Wenger had asked for him as a swap for Sanchez, but he refused so he's aiming at a higher tier of clubs. He'll definitely be aiming at the likes of Juve and Bayern who won't entertain the thought of a buy back clause, heh they'll probably ask for a loan with a buy option. And Mourinho's never really stood in the way of players that have fallen out of favour with him. I mean he's let KDB, Salah, Mata go with minimum fuss, doubt he'd be bothered by Martial leaving.
Martial | Di Marzio thinks he will stay
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) are here to discuss Amad saving our blushes in a win against Southampton as well as our now annual loss at home to Brighton. They discuss Amorim's post-match comments, revisit how mid-table we may or may not be, and discuss some transfer news.
Why use some of the best players of all time as a benchmark? Expecting him to seamlessly adapt to the right wing is like expecting Lukaku to slot in on the left and still put in good performances. How many strikers have been able to play well on both wings?
But Martial is much better than Rashford, that's the issue.
We'd be selling one of our biggest talents to make more space for a less talented player who is poor more often than not. It's crazy.
Yep. All because Rashford is "local". Even Jose is subbing him on instead of Martial for that reason. If he sold Rashford, likes of Gary Neville will never let him hear the end of it. Neither would a lot of fans.
I understand the passion about local players, but we have to start putting the future of the club ahead as a priority.
I'm not sure that's fair to Rashford. For all we know he might have a much better attitude than Martial (which I suspect he does). That alone would help him realise his potential.
I'd have Rashford subbed on before Martial every day of the week. You know he'll stretch defences, he'll take players on and at the very least put in the effort. Martial if in the mood can be effective, but too often he looks almost disinterested.So many times you just want him to use his pace and run at defenders, but it's not his game, he cuts inside every time.Martial needs to play for a team week in week out. He's not a player who can turn it on, on demand, he needs confidence. He's not going to be a regular at Utd, Sanchez hasn't settled yet, but he will. We got a little teaser 2nd half v City, he was involved in all 3 goals. I'd have a hungry local lad anytime, esp one as talented at Rashford. Club needs to have that local connection. Rashford isn't a winger, maybe Martial isn't either, but Rash fills in there, he's defo a striker. Many of us would like to see him played there more often and give Lukaku a rest now and again. I'd be much more concerned about losing Rashford than Martial tbh
Naturally or not, my point is it suits his skills better. As a winger it's more acceptable to hold back from runs and he gets more space to dribble. He doesn't have the range of finishing you'd want in a striker either.
Have you perhaps thought that martial wants to leave instead of thinking united are selling him? There is a massive difference between the two!
I personally am not a fan of him, I like players with fight and a natural ability to put a shift in even when things are not coming off for them. The reason players become top tier is a natural talent and drive and determination to become the best and that means fighting your way to the top. I just don't see it in him.
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I would be devastated if he goes. He can dribble past two or three defenders so easily sometimes. It looks so crazy and you just think what the hell is he doing, he´ll never get past them and then suddenly he's through. Pure magic sometimes. He needs to play more regularly though. He's young and still has a lot more to learn in the game. I really hope he stays, I would hate to see him in another jersey.
I don't understand the obsession with turning anyone that can dribble into a winger. He'd still have opportunities to dribble in central positions.
If a certain type of finish goes in more often than not, I don't see why demonstrating a range would be necessary. Of course it helps, but playing from the left for the past three seasons, sidefooting it into the right corner has always been the best option. How and why would he develop a greater range of finishing if he's usually attacking from the same area? It's something you develop through experiencing different situations. Regardless, his range of finishing isn't really an issue. Just watch this video if you think all he can do is roll it into the bottom right:
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Ok we're straying from the point because how much better Martial is on the left versus right wing is a moot point. He isn't getting selected consistently for either position. For all his potential and talent, I expect him to fight for whatever place is available as defined by the manager and team needs.
I love when players say they are so passionate about the game and driven that for a club of United's stature they would play wherever the manager asks them to. Especially a young player that is the sort of humble attitude they should have if they arent lighting the world on fire. If Martial decides to leave because he can't start his favored position and is unhappy the club bought competition of the caliber of Sanchez then that's a rotten mentality . Competition makes the team better and weeds out players I'm tired of seeing at United. I'm not saying Martial is that - these are rumors and in the past he has squashed them . But if he does leave and then also brings up say, losing the number 9 to the decorated Ibra I'll not be sweating over it.
Really it's because that's how his potential has been made out on here with furor in equal measure at the possibility of him leaving. I mean, calling for the manager's head if Martial leaves?
Of course not every player who can dribble has to be a winger, but it's definitely more suited for a player who has that as his main strength? He's nowhere as good at incisive passing, hold up play, or finishing as he is at beating his man. If you look at the best strikers in the world they have more rounded skill sets. Maybe Martial can develop that in time but at present he's not striker material.
As to finishing range, it's not simply a matter of where he slots the ball. It's the type of shots he can take. He very rarely scores on volleys, or on chances where he doesn't have time to dribble a bit before shooting. He's not particularly good in the air nor does he score from range. His finishing rate is best when he gets the ball and drives into a shooting position. Again, that's more suited to a player who comes inside from wide then a player who stays central and gets the ball closer to goal.
I have never seen him as a striker tbh. Yep, as a striker he'll score some great goals but he'll never be banging goals nonstop week in week out like other top strikers, because if what I had seen of him he doesn't have the killer instinct, the sense of poachers all top strikers have, to always position themselves in the right spot and score goals nonstop. Martial will score some great goals as strikers but he won't be scoring consistently imo.
Everything in his style proves he's more suited for the left forward position. Can cut inside on his strong foot, can isolate the fullback so he has easier times using his dribbling skills and can shoot the R2 shot with his right foot which he's very good at it.
You mentioned Neymar as you're example he was nowhere near free
Eh? Neymar?
Nobody has said he'll become the best player of all time. It's not surprising people aren't looking forward to losing someone who could potentially become world class.
@Akshay
It's not surprising that he'd be much better at what his role has mainly been centred around for the past three seasons. His all-round play as a striker will understandably be relatively underdeveloped with the little game time he's gotten there.
I find that a weird criticism. How many times has he been in a position to score those kind of goals? As a LW, we won't see him in prime position for volleys and headers that often. He's scored a few headers in his time here when given the chance anyway, to be fair. He's also scored a good number from the edge of the box. How many goals has Lukaku scored from range? A handful in his entire career, most likely. Even so, scoring from range isn't necessary as a striker. The video I posted above shows him scoring a good number of 'opportunistic' chances. I don't really agree that he needs time/has to set himself up to be able to finish.
@el3mel
How often has he played at striker for us for you to say he doesn't have a poachers instinct?
You said no big attacker had moved lately and the only one apart from Sanchez you could think of was Neymar
I don't have to see 50 games of him as a striker to talk about his abilities. The few games he played I haven't seen a striker with the killer instinct inside the box, but more of the all around player who links and dribbles, while every great performance he had for us came when he was drifting from the left side.
i would say one of Martial's strengts is movement inside the box, he is innefective playing as a left midfielder because hes way to deep and up against a wall off defenders in mourinhos system. One thing Van gaal understood (even though he was a disaster) was getting martial on 1v1 far up the pitch, and he always skinned hes man. And u talk about drifting from the left being hes strong point, wich he would still do as a striker, just as Lukaku drifts to the right.
Played 35 times as a centre-forward for us in all competitions and got 9 goals and 7 assists.
So basically playing a left forward, not a central striker ? Isn't that what I have been saying ? Play as a left forward in a 4-3-3 formation.
umm !! That happened only during his first season. I feel that he is understood by defenders now. So now its his job to come up with new ways to "skin" his man. Which is what I found disappointing in him. He's hardly added any new movement etc in his game. I agree it sometimes takes time for some players, but we definitely need to see signs of improvements before we give extra money. Again, its his job to prove whatever requirements Mourinho puts in front of him. And if he does that then he has the right to demand money or not sign contract if wanting extra money.
and i clearly said that it did only happen in hes first season.. beacuse he was in much better positions in the attack due to the system.
edit: how many goals do u tihnk Salah would had if he played rw for us?
May as well post all of his stats here. These are his stats for his time at United in all competitions.
Left Wing: 81 Games - 24 Goals - 22 Assists
Centre-Forward: 35 Games - 9 Goals - 7 Assists
Right Wing: 9 Games - 2 Goals - 0 Assists
Attacking Midfield: 1 Game - 1 Goal - 0 Assists
Left Wing: 81 Games - 24 Goals - 22 Assists
Centre-Forward: 35 Games - 9 Goals - 7 Assists
Right Wing: 9 Games - 2 Goals - 0 Assists
Attacking Midfield: 1 Game - 1 Goal - 0 Assists
He isn’t good enough to be a number 9 for Manchester United. People just want to force him in. Lukaku is a much better forward.
Good news of Martial being harassed at Utd has taken a back seat thank to Micheal Oliver
My bad.
Do you not think an "all around player" could work as a striker? It would be similar to Firmino, would it not?
I'm now slightly doubting transfermarkt's judgement of when he played at striker. Apparently he played there four times in the premier league last season, but I'm pretty sure he played there no more than twice, against Burnley and someone else. They've listed the game against City, where Zlatan played the entire game, as a match he played as a striker. Same with another against Leicester two seasons ago where he only started playing there once Rooney went off near the end of the game. The game against Chelsea where he played in a two with Lukaku and assisted him for the first goal seems to have been omitted too. Even if they were right, 20 of those appearances were as a 19 year old in his first season in a new country. Under Mou, he supposedly has 5 goals and 5 assists in 15 matches at striker, which isn't bad considering how irregularly he gets to play there.
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This. Or Salah, or Lukaku.
We all know this is the price we pay for employing Mourinho. Talented and high potential players are sidelined constantly to the point they’re forced to leave. I have no doubt that in 2-3 seasons we will see Martial at one of the best clubs in the world absolutely smashing it. Infuriating.
It'll require the other 2 forwards around him to be top goalscorers to get benefit from this all around play like Salah is for Liverpool.
Sanchez isn't half bad.
In his top goal scoring season for Arsenal he was actually playing as their main striker for most of the season iirc not a second striker.
Nah. That wasnt me
Like a lot of stats when it comes to a players' position, it will probably change from website to website. Sometimes a player will often go from one position to another in the same game so they're probably off slightly. But it's a good approximation i would have thought. I also wouldn't mind seeing Martial up front as i think he'd be more than capable. For the most part i think he's a very good clinical finisher - he's missed some easy chances, but in the main he's normally pretty cool in front of goal. That's not really going to happen with Lukaku in the team though, and Jose doesn't play with two strikers. Not in the traditional sense anyway.
What a load of shite.
Salah and lukaku werent the player they are when jose sold them years ago. And at that time he had better suited player which works for his team.
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I think that was his point, Mourinho is all about short term success and he will spend the earth to achieve it. The issue is you have to give the next manager the same money to carry on every couple of years. We make stars not buy them, or well we used to..
He raked like 126 games for us based on the stats above. Not bad for a 20 years old. I don't really see how he's not given enough chance with us. That amount of games for a guy his age in just 3 years is alot
No player should ever have guaranteed playtime, is as simple as that. Club or manager should never be held to ransom by demands of a single player.
All managers are about short term success. Nobody thinks about 5 or 10 years from now. Real world football isnt some fm game where we hoarde wonderkids.
Before you pointed out at saf it was different, saf didnt specifically sacrifices his star players and play his youth academies over and over again until they become good, it's when they're ready that they got some game time.
What's the point of nourishing star players just for a 50/50 chance they can fulfil their potential when you have a better ready made affordable player right here and right now.
Does saf plays welbeck to fulfil his potential and not buying rvp?
Besides some perspective has to be applied on the kdb, salah, and lukaku, they're really not ready to become jose main man back then. It takes lukaku a good few years at everton to reach his current level. Saying jose ignored them is absurd
I agree with this and it’s a bit strange that since Sir Alex left more and more of these demands are being leaked to the media.
Sir Alex was happy to cull anyone from the side that challenged his authority. Stam didn’t even really challenge him, he just embarrassed him and he was out.
I find it bizarre that anyone who remembers how Fergie ran United would find Jose’s ways so strange. Have we forgotten how Pogba left first time around?