The idea is that we get back to competing for every trophy, every season. For that you need strength in depth. Besides, Zlatan won't be here for long.
Martial | Loan Speculation
- Thread starter MyOnlySolskjaer
- Start date
If we bring Griezmann in this summer I think we'll manage Ibra more next year game time wise. If you wanted to play them all then you could play Pogba in a midfield two but we'd need a better (by which I mean, better defensively) midfielder alongside him. A lot of people say that playing Pogba further back limits him but I disagree; his passing from deep is his best skill for me.
---------Veratti----Pogba-----
Mkhi------Griezmann-----Martial
----------------Ibra
Would work, and I think Griezmann and Ibra could strike up a good partnership.
Veratti? Not a chance PSG would sell him.
I agree. Difference is... I don't see us ever(!) getting Verratti.
I'd also prefer us to stay in 4-3-3 with some safety until we've gotten two top class cb's instead of 1 who looks class and the rest looking ok.
Damien I think you've been around here long enough to know that players don't exactly speak their mind in interviews.. I seem to remember a certain Roy Keane being honest on our tv channel and it led to him being criticised massively.
It's an unfortunate side of the game but players put out messages through their agents when it's something they can't say themselves.
Doubt they'd get that many each personally. Mourinho isn't that big on rotating.
Courtois: 39 starts
Cech: 15 starts, 1 sub
Terry: 49 starts
Ivanovic: 48 starts, 1 sub
Cahill: 45 starts, 3 subs
Zouma: 17 starts, 9 subs
Azpilicueta: 38 starts, 2 subs
Luis: 20 starts, 6 subs
Matic: 46 starts, 3 subs
Fabregas: 45 starts, 2 subs
Ramires: 17 starts, 17 subs
Mikel: 13 starts, 13 subs
Hazard: 49 starts, 3 subs
Willian: 36 starts, 13 subs
Oscar: 35 starts, 6 subs
Schurrle: 12 starts, 10 subs (went on loan to Wolfsburg in January)
Cuadrado: 9 starts, 10 subs (signed from Fiorentina in January)
Costa: 32 starts, 5 subs
Drogba: 14 starts, 26 subs
Remy: 12 starts, 17 subs
Cech: 15 starts, 1 sub
Terry: 49 starts
Ivanovic: 48 starts, 1 sub
Cahill: 45 starts, 3 subs
Zouma: 17 starts, 9 subs
Azpilicueta: 38 starts, 2 subs
Luis: 20 starts, 6 subs
Matic: 46 starts, 3 subs
Fabregas: 45 starts, 2 subs
Ramires: 17 starts, 17 subs
Mikel: 13 starts, 13 subs
Hazard: 49 starts, 3 subs
Willian: 36 starts, 13 subs
Oscar: 35 starts, 6 subs
Schurrle: 12 starts, 10 subs (went on loan to Wolfsburg in January)
Cuadrado: 9 starts, 10 subs (signed from Fiorentina in January)
Costa: 32 starts, 5 subs
Drogba: 14 starts, 26 subs
Remy: 12 starts, 17 subs
Of course our fitness is nothing like Chelsea's, but I'd imagine Jose's starting front six would have around 35-40 starts each and 5-15 sub appearances, with those behind having 10-15 starts and 10-20 subs which isn't great and resulted in Schurrle going on loan to get more games.
Our options for the front six, if Griezmann comes in (before letting any players go bar Memphis, Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin) would be:
Carrick (not had new contract offered yet)
Herrera
Pogba
Fellaini
Martial
Mkhitaryan
Mata
Young
Lingard
Zlatan
Griezmann
Rooney
Rashford
Think people would say ideally Rooney and Fellaini would be sold but there's been nothing linking them with a move away from the club.
Rather than signing Griezmann I'd rather see us sign someone who can properly fill in for Carrick or replace him if he does leave. We've looked great with the three of Carrick, Herrera and Pogba and having Mkhitaryan, Zlatan and Martial in front four is looking good too. Would like to see that shape continue rather than signing Griezmann, ending up changing formation again and perhaps not being something that'd get the best out of Pogba etc as he'd end up being pushed back
While I agree generally that Griezmann isn't exactly needed, it can still easily work. Most games in the season we don't need a midfield 3 and have that extra security. We can easily play a 4231 or even a 433 and just put Mkhitaryan in the midfield 3 where he played plenty of times in his past. Pogba next to him, herrera/new guy/carrick at the base. Leaves a front 3 of ibra, martial and griezmann. Mata is first back up in case anyone gets injured. He'd be the one most impacted by the signing IMO anyway.
Come the big games, then one of the attackers probably drops out for extra security in mid, whoever is least in form. Can definitely see it working but like I said, its not needed as then Mata would have a much more limited role.
L'equipe saying Martial unhappy at his lack of playing time especially not starting against West Ham. Probably made up, but aren't L'equipe normally quite reliable?
They are for the French league, doubt it for Martial though, they'll probably try and unsettle him for PSG.
They used to be but of late they've been, let's say, more speculative in their reporting.
They pick crap up from the Sun etc and slam down as hard, straight from the stables, news.
Today they've been saying Schneiderlin is on his way to Everton for a medical and they've obviously got that from tne M.E.N. Yesterday it was the a Depay loan to Nice was still on.
Ahhh. Ok I will treat them as same level as red tops then.
As long as Depay is still an option, we might as well loan out Martial
#WUMming
#WUMming
Depay isn't an option and even if he was, he's a shite one.
did you purposely take out the white text of that?Till his agent keeps running to press, he will get no favors from Mourinho. How thick is his agent anyway? Martial was just beginning to start shining for Man Utd and I bet with this story coming out in the press he's undone that great performance against Boro.
Why would there be white text?
Well his agent only looks to have the one real client but then again he got that client the deal of the century so he can't be that stupid now...or can he. Trouble with these one man bands is that they need to keep their client turning and slicing off their cut regularly.
Just sounds like an agent dreaming to become a Raiola or Mendez and trying to copy their antics but doesn't realize that those agents are experienced enough to know when to support the club and when to force their hand. Martial would've earned his place back in no time if he kept up his performances but instead he's most likely gone on and pissed off the manager. Martial could still dump this guy and get himself a proper agent.
So he should be...he is class
Agent probably has him by the balls contract wise though and Martial would probably end up stumping up
millions to buy himself out of it. Happened to Valbuena, thought he could just change agent like that and got stuffed 8 or 9 million for his trouble. Contract law in France is not to be taken lightly.
100 per cent this. Agent's are supposed to help their clients. Having heard Mourinho speak out about how much he dislikes the press stories, the agent is clearly on a wind up. I don't see how that helps Martial.
I would not be surprised if this was the case.
But he's been terrible for most of the season and the manager has been more than justified in not playing him.
if he wants to be a top player then he needs to knuckle down and work hard.
He's no where near to being the finished article yet and he should be listening to his manager and not a money grabbing agent.
He was MOTM against Middlesbrough and then didn't start the following match. I hope Jose knows what he is doing, but really, it would be a shame to have an another Pogba scenario (or De Bruyne).
I hope this is all nonsense. No way should he be going out on loan or whatever. His agent needs to take a seat and let the manager deal with Martial.
As for Anthony, he need look no further than Bastian as an example of being out of favour, getting his head down and working hard. And this from someone who has won everything.
The club maybe need to talk to his parents and see if they can make him see sense, plus have them tell the agent to shut the feck up.
As for Anthony, he need look no further than Bastian as an example of being out of favour, getting his head down and working hard. And this from someone who has won everything.
The club maybe need to talk to his parents and see if they can make him see sense, plus have them tell the agent to shut the feck up.
This is also true....
However, I feel certain if Martial and his agent keep their heads down, Mourinho will be more amenable.
Didn't play at all - against a team he's scored five goals against in one and a half seasons.
I wouldn't read much into what L'equipe says, but if our interest in signing Griezmann is concrete, Martial will be the one missing out.
There is something going on behind the scenes that we don't know about.
In my opinion the agent is stirring up shit. A weak arse manager like Moyes would probably bend right over, but with Mourinho you know there is only going to be one winner.
His agent should wise up. The only clubs able to afford Martial wouldn't start him anyway, and the clubs that would start him can't afford him.
The only thing he and his agent achieves is alienating themselves further from Jose and the club.
The only thing he and his agent achieves is alienating themselves further from Jose and the club.
The thing he also needs to realise is the reason he's been in and out of the team is because his form has been shite.
If he plays well tomorrow and carries on his Middlesbrough form then he'll almost certainly start against the dippers.
I personally think a loan move would be the end of Martial at United. I'm not saying he wouldn't go on to become a better player later but I think his relationship with United would be in tatters.
He knows why he isn't a starter, he has been coached by Ranieri who is bit like Mourinho when it comes to expect full commitment on the gameday and during the week. James Rodriguez got lambasted at Monaco for that reason.
The only problem with Martial is that he has an agent who is blabbing to the press everyday because he likes to be under the light.
Edit: Martial will end up with Raiola or Mendes.
Let us hope so. Martial's agent seems like a freshman in this game. Look at how the notoriously outspoken Raiola responded to Mourinho benching Mkhi, he called him and told him good job and he will be a much better player under you.
Martial's agent probably was a nobody until his client made it into the bigtime, and now he is just trying to milk it for all it is worth.
The reason because I think that is because Raiola spend a lot of time with is clients and other players tend to be impressed by it, it was the case with Matuidi who notived that Raiola was always available for Maxwell and always around, Maxwell told him that Raiola was like family which pushed Matuidi to ditch his agent.
Martial will see the same thing since Pogba, Mkhitaryan and Ibrahimovic are at United, some players will think seriously about the relationship that they have with their agents.
If Mourinho had played Martial consistently, we would be 8 or 9 points higher in the table.
What makes you say that? Martial played the first month of the season and was mostly rubbish. Until recently there was very little sign that he was getting back to his best. He was good against Arsenal but, arguably, what we saw against Boro was a fired up Martial trying to prove a point. Something we had not seen all season before then, even when he scored against West Ham in the League Cup.
If we were talking about the Martial of last season then I'd agree with you, but we're not. He's been mostly poor and has deserved to be benched.
No player is bigger than the club (Mourinho has proved that with Rooney this season).
100% agree mate.
If you look at the stats when Martial is one the pitch vs Lingard...we are around 80% to be in a winning position when Martial is on the pitch. Lingard 27%.
The games Lingard was picked ahead of Martial, we dropped crucial points vs Stoke, Sunderland, West Ham, Burnley and Chelsea I think. 4 of these were at home.
Its the same player though?!