He played well but he's so much better with two other CMs. That said our midfield was fine today.
6
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 51
- Goals
- 9
- Assists
- 6
- Yellow cards
- 10
- Status
Mata and Mkhi are streets ahead of Martial.
Martial? He's been very poor this season, cant forget he cost £60 either.
Mkhitaryan hasn't done jack in England so far. Are you seriously saying he's 'streets' ahead of a player who almost single handedly carried United's attack last season before hitting 20?
Yep. Not sure what him not doing anything in England so far has got to do with it? He's a far better player who's proven it over a number of years. Martial had a decent first season and now a shocker of a second.
His record outside England is irrelevant in this debate, what is he doing to not be considered for selection in the Premier league? I like Mkhitaryan but this hero worship is ridiculous. Its just like how it was with Kagawa, fans wanting him to start every game and saying Fergie was clueless for not playing him. Martial has done more for United than Mkhitaryan who's yet to even convince the manager he should be starting week in week out.
By all accounts he had a very slow start to life in Germany as well so he still has time of course. Good players have come to this league and struggled. Remember Shevchenko? He was a monumental flop at Chelsea but one of the best strikers of his generation. Remember Falcao? Until Mkhitaryan forces his way into Mourinho's thinking as far as league game selections go and until he starts putting in performances for Manchester United then Martial remains the player who has done more for the club. His numbers in the Bundesliga won him a transfer to United but what can he do for us? So far not much. Let's see how his first season goes.
Judging by his performance midweek, you have to also ask yourself maybe the manager is getting it wrong? It is possible you know.
Also notice that after a poor start to the season Martial hasn't made the match day squad for the past 2 games, so you can also turn the same question. What is he doing to not be considered for selection lately?
Martail hasn't convinced the current manager, even though he has had more opportunity than Mhiki so far. Just go and see Mourinhos latest interview.
I'm a big Martial fan, I think he should be playing as a striker tbh. I'll not pass judgement on Mhiki until he has been given the games to show what he can do.
When chasing a goal late on, our attackers need to still come deep and get involved in the build up rather than stand in a line up top waiting for a long ball. He was getting really frustrated yesterday when no one was coming short.
Everyone seems to pass to him instead of taking the initiative and creating something themselves. It's annoying at times. It's like no one can create other than fullbacks or Pogba
Keep this place Pogba, take other discussions in their specific and intended threads.
Good performance, he looked very lively for us and trying to carve out opportunities. I know this will be controversial but I do think he went to ground a bit easily.
yeah but if someone was swinging for you, don't you try and get out of the way? He wasn't rolling about when on the ground. He wasn't looking for the player to get booked. If he didn't do something he was going to get whacked and then people like you would say, he should have jumped or he should have dived. It was a split second choice. It was a strong and poorly timed attempt at a 'tackle'. I think the ref showed zero understanding. A player has the right to protect themselves.
So what happens with Pogba now? Despite Rooney having another great game tonight against West Ham I think Pogba should come in for him with the rest of the team remaining the same. Mhki and Martial have to start.
I think Rooney will be back to the bench as Mourinho will keep him hungry, fighting and under his thumb.
Mata will come in for Rooney with Pogba in for Carrick and Herrera sitting deeper.
Pogba will be back but it's not much surprising that despite his great form we are doing better without him in the team.. but I am sure it will get better and better with, players like Mickytaryan and martial finding form
Yep I think you are probably right.
Yes we won 4-1 today, but this guy is still important to us in every way. We played the same game today as we did on Sunday, just took our chances this time...
and Rooney, Martial, Mkhi played.
and Rooney, Martial, Mkhi played.
Benched!
Absolutely zero chance he's on the bench.
Of course he'll get back in the team.
He's our best player.
He's our best player.
Erm play him with Martial and Mkhitaryan. You can tell he only passes to Lingard when he has no other option.
What makes you think we're doing better without him in the team? It's like saying we're doing better without Bailly because he wasn't in today's match.
Nothing
I knew people would be saying "We're better without him!" It's typical.
We beat Feyenoord 4-0 with him in the side. We beat Leicester 4-1.
We beat Feyenoord 4-0 with him in the side. We beat Leicester 4-1.
we looked more fluent all over the pitch, it was a game raising game though and Pogba will be great but we are yet to find the right balance with him in the team but I am sure we will find it..
Ridiculous stuff to critcise him, he has been very good recentrly, he's creating and working hard, if our finishing had been better he'd have a handfull of assists.
This had nothing to do with Pogba being out, it has to do with Carrick being in, Carrick is the common denominator in how fluidly we play.
I understand why you might think that, but Pogba wasn't the only change in the side. You would have to isolate Pogba with the other 10 starters and then if the same thing happens you can make a case that the football is less fluid due to Pogba. Today, there were too many changes to the first 11 to even have a "Pogba Fluid
" experiment. Maybe you wouldn't even need to isolate Pogba from 10 other players to truly be able to test that. At least the midfield would have to be consistent. In this case, Carrick is part of the equation.Him and Tony.V have been our best players recently, no chance he's benched.
As well as having a couple of wingers in the final third who are better at decision making and/or finishing chances than Lingard and Rashford.
This place.The big difference tonight was we scored from the chances we created. We really should have done that in the games we drew at home, and would be 8 points better off (and should be 3 points behind top spot).
He brings something different to our midfield which helps us dominate the games.
This is absolute nonsense
We've already found our balance in midfield for weeks now and our problems certainly hasn't been due to that area. Our past 7 or so games bar maybe 1(the Europa League away loss where Pogba came off injured by the way) we've dominated games and created plenty almost at will.
We've mainly had problems with our attackers and the balance up front especially the wings given Rashford and Lingard are terrible there and Martial wasn't on form. We also missed chances repeatedly and so forth.
Saying we're more fluid without Pogba is pure fiction. Dude is our best and most offensive midfielder and actually get us playing fluid football. We've smashed teams before yesterday and played fluid football with Pogba in the team so I don't even see where you're getting your stories from.
This is also wrong. Carrick certainly help with his calming influence but we've been fluid before without Carrick in the side.
Honestly all the trusted midfielders(Pogba, Herrera and Carrick) have done well upon call to action lately that any of them missing in a game we still dominate and play well with any of the 3 in a 2 or 3 midfield.
Look at us against West Ham at the weekend and then look at us in the games either side of that where Carrick started, the cohesion between defense and attack is much stronger with Carrick in and allows both Pogba and Ander to play their games to their best level.
Disagree. We had period where we were as dominating as today vs WestHam at the weekend. The difference is with our wide men in the weekend game being so frustrating and made us lose the momentum as well as stamina by being wasteful in possession. Not to forget the referee and his decision, then Mourinho sent off play a part on players' mentality. Had Martial and Mkhi already cemented their places in the team prior to thee weekend game by performing well, then that game outcome would not be far off from this game.
Yeah. Obviously carrick makes a difference. But put Mkhitaryan and Martial in for Rashford and Lingard in any game and obviously we'll play a lot better. on one hand, its 2 fantastic players (who can be world class potential wise), on the other its 2 average players feom a technical viewpoint but who work hard. Lingard and rashford can do a job, but they arent anything more then squad player quality and should be used as such.
I reckon it had nothing to do with either, tbf. We've won plenty of games without both...Just as we've won games without DDG. As little as a month ago in fact, I think?
I am heartened though, that in the aftermath of a fairly decent cup win against a lower, upper midtable side, both the Pogba and Mata threads have been bumped. Because nothing says "The Caf" like a potential argument over whether we should drop our 2 best midfield performers of the season, because we won a secondary domestic cup tie without them.
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