he was clearly 1st choice (and then continued the following season where it would have been more of a competition with Ronaldo). Meanwhile he was out-performing his competition in 17/18 and 18/19 when he got a chance.
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This is spot on.

2020/21 was the first season where we were reliant on Martial as a senior / key player and he was just crap throughout. Brilliant in 19/20, literally kept that prick Mourinho in the job in the fall of 2018, and great in the first half of 2017/18.

There are lots of valid criticisms of his game, a lot of which are as applicable now at the age of (nearly) 27 as they were when he was a teenager: poor movement off the ball, wanting it played into his feet every single time, not great in the air, poor with his weaker foot, switches off defensively. But there's a reason a lot of fans haven't given up on him even after two years of crap performances: the guy is a gifted footballer and extremely fun to watch when he's on.
 
I imagine he'll start on Saturday and be given a chance to show what he can do.

Didn't think he looked great on Monday but we'll see....
 
Varane around town said:
I imagine he'll start on Saturday and be given a chance to show what he can do.

Didn't think he looked great on Monday but we'll see....
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it was genuinely a near-perfect performance. pretty much every touch he took and decision he made was perfect. his job was to bring calm in a chaotic environment where none of our midfielders or attackers could hold the ball and he did exactly that and single-handedly created our 2nd goal of the game. He had the best centre back in the world scrambling after him for 45 mins. If you're trolling then fair enough I bit, and if you're not then I worry about how much you had to drink that day :nervous:
 
Quinzaine said:
it was genuinely a near-perfect performance. pretty much every touch he took and decision he made was perfect. his job was to bring calm in a chaotic environment where none of our midfielders or attackers could hold the ball and he did exactly that and single-handedly created our 2nd goal of the game. He had the best centre back in the world scrambling after him for 45 mins. If you're trolling then fair enough I bit, and if you're not then I worry about how much you had to drink that day :nervous:
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Martial FC back in business I see
 
Feck. Wonder how long he's out for. Wonder if it's Elanga or Ronaldo in? Shame...

EtH saying hoping for the next game. Given Arsenal is the weekend after, I'm guessing he would just be saved for that
 
He's just totally unreliable.

Injury prone and if he is fit enough to play you don't know if he's going to be great or terrible.
 
Ten Hag said he came out with a problem on his Achilles during that Liverpool game yet he was pictured in training. I'm confused, I mean how did he train the last few days if he got injured in that Liverpool game?
 
What makes me pessimistic for his long term status is that all his injuries are soft tissue injuries essentially. Not recurring I guess, but just the amount of strains he is getting is crazy the past 2 years. Its a shame because he's looked so good on the pitch under Ten Hag, but if the injuries keep up his physicality and agility will get destroyed.
 
At least ETH knows the story with this crock

Transfer window is crucial in the next few days
 
It'll be very hard for Ten Hag to rely on him if his injury issues persist which is looking to be the case. I was hoping he'd have a healthier season this time around but so far things have looked similar to his last 2 seasons health wise.

This is a problem for Ten Hag because so much of how he wants to play relied on Martial in Pre season and even mentioned his absence affecting he way we were supposed to play. It'll be hard for ETH to build consistent in the way he wants the team to play if an integral player to his style of play keeps missing games.

Bummer. Well at least it's not a long injury, but then again consistent niggles are also almost as bad since you're missing several games either ways.
 
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