How to answer critics 101:
Score a hattrick the very next game. Good on ya, Tony!
Score a hattrick the very next game. Good on ya, Tony!
Has Martial done enough to be backed as our long-term #9?
- Thread starter MyOnlySolskjaer
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Mate LVG is the reason we are playing 3 at the back Martial false 9 and Rashford out left.
It was going to always happen, LVG supporters were talking about the future 3 at the back formation and foundation since the guy he was here.
Really nice to see him scoring against a low block and not on a quick counter. Great positioning, and very unselfish trying to play in Rashford a couple of times.
A United centre forward should be competing for the Golden Boot... there’s still time.
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It’s so nice to be able to say I told you so...
First United player to score a hattrick since RVP in 2013.
Also that last goal was pure filth!
First United player to score a hattrick since RVP in 2013.
Also that last goal was pure filth!
Amazing to see what your number 9 can do when he doesn't have utter hams around him like Lingard, James and Periera eh?
I have to hold my hands up and say well done after criticising his previous performance
It’s not quite “I told you so moment” as one game at home against Sheffield doesn’t make him consistent, needs to keep up this good form. Can’t ask for more today though
It’s not quite “I told you so moment” as one game at home against Sheffield doesn’t make him consistent, needs to keep up this good form. Can’t ask for more today though
I’d say my opinion will be proven correct by the end of the season. Already on 19 (all comps).
It's not an "of course". It's not uncommon to see Martial wandering around outside the box even when the team was high up the pitch in previous matches. Look I don't want to be mean or critical, he's enjoyed a great night and I'm not ruining it, just hope he could maintain his form and continue to prove himself to be good enough as our long term no. 9.
Oh come on LVG dumped that formation in his first season itself and Martial was also moved to left . LVG has a weird cult following on here with guys giving credit to him for things which even he wouldn't claim credit for.
Martial is not good enough imo. Needs good players around him to score, what kinda United striker is that.
I still don’t think he has the consistency or the overall hold-up play to be a true number 9, but I am very happy to be proven wrong on this one.
I hope he goes from strength to strength but am not going to change my opinion on the basis of one great performance.
Am delighted for him though, love how quick his feet are. 3rd goal was Henry-esque.
I hope he goes from strength to strength but am not going to change my opinion on the basis of one great performance.
Am delighted for him though, love how quick his feet are. 3rd goal was Henry-esque.
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He’s never had consistent supply behind him.
Give him someone good to play off and watch him fly!
Filth, I tell ya! FILTH!!!!
I hope so, like I said, I like Martial and will be delighted if he blossoms! I am definitely not going to be stubborn and stick to my view. I am dying to be proven wrong and today was a great start.
People need to remember Martial has missed 8 weeks this season and is only now playing with real goal suppliers. Oh and he was wasted for 3 years by a coach who wasnt a fan of him.
I like him but I admit that he lacks the consistency needed at the level we aim to compete at. However, in terms of priority, improving on him is the thing I would do after signing a Right Winger, DM (replacement, competition or understudy to Matic) and a more dominant CB to partner Maguire. We can go into next season with him as No. 9.
LVG did move Martial to the left in the second half of the season, but he was still arguably our main man in attack. I don't remember it making too much of a difference to his performances.
Mourinho is the one who came in and screwed him around.
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He doesn’t lack the consistency he lacks the service. He’s got one of the best XG in the PL he just hasn’t had anyone to play off.
He’s been stuck with this for the majority of the season and even then he lost Rashford for a while:
McTominay Fred
James Periera Rashford
Today he had:
Pogba Matic
Greenwood Bruno Rashford
Surrounded by creative players and goalscorers and amazing he gets a hattrick?
It’s almost like a striker needs supply and can’t do it all alone?
My contention was LVG never had intent to play Martial as false 9 or this is 3 at the back theory which some posters seems to regularly bring up He settled on basic 4231 formation and we hardly played 3 at back after his first season.
That's because the players didnt adapt. Even mourinho was using 3 at the back vs ajax.
The reason Martial played out left on the second season is because Rashford broke through in the middle & Martial hadn't adapted to centre and delay was not doing well on the left. Third season literally not a chance would have Martial had played left with Rashford out centre - it was always going to be flipped.
You remember posters like Kinderbueno guy saying an ex United player will come in a couple of years and play three at the back nearly a 6 years ago?
Looks like that's happening.
And yet it's the LVG cult following who understand the importance of the false CB like Matic played today in a back 3 (how Blind would have eventually been used not as a LCB) or how Martial needs to be played as a false 9 with inverted forwards left footed and right footed making runs off him - whilst everyone was going crazy for players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and stuff.
I think theres good managers at the clubs post SAF- LVG was definitely one of them, if you understood what he was building on in his first season and on to his third seasons with how we played right at the end of the second season when it all started to come better - then you will realise why Giggs and Rooney talked so highly about LVG's tactical ability and that was only going to leave something behind at United.
Jurys out...but days like today help.
With a consistent creative line behind him? Let's see.
First and foremost credit where it's due and let's enjoy it.
With a consistent creative line behind him? Let's see.
First and foremost credit where it's due and let's enjoy it.
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Fantastic today. Not just his goals. His movement and decision making was spot on. I've been one of his biggest critics but if he keeps that up then there is no reason why he can't be counted on for 30 goals per season
Indeed. It's a great response. I like him and want to see him do well.
Let's see what he can do from here.
Rewriting history much Martial started as a striker and was doing well before he got injured ,which gave Rashford a chance where he did well combined with Depay's failure on the left Martial was moved there not because Martial didn't adapt. Blind was bought as a defensive midfielder and was converted to Cb ,LVG had full freedom to buy players for whatever formation he wanted to play but after his half a season he dumped this 3 at back and played 4231 for most of his second season and you are claiming he was working towards this mythical 3 at the back formation for his third that's some reach my friend. And Mourinho occasionally playing 3 at the formation also being part of that plan that's some serious mental gymnastics .
Well this was a fun thread to come back to... 
He’s definitely done enough to be given at least next season as our main striker and having Rashford, Fernandes, Pogba, Greenwood and maybe Sancho alongside him we’ll see for sure what he can do with quality around him.
Tonight was his best performance as an out and out striker, the goals apart I liked how well he held the ball up and brought others into play but the partnership he’s building with Rashford gets better all the time and if it wasn’t for injuries for both men through the season I reckon they’d have got close to 50 goals combined over the whole season.
Tonight was his best performance as an out and out striker, the goals apart I liked how well he held the ball up and brought others into play but the partnership he’s building with Rashford gets better all the time and if it wasn’t for injuries for both men through the season I reckon they’d have got close to 50 goals combined over the whole season.
Did exactly what you'd want from your striker today. No complaints from me.
Again, you believe what you want to believe- but I was one of the only people on this whole forum who could pick out what formation United were going to play like today way before it happened and it was because LVG did help us even though he wasnt perfect in the transfers.
You literally see Shaw playing at LCB I'm a back 3 in games and you think he had no influence. Yeah please.
I'm literally the only person in the whole forum who sussed out the false 9 of Martial and false CB of Matic before it was even played
& soon as I bring up LVG's name the haters start coming out. LVG had a tactical influence at the club & I can see that you cant see it, though I can prove I can see it due to literally all my tactical choices have been accurate - how we need a left footed cutting RW, not Daniel james to make Martial as a false 9 work and how Rashford was better our left as a forward playing at angles than as a CF than the people who wanted Martial as a LW. Yum? Then the 3CB's with the false CDM/CB is just starting mate - your hate for LVG doesnt blind you because you never saw the tactics in the first place.Depay wouldnt have been too bad for us as a false 9 would he? DI maria the left footed RW? He talked about needing creativity which only got sorted now under Ole when we finally got Bruno Fernandes and Pogba in the same team. Blind the false CB playing from CDM hell I bet even Schneiderlin for being so crap could do it one day if he was anything decent, but hes shit.
Martial is a great false 9 anyway and I hope he continues under the right system. I'm really happy that Ole has managed to put the right system out today which has been building up under the club for alot longer than people realise.
Check the europa league final vs Ajax.
I honestly cringe whenever I see some still defending LVG and trying to rewrite history to make him or his last season at the club look any better.
Again, you believe what you want to believe- but I was one of the only people on this whole forum who could pick out what formation United were going to play like today way before it happened and it was because LVG did help us even though he wasnt perfect in the transfers.
You literally see Shaw playing at LCB I'm a back 3 in games and you think he had no influence. Yeah please.
I'm literally the only person in the whole forum who sussed out the false 9 of Martial and false CB of Matic before it was even played
Depay wouldnt have been too bad for us as a false 9 would he? DI maria the left footed RW? He talked about needing creativity which only got sorted now under Ole when we finally got Bruno Fernandes and Pogba in the same team. Blind the false CB playing from CDM hell I bet even Schneiderlin for being so crap could do it one day if he was anything decent, but hes shit.
Martial is a great false 9 anyway and I hope he continues under the right system. I'm really happy that Ole has managed to put the right system out today which has been building up under the club for alot longer than people realise.
Check the europa league final vs Ajax.
I bow to your superior knowledge my friend, I recognise a cultist when I see one from now on if we ever win anything of note using 3 at the back formation or for that matter even a single game we need to be thankful to Mr Van Gaal because he is the one who introduced that to the world though he oneself was quick to ditch it and but why bother with the facts when you only deal in conjecture.
What's worse is seemingly attributing things to him which don't even exist this false cb/cdm theory , what's new in CDM dropping deeper alongside Cb's when full backs bomb forward or one fullback staying back while other attacking Mourinho's team have always done that heck most managers do that ,some posters have this innate urge to sound so knowledgeable that they forget they are just describing basic things while sounding fanciful.
Van Gaal himself was so confused about what formation he wanted to play but these posters have everything down to last details . Whenever we will win any big trophy they will find a way to attribute it to Van Gaal no matter how ridiculous that sound.
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Well, yeah he absolutely has.
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Carrick used to do it. Scholes did it seen Keane do it too. But LVG invented it and the poster is a genius
Carrick used to do it. Scholes did it seen Keane do it too. But LVG invented it and the poster is a genius
Ahh but playing with a false CB and a false 9 in the same formation no one said that except me. You are a genius my friend. Absolutely genius.
Ahh friends...
Only pulling this up because I’m interested to see what you think after today, that’s 8 in 10 all comps for him now I think. Like I said we’ve been a different team since before lockdown and Martial’s played a huge part in that
The kid has come a long way since Mourinho said how do you expect me to win matches with this useless French nobody up front, kudos.
To able to witness his growth from an inside forward to proper no.9 has been fulfilling to watch.
I think he will only get better and better in that role, and yes, he is going to be a proper United no.9.
I think he will only get better and better in that role, and yes, he is going to be a proper United no.9.
He's definitely not proven anything just yet. The last week sums him up perfectly, invisible one game and generally lethargic off the ball, then shows he does have talent today.
His hold up play was superb today. Complete performance. If he can perform like that across a whole season, he'll be immense. It's all about consistency. We see he's good enough. We just need to see him do it often enough now.