I think Martial is being targeted by journos as “the weakest link”. He did very well under Ole in 19/20. He hadn’t the best season but I still believe he has a lot of value. He is different from Cavani and provides a tactical option.
Martial agent looking for a new club for him
- Thread starter dinostar77
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From the past 6 years, it is obvious that there is nothing to "unlock". Martial may start playing well for a while, but eventually he will return to his usual self.
Let's just agree you don't know any more about the financial side of modern day than anyone else on this forum, myself included. Go on pretending you do, though.
And I didn't give you an answer because I don't have one, but I know there is absolutely no chance we'll get £40 million for Martial. Go ahead and quote me on it
Oh, and those stats are bang-average apart from one season. Nothing to write home about.
As fans do we care what goes on behind closed doors? I mean I dont wish the fella any ill will and I hope there isnt any issues but its really all about the performance.
Otherwise whats the point! Footballers have short careers and they really should have the cop on to realise that
Duncan Castles is Jose Mourinho's lap dog, you should take anything he said with a pinch of salt.
He had his best ever season for us as a number 9?
People actually giving a shit what Duncan Castles has to say.
Only if he is saying what we want to hear
7 pages sparked by a Castles tweet?
Sweet Jesus
Sweet Jesus
Hey Leicester, you need a Vardy replacement right?
They're looking at signing Edouard from Celtic I think.
Yes, that was a common play, mainly because they were our only 2 attacking players. He also scored all sorts of goals, headers, tap ins, wonder goals, the lot. His hold up play was excellent, his link up play too. He was a striker the season before last, I don't particularly care what type of mental gymnastics you use to tell yourself otherwise.
Could see him play for Southampton
I've been saying this for a while, for both Martial AND Rashford. People complained about Zlatan hurting their play. Then Lukaku came, and despite being brilliant for us in 2018, personally the best player for us that year, people still found a way to highlight his poor touch and scapegoat him, whilst failing to acknowledge that our lack of quality in attack was actually due to the weakness in the three positions behind Lukaku. We struggled to dominate because Lukaku wasn't receiving enough service from those players.
Ole then came in with his favoritism towards youngsters and shunted Lukaku out, in favor of giving Rashford in particular a chance at the no.9 position. That didn't work. Martial came in and was better, but we weren't producing anything offensively in the first half of the 19/20 season, outside of using Rashfords pace to drive into the box leading to penalties. I don't think Martial's 19/20 season was nearly as good throughout as people made it out to be. The only time since he's been here that I thought Martial could become that star player was during project restart, he seemed to have improved his ability to hold the ball centrally and was more involved in attack for the first time in his career. Unfortunately, that was a short sample and he ended up reverting to form, the form we have always seen from him, 1 good game, 9 average/bad games.
Our problem since Fergie left is that we have shown too much faith in some of our younger hyped players. It's one thing having them in the squad, it's another forcing a manager to keep a player that's done nothing relatively speaking. Lukaku wasn't given the leeway and support both Martial and Rashford have been given, and imo we lost a good striker due to our fans looking for a scapegoat that wasn't them.
Ole then came in with his favoritism towards youngsters and shunted Lukaku out, in favor of giving Rashford in particular a chance at the no.9 position. That didn't work. Martial came in and was better, but we weren't producing anything offensively in the first half of the 19/20 season, outside of using Rashfords pace to drive into the box leading to penalties. I don't think Martial's 19/20 season was nearly as good throughout as people made it out to be. The only time since he's been here that I thought Martial could become that star player was during project restart, he seemed to have improved his ability to hold the ball centrally and was more involved in attack for the first time in his career. Unfortunately, that was a short sample and he ended up reverting to form, the form we have always seen from him, 1 good game, 9 average/bad games.
Our problem since Fergie left is that we have shown too much faith in some of our younger hyped players. It's one thing having them in the squad, it's another forcing a manager to keep a player that's done nothing relatively speaking. Lukaku wasn't given the leeway and support both Martial and Rashford have been given, and imo we lost a good striker due to our fans looking for a scapegoat that wasn't them.
Lukaku wasn’t brilliant for us. He had a purple patch for about 10 weeks after he signed - the next 18 months he was distinctly average - and rightly jettisoned.
Lukaku doesn’t need anymore excuses. He’s used them all before. 1 goal in 23 appearances against the top 6, overweight, couldn’t run, appalling attitude, fragile mentality, threw his teammates under the bus and had a first touch of a non league player.
don’t blame Rashford and Martial for him being crap.
I'm completely fine with him leaving if it happens. Considering what we payed for him and the talent he had his progression has been awful. He's not getting better in any way. I say get rid and use the funds to get in proper quality.
I clearly know more than you about it, that's for sure
Over rated, over paid.
Great if we can get a decent fee for him, doesn't have the mentality to move up a level.
Swap with Varane is a great idea.
Great if we can get a decent fee for him, doesn't have the mentality to move up a level.
Swap with Varane is a great idea.
We should sell IMO. I wouldnt be surprised if Pogba is the Martial replacement as well. Hes a lot better in the attacking slots than he is playing as a pivot and hes a different kind of player to Rashford or Martial so would give us a lot more variaty. You play Rashford for a counter attacking style or Pogba against a low block.
I guess that comes down to personal opinion. Do we care, should we care, I dunno. Ten years ago you would never hear of players with personal issues, mental health issues, family issues whatever and if we did, it was a case of 'they earn enough, just get on with it' Times have changed.
From my experience both with work and doing grassroots football coaching, it's difficult to separate the 9 to 5 from real life. I remember doing some of my coaching workshops and the consistent point you get from all the ex-pro's is that the high level top performing prem / championship footballers get taken in at 7 years old and thrown out at 37 with very little by way of life skills. They are wrapped in a bubble, protected from the harsh realities of real life. Put simply they really do not have the life skills to deal with the harsh things that other people would just take in their stride. Look at somebody like Gareth Bale, purely as an example, in and out of the Madrid team if he plays he picks up his pay packet, if doesn't play, whats his stress level, go for a round of golf and then pick up his pay packet. Compare that to a pro at clubs like Bury (before they went tits up) / Bolton / Macclesfield etc
I respect your opinion but ultimately mental health and well being will have an impact on performance be that a footballer, NASA scientist or bin man.
All if's but's and maybe's, genuinely could be he is just a lazy fecker not realising what an opportunity he has and will regret it once his time is done.
Wishing you a happy saturday
Crikey. That's some serious fanboying.
Lukaku was very good for the first half of his first season (although even then Martial was better in December and January before we stupidly dropped him for Sanchez), but his form had already dropped significantly in the second half of that season. Then of course his second season was ridiculously bad, even more frustrating than Martial's this season IMO. Performance-wise they were probably similar, but Lukaku came across as ego while Martial is more confidence. Both Lukaku and Mourinho tried to pretend that Lukaku was playing well and he played every single minute and built the entire set-up to try to play through him, even though he was failing at the absolute basics that he was supposed to do. At least Ole did try to rotate and drop Martial when Cavani was right to play.
Castles or not, how many of us would weep bitterly if he was sold this summer?
He's pretty much expendable, no? Not least if we could actually get someone to pony up a half decent transfer fee.
He's pretty much expendable, no? Not least if we could actually get someone to pony up a half decent transfer fee.
Lukaku had large periods of below average performances. Then he came back fat and blamed his NT for bulking up. He got bullied by shorter, thinner players while he was bulked up in size. And then there was his first touch which screwed up the half chances we used to create.
I've always been an admirer of Martial and his technical quality. When he's on it, he's an absolute joy to watch. Was really good last season but he fell of a cliff this year and was absolutely dreadful. At a big club you only get so many chances. But I actually can't see him leaving, there's nobody out there who would pay him the silly money we decided to.
You say all that but my point is, despite knowing how good he is, the fans turned on him quickly when he was off form. Yet Martial and Rashford have been skating lightly after mediocre season after mediocre season. It's notnlike Lukaku didn't have injuries or wasn't overplayed either. I'm not generally a fan of Lukaku, but our fans did treat him poorly. I feel it's the same thing that happened with Maguire last season too. A small patch of poor form and fans start behaving like they have been waiting to tear them apart.
Lukaku had large periods of below average performances. Then he came back fat and blamed his NT for bulking up. He got bullied by shorter, thinner players while he was bulked up in size. And then there was his first touch which screwed up the half chances we used to create.
Would be over the moon to offload Martial for a good fee and bring in someone who shows more desire and appreciation to be here. Talented or not, the boy clearly doesnt give two shits
Selling him now would be terrible business. His stock is probably at an all time low, and we're not exactly blessed with options up front.
I'd drive him to the airport myself to get him out of the club. As he is Joel Glazers favourite it would be a good sign of intent if we get rid of him.
It would show others that reputation and potential need to be matched with effort and endeavour rather than settling for mediocrity.
Cavani has shown him up, not by his skill and guile, that was to be expected. However when a 34 year old is beating you for distance covered that is just ridiculous.
He can go and be a silky prima donna somewhere else, saving his effort for four or five big games a year in cup competitions. He's never had a championship winning mentality.
It would show others that reputation and potential need to be matched with effort and endeavour rather than settling for mediocrity.
Cavani has shown him up, not by his skill and guile, that was to be expected. However when a 34 year old is beating you for distance covered that is just ridiculous.
He can go and be a silky prima donna somewhere else, saving his effort for four or five big games a year in cup competitions. He's never had a championship winning mentality.
Yeah, there's that - of course.
Again.
He's on big money and his reputation is at an all-time low. How to bake a decent cake with those ingredients?
Anyway - if he stays he should be behind both Cavani and Mason in the pecking order (and behind both Pogba and Rashford on the left - in an Ole style 4-2-3-1). And then - hopefully - work his arse off to prove a whole lot of people wrong *.
The way things stand, I think most United fans wouldn't give a shit if he left. Which is a damn shame, I might add. He was brought in as a super talent for a lot of money - and he actually delivered on that, to begin with. He's clearly a very talented footballer - in many ways.
* Including myself - and I would absolutely love to eat that slice of humble pie. When he first arrived, I was buzzing - he was a light in the darkness (to exaggerate a bit - but still, he looked like the business considering his age, and United in general were sliding...and sliding). So, I definitely don't have it in for Martial as such - far from it: I'm pretty sure I hailed him as precisely the sort of player we should splash the cash on back then. And - again - he seemed to prove to me right...for a while.
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Good riddance. Honestly don't give a shit.
So sell Martial, but keep Mata & James ? I understand Diallo or Pellistri could have more minutes, but is Martial really that of a weakling in our somewhat still unbalanced side ?
If there's something our officials not saying to us and we're about to find out, perhaps even bigger rebuild than we thought, then shit's getting really interesting.
Are we getting rid of Ole, too ?
If there's something our officials not saying to us and we're about to find out, perhaps even bigger rebuild than we thought, then shit's getting really interesting.
Are we getting rid of Ole, too ?
Being a squad player is always a balance of how good a player are they, how good they are with limited game time and if they can be an impact sub, if they can stay fit to actually be useful as a squad player, and then finally if they're happy in that role.So sell Martial, but keep Mata & James ? I understand Diallo or Pellistri could have more minutes, but is Martial really that of a weakling in our somewhat still unbalanced side ?
If there's something our officials not saying to us and we're about to find out, perhaps even bigger rebuild than we thought, then shit's getting really interesting.
Are we getting rid of Ole, too ?
James ticks those boxes far more than Martial IMO. Martial hasn't really be an impact sub type at United (early days sure, but not after that first bit), has had his injury troubles, but more importantly, there is no chance he wants to be 5th on our list of front 3 attackers behind Rashford, Sancho, Greenwood and Cavani. So there's no long term future for him here.
Mata I don't get why he's still here. Paying 100k a week for a cheerleader. James has his uses with his pace and workrate and is an actual winger unlike the rest being inside forwards basically (Sancho being a wife playmaker).
It wasn't just a small patch of poor form though. Lukaku was good for a quarter of the time he was with us, poor in a quarter, and truly terrible for half. And it wasn't just his poor form, but his attitude where he would blame everybody around him for his own feck-ups, as well as being an obvious teachers pet to Jose, that just pissed off most of us.
Rashford has never been as bad as Lukaku was in his second season. This season was the first time Martial has been that bad, and you can see most of the fans have turned on him just as hard as they did with Lukaku (despite him having more good performances for us in the past than Lukaku had had).
Depends on the price. As others have said, it seems pretty dumb to sell him now while he's at a low point, unless we already have someone lined up. Otherwise, the only way is up for him next season, so might as well keep him and reap the benefits ourselves while waiting for hsi value to go back up.
I wouldnt anyway.
Of course people still complain about Lukaku/Memphis/Welbeck etc. so if Martial did move Id expect the usual nonsense every time he scores a goal for somewhere else.
Interesting. In terms of reaching pure impact I would definitely sell Martial, James and Mata and get Grealish. Impact guaranteed. Martial in form is a joy to watch, but when that form will return permanently, think the Russian roulette is safer bet, right now. Perhaps different league ?
If club decided to pursue Kane eventually in next window when Cavani says goodbye, then Martial could be a goner. If Ole keeps him, I think we should all demand some intense season from him.
Why is he behind Greenwood in no.9 role though? Mason only score 2 goals in 11 games this season as no.9, most of his goals are scored from the RWF position, he is no better than Martial there yet, who has 4 goals 6 assists in 21 games in same role. Even though Martial isn't making the forward runs, he still fit the holding up role and better at bringing our other forwards into play. Greenwood is still rather green on that.
This should be remembered, as a lot of fans are exceptionally focused on the most recent.
Having said that, he's got it all to do to get back to last season's form, and he is an awkward hybrid that is neither a winger or a striker.
Cavani has shown us what a "proper" striker is like and Martial doesn't quite convince enough out wide.
We'd need about 50m and someone would have to pony up 200-250k a week which is a stretch to see.