Has Martial done enough to be backed as our long-term #9?

The evidence is becoming quite damning unfortunately. The clip on the BBC website from MOTD is actually for once a really good piece of analysis by then - showing Martial's general positional awareness as a CF is just not good enough and isn't coming naturally.

He isn't making runs in to the right areas, and he isn't providing a focal point to the attack. Cavani is able to do that, but also despite being more central more frequently he's also running a tonne more than Martial.

He just doesn't have the type of natural movements you need from a lone CF and he doesn't work hard enough. And his finishing is not at the standard it was once thought to be at. For me he is still an inside forward operating from the left hand side, but with little chance of displacing Rashford in that position either considering he's been such a match-winner for Utd this season.
 
He's our top scorer from last season that is struggling in the current one.
 
I don't read too much about his lack of technique or nous to play the position, he does all those things well when he is up for it. His issue has always been his laziness, even back from his Monaco days. He's more mercurial than reliable.
 
The fact we tried to get Haaland and scrambled for Cavani in the end says Solskjaer always wanted another striker aside from Martial.
 
Martial will be fine once he gets back home, but it’s not working for him at Man Utd.
Send him to Ligue 1 and he’ll be scoring for fun. Just wait & see.
 
ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg said:
I think the simple answer is that we can’t play Cavani for 90 mins every match.

Rashford is best on the left, Greenwood is having a (typical for a youngster) challenging season, and a few niggling injuries, a suspension and age mean Cavani can’t play every game.
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Rashford, Greenwood, James, Cavani. Diallo and Shoretire can also be given a chance of minutes as they can't do much worse than what Martial is currently doing.
 
Just make Martial and Rashford scrap over the one wide spot. Neither will ever be a first choice Number 9 in a top side that plays a front 3. That’s a compliment as much as a Criticism.

We don’t really have a problem with him. Other than the one we’re creating for ourselves.
 
The holy trinity 68 said:
Rashford, Greenwood, James, Cavani. Diallo and Shoretire can also be given a chance of minutes as they can't do much worse than what Martial is currently doing.
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James rashford diallo don’t play the number 9 role
Shoretire is far too young
Cavani as mentioned can’t play every game, but I imagine will be starting a lot more than the start of the season.

I think Ole has said I’ll give you a run in the team, go and prove it, and if not Greenwood will get his minutes.
I want him out the team too but I can see why he’s been played when Cavani was out due to his efforts last year.
 
SirScholes said:
These questions were raised last season as well, he just had a massive purple patch
He’s never had good movement
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Well that is a completely fair assesment.

Last game he was yelled at by Ole to get into the box and move. Apparently he did very little of neither. To be taken off before 70 minutes as a striker is just not a good sign. Hopefully the playergroup are backing him if he's struggling with things that is affecting his playing. Unfortunately it doesn't look like being shoehorned into a starting position is having the effect the manager is looking for. Backing being repaid with confidence or the very least effort.

Curious to see what happens with the Haaland saga this summer. If the owners have actual championship aspirations like they did with Tampa Bay they make that happen, assuming the player wants to come. Dortmund will probably demand too much and any bidding team will wait until 2022.

Is Cavani the right man for another year?
 
Hughie77 said:
Hes clearly not a no 9 hes wide and prefers the left, Rashford plays there, if he stays here it's a back up to Rashford and another striker should be bought, I think that may well happen. It's another one like Pogba if he wants to stay or go it's up to him I think as there is a strong possibility that another striker is coming in the Summer.
His form as a 9 is not good enough not enough goals.
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I don’t see it. He’s looked terrible in games where Cavani played centrally, Rashford goes on the right. Affects Rashford a lot as well.
 
SirScholes said:
James rashford diallo don’t play the number 9 role
Shoretire is far too young
Cavani as mentioned can’t play every game, but I imagine will be starting a lot more than the start of the season.

I think Ole has said I’ll give you a run in the team, go and prove it, and if not Greenwood will get his minutes.
I want him out the team too but I can see why he’s been played when Cavani was out due to his efforts last year.
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Rashford and Greenwood can play the number 9 role as well as play on the right or left, so either can slot in for Cavani when he is not playing and the others I mentioned can cover the position on the left or right when Rashford or Greenwood are playing CF.

Martial has been nothing short of disgraceful when he plays so it doesn't matter who replaces him.
 
The holy trinity 68 said:
Rashford and Greenwood can play the number 9 role as well as play on the right or left, so either can slot in for Cavani when he is not playing and the others I mentioned can cover the position on the left or right when Rashford or Greenwood are playing CF.

Martial has been nothing short of disgraceful when he plays so it doesn't matter who replaces him.
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Of course it matters, rashford is most effective from the left
If you move him centre then we lose the left hand side threat, we are already toothless from the right.
 
Problem is who would buy Martial off us and for how much in this depressed market. £30-40mil ?!? Also who would want him? Would need to sign him as a left sided forward.
 
The holy trinity 68 said:
Rashford, Greenwood, James, Cavani. Diallo and Shoretire can also be given a chance of minutes as they can't do much worse than what Martial is currently doing.
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I’m not defending Martial.

but two of those are kids that have played 20 mins of football.

James is a winger, Greenwood is having a tough year (but coming through it - let’s not forget he’s got about 1 PL goal in 18), and Rashford needs to play on the left, as we don’t want to lose the productivity we have from there.

he’s sticking up the place, but we really only have Cavani, and as I’ve said his season has been really disrupted, and he can’t play every game.
 

Glad to hear that. Martial was never going to be our 9 for a long time.
I rather have a Rashford - Cavani - Greenwood lineup.
 
Tom Cato said:
Well that is a completely fair assesment.

Last game he was yelled at by Ole to get into the box and move. Apparently he did very little of neither. To be taken off before 70 minutes as a striker is just not a good sign. Hopefully the playergroup are backing him if he's struggling with things that is affecting his playing. Unfortunately it doesn't look like being shoehorned into a starting position is having the effect the manager is looking for. Backing being repaid with confidence or the very least effort.

Curious to see what happens with the Haaland saga this summer. If the owners have actual championship aspirations like they did with Tampa Bay they make that happen, assuming the player wants to come. Dortmund will probably demand too much and any bidding team will wait until 2022.

Is Cavani the right man for another year?
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I can’t imagine we’d be spending big unless someone is sold, the owners/ed will say we have 4 main strikers (we all know we have 1, ageing Cavani)

big ask of Cavani, we’re asking not only to be our only striker for another year but also provide enough threat to help us win the league.

in an ideal world for me, martial gets sold and we bring in haarland. Forget sancho, sign a striker
 
ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg said:
I’m not defending Martial.

but two of those are kids that have played 20 mins of football.

James is a winger, Greenwood is having a tough year (but coming through it - let’s not forget he’s got about 1 PL goal in 18), and Rashford needs to play on the left, as we don’t want to lose the productivity we have from there.

he’s sticking up the place, but we really only have Cavani, and as I’ve said his season has been really disrupted, and he can’t play every game.
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Martial has 4 PL goals in 20 games, at least Greenwood is young and can improve massively and works hard, Martial won't improve much more especially with his disgraceful attitude.

Pointless giving Martial all the game time when other younger and hungrier players can be given game time which will help their progress.
 
The holy trinity 68 said:
Martial has 4 PL goals in 20 games, at least Greenwood is young and can improve massively and works hard, Martial won't improve much more especially with his disgraceful attitude.

Pointless giving Martial all the game time when other younger and hungrier players can be given game time which will help their progress.
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again. Not defending Martial, but it’s not the best idea to be throwing Greenwood in as the sole forward in the lineup. He’s doing well on the right.

we clearly need another striker in the summer.
 
The only natural #9 in the squad is Cavani and he should be the nailed on starter at this point. Martial is objectively terrible this season and has been really throughout his time at United, sans last season. He doesn't want to put in the work to improve. Needs to be sold this summer, I wouldn't even want him as a bench / rotation option. ST is actually more important that the RW at this point.
 
Screenshot-2021-02-23-21-00-26-583-com-android-chrome.jpg


Ranked 44th best goal scorer in PL where sits among the best forwards in the world.

Number 9. Ok. What a good number he's wearing.
 
What an ungrateful player martial is, ole has backed this spoilt brat to the hills by favouring him over lukaku and given a season and a half as our first choice striker but has half assed such a great opportunity afforded to him.

I can't see him ever amounting to much here or anywhere else with his mentality.
 
romufc said:
I have not seen a forward so disinterested in a football game like Marital. never breaks his neck to get into the box, always wants ball to feel but loses it.

A month ago, Martial FC was saying his all round game is brilliant, he holds the ball, he brings people into play and is only lacking goals however; he is doing none of it.

He isn't pressing, isnt passing well, cant hold the ball up, no runs in behind, no runs into the box for a cross, absolutely nothing.
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I thought last season especially around the restart he looked top quality. His hold up play and link up stuff playing up top, as wel as his dribbling was all top quality the whole front 3 looked dynamite.

But this season I don't know what has happened to him, like he has fallen of a cliff and forgot how to play football. Honestly feels like we are starting a man down in a game sometimes. His flaws are also being badly exposed at the moment with the loss of confidence he has had. Movement of the ball is non existent and workrate has collapsed too. If he was being clincal like his old self the flaws wouldn't be as noticeable.


Not sure what to do but I can see him getting moved on in summer if he doesn't perform like last season to close out the season.
 
Needham said:
Modern footballer wages gets head for free attitude and won't make runs. But when you look at Ole's sulkers get kuntified what for 40 million?
French players creche the Buffon despite having the highest rate of shttheirpants in the globe. So get rid. The other option is to other option the other option.
I told me mam I said play Rashford under the bench Matic to massage the just in front of the back for ever. Fact. He's costing us points like Utd issue statement on Rachel abuse
and she absolutely loves it won't change until we sign a decent director of balls. Pallister never went clubbing but we expect Anton de la fey to bring liqorice to a weed fest.
Have a word with yourself doctor? doctor? I'm still fuming at the officials sweet sweet tights but sheer bias in Carragher's flem.
It's like Barthez when he scot got free off Mar she Al makes Bebe look like Our Defence Has It Actually Been sweet sweet tights.
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English?
 
Neither Rashford nor Martial are number nines like Kane. Does Ole want a centre forward if so why did he sell Lukaku? Martial seems a moody so and so but I’m sure he really wants to perform when he plays. He has had enough opportunity this season to impress but hasn’t so try someone else, one of the kids maybe.
 
He needs to be played on the left wing (rotated with Rashford) or not at all.
 
In answer to the question, hell naw. Although no one is our team has that right. I always felt Martial's talent was 'slightly' overrated. Not that he ain't got it, its just like guys like Nani, you have flashes, I have come across plenty of players with Martials talent level.

I never saw him aggressive/confident enough in his dribbling or attacking. In his first season he was demonic and skinning guys, constantly on the front foot. I hoped he would be like Zaha and just put defenders on their bums but he is a bit shy. remember how Cristiano would just get on the ball and take over the game/make shit happen. Rashford tries to do this but does it too much for his ability. Its like they need to swap mentalities.

Anyways I didn't harbor any hopes of him becoming a truly top player and neither should France. At best I'd hoped he could reach an Adebayor level which would still be useful.
 
Offsideagain said:
Neither Rashford nor Martial are number nines like Kane. Does Ole want a centre forward if so why did he sell Lukaku? Martial seems a moody so and so but I’m sure he really wants to perform when he plays. He has had enough opportunity this season to impress but hasn’t so try someone else, one of the kids maybe.
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Could have been that Lukaku wasn't suited for what Ole was after at that time? I remember Ole went through a phase of playing split strikers with Lingard almost as a false #9. If, at that time, Ole was thinking that was the way forward, he may have thought Lukaku didn't fit that role or Lukaku could've decided he didn't fit that role. Maybe Lukaku wasn't patient enough to see what his role would be once Ole was done trying different things?

Solius said:
He needs to be played on the left wing (rotated with Rashford) or not at all.
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The only thing that's good about Martial wide left is he can dribble. However, he has looked pretty awful in that position all season. Unless he's getting ball to feet he's not an effective winger. He doesn't really get up and down the touchline, he doesn't put balls into the box, he isn't even really taking shots. He plays on the left like its a chore for him. He has it in his head that he's a centre forward.

IMO Martial has all the gifts of a centre forward. He's quick, he's strong, he has great close control, he's been a good finisher (even if his finishing has been dire lately). However, he seems to lack the nous/instincts to put it together. Martial's failings as a striker have nothing to do with talent. If he wanted to get more goals he could, just by copying the centre forward movement of other players. Honestly, if he just made more near post runs when the ball was wide he'd get more goals. However, he's so often switched off and only comes alive when the ball is played directly to him. Only he can remedy that.

Towards the tail end of last season he was scoring the scruffy ones, he was making himself a nuisance in the box and backing into defenders and spinning them. Now he's just ambling about. He'll be a good striker for someone if he just adds a bit of movement to his play in the box. Starting to think it won't be for us though.
 
Flexdegea said:
I thought last season especially around the restart he looked top quality. His hold up play and link up stuff playing up top, as wel as his dribbling was all top quality the whole front 3 looked dynamite.

But this season I don't know what has happened to him, like he has fallen of a cliff and forgot how to play football. Honestly feels like we are starting a man down in a game sometimes. His flaws are also being badly exposed at the moment with the loss of confidence he has had. Movement of the ball is non existent and workrate has collapsed too. If he was being clincal like his old self the flaws wouldn't be as noticeable.


Not sure what to do but I can see him getting moved on in summer if he doesn't perform like last season to close out the season.
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Agreed, I cannot actually believe the fall off from last year. I remember post lockdown, Martial was a major reason we got top 4. Everytime the ball went to him, he made things happen, linking with everyone.

I think we have given him enough time, we should move him on.
 
romufc said:
Agreed, I cannot actually believe the fall off from last year. I remember post lockdown, Martial was a major reason we got top 4. Everytime the ball went to him, he made things happen, linking with everyone.

I think we have given him enough time, we should move him on.
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Yeah ever game end of last season he was taking a touch on the run and going these brilliant dribbles into the box was opening up the play every time his touch and flicks was all spot on.

Insane the drop off this season.


Can see him being moved on myself
 
Wednesday at Stoke said:
I don't read too much about his lack of technique or nous to play the position, he does all those things well when he is up for it. His issue has always been his laziness, even back from his Monaco days. He's more mercurial than reliable.
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Thats a very diplomatic way of saying bone idle.
 
Solius said:
He needs to be played on the left wing (rotated with Rashford) or not at all.
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I dont even think he deserves that at the moment, dare I say it but dan James deserves to be next in line for the left winger position when rashford isn't playing there and martial should now have to make do with the right wing position with Greenwood being the new back up striker to cavani.
 
If we go into next Season with him in the team as a starter then hell we are not going to do anything of note.
 
It's taken long enough but it seems 99% of this place is on the same page when it comes to Martial, and I have faith that many at the club feel the same. It's sad how it's ended up going, but if we go into next season with our current striking options, especially him being our main number 9 I'd lose a lot of faith in the club and our ambition.
 
Judas said:
It's taken long enough but it seems 99% of this place is on the same page when it comes to Martial, and I have faith that many at the club feel the same. It's sad how it's ended up going, but if we go into next season with our current striking options, especially him being our main number 9 I'd lose a lot of faith in the club and our ambition.
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For a long time there was a fear that he would go to another club and become Henry.
 
Stacks said:
For a long time there was a fear that he would go to another club and become Henry.
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I understood that fear a few years ago in a way, but the complete stall in his progression ended that sort of concern I think, if anything he's regressed. I don't see any top club being desperate to have him as their main striker.
 
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