And this is what worries me. Like Sancho, Antony is more the creative type but I personally feel we need a goalscoring winger in the mold of Salah, Son, etc. Rashford showed signs of this a few years back and I believe Greenwood would have been the perfect player for us but the less said about him, the better.
With Antony signed what’s our front 3?
- Thread starter Pexbo
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And this is what worries me. Like Sancho, Antony is more the creative type but I personally feel we need a goalscoring winger in the mold of Salah, Son, etc. Rashford showed signs of this a few years back and I believe Greenwood would have been the perfect player for us but the less said about him, the better.
I’ve spent far too much time, money and effort over the years watching Martial jog around, infuriate and miss chance after easy chance to even begin to include him in my thoughts of a new vibrant front three.
Of course your second question of what better options do we have remains pertinent. Hence my point of we need a new number 9.
I’d really love to see Martial finding his feet and being a consistent, solid starter for us but the fact he’s still there in most quoted starting front threes after such investment is quite impressive
If Ronaldo stays, it will be Sancho-Ronaldo-Antony.
We need to sign an Adam so we can have Adam and the Ants.
Just based on how slow he looked on the counter attack last game, I think he's done. He could be useful as an impact sub if we want to get a goal and the other team are playing ten men behind the ball but in a back and forth game I don't really see him starting at CF.
amad?
It is surprising - and I say this being one of them. I ecpected him to be sold by now, tbh. The reason I am guessing him for first choice as striker as per now (ahead of Rashford and Ronaldo), is a) that he has looked his best level in the few serious minutes, including showing more fight than ever before (not saying much, but important), and b) that Ten Hag’s choices points towards him seeing Martial as prime striker candidate, and good enough to delay striker purchase even with a 38 year old want-out as the only other established striker in the squad. He has seen the player in training, he knows his fitness regime intimately, if he thinks Martial can be counted upon, I’m not going to second guess that.
I don’t doubt Ten Hag wants another striker in regardless of what happens with Ronaldo, but he doesn’t seem fussed about waiting a year for it.
Yup.
Rashford should be competing with Garnacho and Elanga for minutes off the bench. Nowhere near the starting 11.
yes, he’s been poor.
Fair enough we do need another number nine. But it comes as no surprise to me whatsoever that, as of now, Martial is finding himself in many fans’ preferable front lines. In fact it seems obvious why, hence my initial response to you.
The trouble with Martial is he can't stay free from injury for more than a couple of weeks at a time. Unless he can become reliable all of a sudden, we'll be stuck alternating between Rashford and Ronaldo for the season, the latter of which is trying desperately to leave the club.
Signing Memphis before the window shuts would change everything, though.
Sancho - Memphis - Antony as the default starting lineup looks tasty on paper, with Rashford and Martial ready to step in when required, especially since both can be effective in any position on the frontline.
Signing Memphis before the window shuts would change everything, though.
Sancho - Memphis - Antony as the default starting lineup looks tasty on paper, with Rashford and Martial ready to step in when required, especially since both can be effective in any position on the frontline.
You're most likely right, but don't forget no preseason has him gassed.
Probably Sancho, somebody we don't yet have, Anthony.
Assuming that Antony is good enough to start every game, which I really hope he is but would hesitate to assume until I've seen him play outside the Dutch league, it's probably him on the right, Sancho on the left and Martial in the center.
If Ronaldo stays, gets fitter, and we start to dominate the ball more often, he gets 20-odd starts in the league. More likely he leaves and we bring in someone who can play as a central striker to compete with Martial.
If Ronaldo stays, gets fitter, and we start to dominate the ball more often, he gets 20-odd starts in the league. More likely he leaves and we bring in someone who can play as a central striker to compete with Martial.
I think we will see lots of rotation for various reasons.
What will Antony's number be?
When all is fit, Sancho - Martial - Antony, i'd imagine.
I’m still struggling to see why, after the last two years, it’s ‘obvious’ Martial is preferable in the front line. Any front line. In any club. In any league.
Guess I must have been sat at OT seeing things differently, which is fair enough. All subjective.
Okay let me put it another way. Assuming we don’t sign a striker, and given Ronaldo does not seem to want to play for United anymore, what’s your preferred front line for the current season?
I’d be genuinely interested to see if a Charlie McNeil or a Joe Hugill could play maturely enough to stick the chances away. Everyone was unproven at some stage, but they would a) have desire to play for the club and put a shift in b) probably keep themselves fit enough to play three games on the bounce.
So you’re suggesting one of those strikers would be a better bet for the oncoming season than Martial? Don’t be surprised when our manager goes with the Frenchman.
I watched Sancho closely in the last two games and I'm sorry but I can't understand how come he was so expensive because he doesn't seem to have the speed that a winger needs to get past a player and then gain half a yard of space to put a cross in. I don't know what's happened because he had good stats in Germany and that's a top league. Has he had a injury?
As regards Rashford - well see my comment below about him:
If Ronaldo stays and is starting in that setup United will finish in 6th-8th.
If he goes (or is deployed off the bench) I think 3rd or 4th.
He has a negative impact on the way the team plays, plus I think he has caused issues behind the scenes too. It has hampered loads of players especially Bruno Fernandes who I think plays completely differently when CR7 is on the pitch as to when he isn't - its like hero worship and his only thought is to pass the ball to Christiano at the earliest opportunity but when Ronaldo is on the bench he is back to more like he was when he first joined United. Has Ronaldo got to him in the dressing room like a school bully and told him thats what he has to do?
I don't know about Rashford, I think his confidence was impacted by the penalty shootout 14 months ago and that has spilt onto his club performances. Hopefully just one goal vs Liverpool will get him back on track (in time for the November World Cup) you know how writers get writers block, but something can unlock it. I hope the same is similar with Rashford and goals at United.
Sancho/Rashford - Martial/Gakpo - Antony/Elanga
I'd have liked to see Amad get some more minutes as a right winger during pre-season, as he seems to be more of a ten Hag player than Elanga. Relies more on his passing and link play rather than pace.
That said, I think (hoping) the above six have enough in them to get us enough goals. Martial staying fit for the season is massive, though.
I'd have liked to see Amad get some more minutes as a right winger during pre-season, as he seems to be more of a ten Hag player than Elanga. Relies more on his passing and link play rather than pace.
That said, I think (hoping) the above six have enough in them to get us enough goals. Martial staying fit for the season is massive, though.
This is the best on paper but guarantee it won’t be like this, consistently, for a while
Based on what? Ronaldo has started one game for us and that was with Martial injured for 3 of the 4 games we've had this season. When he's back, there's no way Ronaldo plays over him, and as it stands, it seems ten Hag prefers Rashford over him, too, which is saying something.
Best players on their day
Sancho...Ronaldo...Greenwood*
Back ups
Rashford...martial...anthony
Squad
Elanga...McNeil...garnacho
Loan out / develop
Shoretire...hughil...diallo
* Subject to legal developments
As it stands and if Ronaldo sulks off somewhere then Anthony on the right and rashford / martial sharing the starting central position hoping one of them suddenly remembers how to bang in goals
Sancho...Ronaldo...Greenwood*
Back ups
Rashford...martial...anthony
Squad
Elanga...McNeil...garnacho
Loan out / develop
Shoretire...hughil...diallo
* Subject to legal developments
As it stands and if Ronaldo sulks off somewhere then Anthony on the right and rashford / martial sharing the starting central position hoping one of them suddenly remembers how to bang in goals
Hope so but it wasn't like he played 60 mins and wasn't able to get up the pitch at min 60. He just came on and that was basically his first sprint. Think he is fairly average pace wise now.
Maybe that's still decent enough to work with, plenty of slower big guys with a tenth of his finishing ability.
I agree with and you're most likely right that his pace is just gone, but I just don't want to rule out not having a pre-season just yet (possibly wishful Ronaldo fan thinking). He'll most likely be gone and I think could still do a decent job for Sporting.
Last year he had moments where he looked like this and he came back with a bang
The one who isn’t fit? Again?
Defo Sancho-Martial-Antony first choice.
Good question. 11 should be available now?
No longer a front three
Sancho—Martial-Ronaldo-Antony
Casemiro de jong
Sancho—Martial-Ronaldo-Antony
Casemiro de jong
And yet the manager is more likely to play a winger up front than either of the players you’ve suggested, and will in all likelihood select Martial once he is fit. The thread asked who our go to front three will be. I assume that all of the replies suggesting Martial are based on the assumption that he will play when fit, rather than sending him out injured.
He’s already been injured three out four games this season. He was sent out to Sevilla last year and bombed. You’re flogging a dead horse.
He’s completely pointless. Which is my point. But do continue.
Antony on the right and Sancho on the left. Those two positions are easy enough to pick.
I have no idea what we do with the CF position, though. Is it too late to steal Haaland?
I have no idea what we do with the CF position, though. Is it too late to steal Haaland?
Okay. You couldn’t believe how anyone could suggest AM would be in our first choice front three this season, and so far have suggested two youth players who haven’t played for the first team as far as I know. If that’s you’re opinion that’s fair enough. I maintain that the manager will in all likelihood select Martial when fit. We’ll see how it goes.
I can't believe someone that actually watches football and have watched us under ETH suggested that we'd be better off with fecking Hugill over Martial. My god the hate boner people have for that guy.
I see nothing wrong with questioning whether Martial is an ideal long term candidate, and share that view overall. But suggestions like the one above are just daft and probably not worth engaging with. More fool me.
Correct. I’ve seen more than enough of Martial to happily put my money on two youth prospects, who we should be progressing - otherwise what’s the point? - and are the same age as Rashford when he made his debut, than the £200k+ PW waste of space who will either disappear, down tools, be injured, or lose interest as soon as the going gets slightly tough.
No matter who we have, or don’t have, he should be absolutely nowhere near the Manchester United first team if we are to move forward, and is the embodiment of a culture I want dead and buried.