I really hope our team doesn't make transfer decisions based on one game. Martial is our player of the year last season, btw.
We were poor and Bruno was leagues above, even missing half the season he was far more valuable compared to a replacement 10 than Martial to a replacement 9. I hope we don't let our players make transfer decisions.
Martial is 25 and has massive holes in his game so he could shore those up and become say a 30th percentile striker in the box/from crosses for a prem striker instead of the 5-10th percentile he's at and be the quality 9 we need, because he's excellent at dropping deep to pick up the ball and normally a fine dribbler (not so much lately but probably that's not permanent).
But he's not on the level of a Bruno or Rashford and if Greenwood is going to be the 20+ goals in the league central striker he projects as based on his stats and frankly the eye test, then Martial is on the clock to make the leap, or he'll be a backup who wants a move.
1 in 25 for France is really astonishing.
I think a healthy United competing on 3 fronts is best with Martial backing up Rashford at LW and a first choice #9 like Haaland, with a RW and Diallo competing on the opposite side, but Greenwood is pretty damn good but presumably not ready to be our first choice #9 (though who knows he might score enough goals up top that playing him while he learns the overall game isn't a hard pill to swallow, the kid can really finish), so it's a bit of a puzzle.
Martial (Rashford, James)----
Cavani(Greenwood)-----
Rashford (Diallo, Greenwood)
is that enough playing time for Greenwood and Martial and is it worth moving Rashford at RW?
Replacing Cavani in 18 months in the summer of 2022 when his contract runs out with an elite #9 and selling Martial and moving Greenwood centrally seems like the obvious move to me:
Rashford(James, Pellistri)------
Haaland(Greenwood)-------
Diallo(Greenwood, Pellistri)
but that's putting a lot on the kids at RW, so maybe it would be:
Martial(Rashford, Pellistri)------
Haaland(Greenwood, Martial)-------
Rashford(Greenwood, Pellistri)
and James will be the one to go.
Need a survey:
1. How good will Martial be from age 25-28?
2. Is Rashford better on the left than the right and by how much? Is there a chance he actually be a 9?
3. Can, will and should we buy Grealish, Sancho or Haaland as the 2nd absolute feck off starter in the front 3 along with Rashford?
4. Who fits best with Bruno?
5. How good are Greeenwood and Diallo (and how quickly will they be good?)?
6. If we played Greenwood and Cavani up top instead of Martial how many more or less goals would we score?
Lot to unpack after the obvious conclusions of Rashford being our LW ideally and Greenwood needing playing time, for me.