19 Mar 2018 12:26:05
I don't understand the Martial hate. Has he really been poor this season?

In around half the number of minutes played he has more than twice the number of goals and assists that Sanchez has managed. He has done that playing on the wing, a position many don't believe to be his best.

Only Lukaku has scored more goals and he is tied with Pogba for assists. Two 90m players.

In what world has a young 22 year old who has scored 11 goals and created 10 assists across all competitions be considered to not be playing well?

The problem for Martial, along with all our offensive players is a lack of consistency, mostly created by playing every other game with the intention to NOT score. Or at least not to attack the opposition.

Yes he does lose the ball from time to time, and yes he does make the wrong decision at times as well. Yet his statistics show that he is one of our best creative outlets.

At 22 did Giggs or Ronaldo succeed every time they tried to take on the opposition full back?

At 22 did Giggs or Ronaldo score with every shot or find a team mate with every pass?

the answer to those questions is a resounding no, in fact, Ronaldo has never finished a game having scored from every shot, with 100% passing and dribbling success rate. This in in spite of him being arguably one of the best players of all time, and very much the finished article.

Martial is an offensive player, more of a striker/ inside forward than a winger or wide midfielder. And yet this young player, playing out of position being ask to play tactic's that don't work to his strengths has managed to be one of our best creative outlets so far this season with only limited playing time.

Anthony Martial has all the talent required to be a top top player, and despite what people believe he is actually working toward fulfilling that talent. To boot him out and replace him seems pointless and very short sighted. If he moves to Juventus then within 3 years he'll have Barcelona and Real Madrid battling it out for his signature.

1.) 19 Mar 2018
19 Mar 2018 12:33:44
Couldn’t agree more Shappy. Selling martial will be a massive mistake and I think he was having a very good season until Sanchez came and he was shifted into the right hand side. We aren’t getting the best out of him or the rest of our attacking players for that matter. He will go elsewhere and tear it up and we will be sitting here thinking what if. It’s baffling if I’m honest. I understand Jose has certain requirements on what he expects from his players but it is very short termism to get rid of martial and replace him with Perisic who is 30 I believe. If he is looking at someone like dybala then I can understand. I hope he does not leave but I think there is a real chance it may happen.

2.) 19 Mar 2018
19 Mar 2018 12:36:37
He doesn't smile enough. It's a no no for me.

3.) 19 Mar 2018
19 Mar 2018 12:43:28
I think he is a great finisher but often a passenger in games. He has scored some great goals but too often he is anonymous. Now whether that’s down to him or Jose is another matter entirely 😳.

4.) 19 Mar 2018
19 Mar 2018 12:45:02
Totally agree, he was beginning to be very consistent until Mourinho dropped him for Sanchez.

5.) 19 Mar 2018
19 Mar 2018 12:53:42
Could be Jose next Kevin De buryne moment.

6.) 19 Mar 2018
19 Mar 2018 13:03:34
The problem with him is it seems he's not giving 100%. He got his big money move and thought that he has achieved it all. He still has time but he has to show that he wants it badly. Look at Sane, Jesus or Asensio, players same age or maybe younger but they show their class. They might go through rough patch but whenever they get the chance they give it their all.
Martial has the attitude of a frustrated Sanchez just about to cry everytime they lose the ball. Why not go after the ball and show some determination. Ronaldo reached at that level because of his relentless work ethic. He decided he wants to become the best in the world and worked on it. Martial has been deployed on the wing for the past few seasons, so why not work on that. How long will we continue to think that his best position is striker. He can easily become the best but he just looks uninterested.
Maybe Martial and others aren't able to perform to their full capabilities because of the managers style and added pressure on them to get back to defend quickly. Maybe they are afraid to try something new as they are afraid that they might lose their place in the team if they do something wrong. But that's the point which separates the good ones from the ones that could never fulfill their potential. Maybe Martial needs a fresh start or maybe he can go on loan to some big team.

7.) 19 Mar 2018
19 Mar 2018 13:10:02
Bang on Shappy.

8.) 19 Mar 2018
19 Mar 2018 13:33:18
Sailor, how do you know he has a poor work ethic or feels like he's "made it"?

Because he doesn't smile much? or because he doesn't track back?

Did Ronaldo do either of those things when he was 22?

People often talk about how we had a team full of fighters and workaholic's under Sir Alex, so did Sir Alex only buy those types of players or did he inspire those kind of performances out of his players?

A lot of the criticisms Jose levels at players like Martial and Shaw he levelled at De Bruyne. Poor trainer, cannot follow instructions, inconsistent ect ect. Yet Pep seems to be getting a pretty good tune out of the lad. And Pep is known as a manager who is relentless in training and following his orders.

You say about the performances of other similar aged players, Asensio, Sane, Jesus. well only Sane has more goals/ assists. Sane has managed one goal more than Martial and 3 more assists in a record breaking team surrounded by better players and having played an additional 600 minutes of football or around 7 whole games more. How many goals/ assists would Martial have this season if he was first choice at City?

The kids a real talent, how many kids do you see signed with Balon d'or clauses in their contracts? Clearly United and Monaco saw something very special in him considering no one bar Ronaldo and Messi and won the Balon d'or in over 10 years.

Considering the chief gripe people seem to have with United under Mourinho is a lack of attacking intent it seems a little counterproductive to then blame and scapegoat our most productive attacking player.

9.) 19 Mar 2018
19 Mar 2018 14:07:33
If Mourinho stays Martial wouldn't play in his best position. So it is no point the club keeping Martial for another 2 years and stop his development.

If he is going given game time in a position he wants then it is fair for him to stay but if Jose isn't going to give him. game time then i can see him leave.

He has a lot of talent but he has to kick on now .

10.) 19 Mar 2018
19 Mar 2018 14:08:59
Shappy - The problem with Martial (if you can call it that) is he is still young and inconsistent. In my opinion there are also question marks about his movement, desire and work rate.

He's a very talented player but in today's climate of instant success rules there is no patience or understanding that he needs time to develop and learn.

We experienced similar results and abject performances in the couple of years prior to Rooney and Ronaldo maturing. If memory serves me correct I think we we're even eliminated in the group stages of the Champions League.

I can understand Jose's frustration because instant results are expected and he probably doesn't have the luxury of time which was afforded to Fergi. He needs quick fixes and instant hits and his frustration with the likes of Rashford, Martial and even Lingard is understandable.

Jose has sold some fantastic players because he doesn't have the patience or inclination to let them mature. He understands that football requires instant results otherwise a wave of criticism and unrest follows.

He's attempted every trick in the book to try and provoke a reaction from the players but ultimately what some of them really need is time and games.

The problem Jose has is he's reliant on theses players to deliver the goods now. History tells us he doesn't stay at Clubs for long so it's little wonder he's grows frustrated when performances are good one week but poor the next.

For those reasons I'm not convinced another manger could get much more out of this squad in terms of results yet I suppose an argument could made that the football might be better.

11.) 19 Mar 2018
19 Mar 2018 14:14:07
Do people hate him shappy? i'm pretty sure nobody on here even knows him are you just using that word to exaggerate/ emphasise your point?
Im ambivalent as to whether he stays or goes.
I thought rash had 1 goal more this season.
Juve are in talks with united. But the clubs are poles apart on valuation. Nobody else has made an enquiry. So juve don't rate him enough to pay top dollar and nobody else has asked so obviously not everybody rates him as highly as you despite all their superior knowledge.
Are his representatives using juve to get a better deal from united? that's quite possible.
You seem to be getting your knickers in a twist over a player nobody has tried to sign.
If he stays he stays if not we will get someone else in and hopfully they will do better than he has.
He was the most expensive teenager in the world but so was shaw before him.
It could be worth keeping him another season but it depends on what the club want to do. Players come and go all the time.
If i was in charge he would be on my list of possible exists but not on my list of must go's

Jose rates him as people keep telling me jose rates fellaini (well enough to start him 5 times this season) he gets plenty of game time has a decent return but nothing special.
Im not bothered either way. I don't hate him certainly not enogh to vandalise his car or anything like that👍🏼.

12.) 19 Mar 2018
19 Mar 2018 14:46:31
That's a good post Danny.

13.) 19 Mar 2018
19 Mar 2018 15:26:31
Good thing your not in charge then ken. Maybe we have one of those people in charge with superior knowledge to you and me. But that is the same manager who has consistently booted out youngsters for them to go an and prove him wrong. Jose is a good manager, but he lacks patience and the ability to improve young players, it is a trend across his entire career and not just his time at our club.

Does anyone hate him? I don't know, I can't read minds. I can read though and judging by some of the comments on here and on the live chat it isn't a massive leap to say some people are really not fond of him.

Rashford has now scored 1 goal more than Martial after his brace against Liverpool last week. He is however, still three assists short of Martial's current total and has played nearly 200 minutes more football, or 2 whole games more. I think they have had similar seasons, however there is a feeling both could do more if given the proper platform. However, clearly Martial has the higher ceiling.

Juventus have made a serious enquiry, and as we know no one else has. What we can't do though is know why they haven't, that's just speculation. Maybe they don't think he's attainable, maybe he doesn't suit the style they are looking for, maybe they aren't in need of a player with Martial's skill set or maybe they don't rate him at the asking price. All speculation.

Btw are you on Ed001's team or Ed002's team for the charity match?

14.) 19 Mar 2018
19 Mar 2018 18:23:38
001 looking forward to that.