[Amadaeus]

I don't think comparing us to Suarez at Barcelona or Liverpool is relevant, because our style of play is so different. Whatever you think of Rooney you can't deny that he sees less of the ball than Suarez did at either of those clubs. LVG's style works this way and I'm convinced that's part of the reason every single striker we've tried as looked isolated and poor.

Martial this season when he started upfront was more productive and saw a good amount of the ball. If a player is performing well, regardless of his position our other teammate will try and find him because they know he is capable of making things happen. Playing him in the role aforementioned by me, will guarantee more attacking influence because he is not being played as an out and out striker.

 

[Brwned]

I don't think comparing us to Suarez at Barcelona or Liverpool is relevant, because our style of play is so different. Whatever you think of Rooney you can't deny that he sees less of the ball than Suarez did at either of those clubs. LVG's style works this way and I'm convinced that's part of the reason every single striker we've tried as looked isolated and poor.

Every single striker except Martial, you mean. Temperamentally and tactically Martial is much more suited I playing the lone striker role than Rooney. He plays in moments, doesn't need constant involvement on the ball to stay on top of his game and his hold-up play and ability to stretch teams in behind gives our attack a completely different dimension. That's wasted out wide. I sympathise with LvG because we do need someone who can dribble out wide with Mata on the opposite wing, and that's been Memphis' biggest problem so far. He just hasn't offered that.

Still, playing our best attacker in his best position should be a no brainer and Martial is obviously that.

 

[Adisa]

If he pays me enough, I will take Rooney out for him.

 

[Bobcat]

What i find most impressing here is how consistent he is. Young players usually have a lot of ups and downs, but he puts in one great shift after the other

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

The two genuine weaknesses he has are crossing and striking from range. Hopefully he can improve on the former but the latter is just a part of his game I doubt he'll ever have. Not enough power in that right foot of his.

Could just be his striking technique from distance that affects power.

I thought Messi in his younger days was poor at striking from range, but then he got much better at it.

 

[K2K]

Just imagine if we hadnt signed him and had gone with Rooney and co in attack all season...I shudder

 

[united_99]

The kid is too good, always dangerous. That's invaluable as either he will do something or teams will put more focus / players on him which should give space to our other attackers.

 

[Raw]

Just imagine if we hadnt signed him and had gone with Rooney and co in attack all season...I shudder

I feel sick just thinking of it.

 

[Adisa]

Rooney is not worthy of being called his teammate. It's a travesty.

 

[Devil may care]

He's like the fecking Bat Signal shining hope over Old Trafford. He's very good on the left but I can't help but think how much better we'd be with him as the #9.

 

[mancan92]

Man its soo frustrating having him on the left. Play him upfront FFS

 

[Tyrion]

I voted him MOTM. He was the only player who looked like doing something and tried to beat a man. It's ridicolous that he's pushed out to the left. I understood it against Everton when he helped deal with Colman (Rooney wouldn't have) but we're playing at home against a weakened rival. Why not go for it?

 

[bosnian_red]

He's like the fecking Bat Signal shining hope over Old Trafford. He's very good on the left but I can't help but think how much better we'd be with him as the #9.

I don't think his level of performance really changes with him up front or on the wing. He's a brilliant player either way. The difference is our back up for the 2 positions... I'd take Young over current Rooney any day, and we'd look very threatening and have loads of pace. Memphis if he got his confidence back and once he gets used to the league as well. But Martial is clearly one of those top players for us. Like Aguero is for City, Hazard for Chelsea and Sanchez is for Arsenal. He's brilliant.

 

[jem]

I think he's also brilliant on the left. Get a functioning striker into the side and Martial would be even more devastating. Brilliant player!

 

[m1y2]

Man its soo frustrating having him on the left. Play him upfront FFS

it's not frustrating playing him on the left, he's doing really well there. The frustrating thing is that we have a useless palyer up front who needs to strat everygame.

I can imagine Harry Kane up front and Martial playing as left striker, that would have been brilliant set up...

 

[RedRonaldo]

He is real quality even on the wing. But I prefer him leading our attack line, as he is by far our best attacking player on the front.

 

[VP]

Apart from Messi, I can't ever remember a 19 year old with the ability to beat a man so easily.

 

[thejtrain]

Man its soo frustrating having him on the left. Play him upfront FFS

Not really. As good as he is as a 9, we would be wasting all his directness playing him there. I won't talk about Rooney, though, I'm trying not to.

 

[Devil may care]

I don't think his level of performance really changes with him up front or on the wing. He's a brilliant player either way. The difference is our back up for the 2 positions... I'd take Young over current Rooney any day, and we'd look very threatening and have loads of pace. Memphis if he got his confidence back and once he gets used to the league as well. But Martial is clearly one of those top players for us. Like Aguero is for City, Hazard for Chelsea and Sanchez is for Arsenal. He's brilliant.

It's not about his performance, I agree he is still playing well, but the team would be much better with him as the #9, we could stick Young, Lingard, Memphis etc....on the left and put him central and be a better team, as his touch, hold up play, pace, runs and dribbling as much better than Rooney's.

 

[RedRonaldo]

I understand that and I have criticized Van Gaal for that decision. Nevertheless, even though Depay has been average, I still rather have him in our team over Rooney who has been piss poor for a player who seems to be our star man.

Depay has just been as frustrating as Rooney in many matches this season.

 

[JPRouve]

Depay has just been as frustrating as Rooney in many matches this season.

But he is young, I feel that it's better to trust and support Memphis than wasting game time on Rooney.

 

[mancan92]

it's not frustrating playing him on the left, he's doing really well there. The frustrating thing is that we have a useless palyer up front who needs to strat everygame.

I can imagine Harry Kane up front and Martial playing as left striker, that would have been brilliant set up...

Thats what I mean. He has been great on the left he is doing the job. But knowing that he could be doing that in the centre of the field is frustrating. Just seems wasted.

 

[Sammyjunn]

Looks like a player doesnt he?

 

[Amadaeus]

Depay has just been as frustrating as Rooney in many matches this season.

I feels the scale of being frustrative weighs more heavily on Rooney this season. Depay looked great in some matches, particularly the champion league, while I m struggling to find a game this season where Rooney was more than Average. I would even call his Hat trick against Brugge, an anomaly because I said that after the match; we played a poor side and he was not going to kick on from that despite some pundits claiming that you should not write of Rooney.

 

[facund]

There are moments when you take your eye off him because he appears to have lost the ball (or be in the process of doing so) and you look at the surrounding opposing players to see if a break is on, only to flick back to Martial who has miraculously managed to not only keep the ball but somehow beat a man or two without really changing his direction. Its freaky good but done in such an understated fashion and although I've seen better dribblers I have never seen anyone do it quite like Martial.

 

[K2K]

Depay has just been as frustrating as Rooney in many matches this season.

True, I'd drop both and play Young , and bring someone in January.

 

[United22]

A brilliant player, has probably put in at least a 7/10 performance for every game he has been here. Basically no-one else in our attack is on his wavelength, especially not Rooney

 

[Devil81]

Love him, City have some really top players and they couldn't handle his ability. In a couple of years he's going to be a true superstar.

 

[Litch]

There are moments when you take your eye off him because he appears to have lost the ball (or be in the process of doing so) and you look at the surrounding opposing players to see if a break is on, only to flick back to Martial who has miraculously managed to not only keep the ball but somehow beat a man or two without really changing his direction. Its freaky good but done in such an understated fashion and although I've seen better dribblers I have never seen anyone do it quite like Martial.

Agree was sayin the same to my lad. It was like his goal against Liverpool, looked like he rode his luck but he keeps doing it!!! It's almost like his feet react so quickly even when the players thinks he's got a piece of the ball. It's really freaky!!!

 

[soap]

We haven't had someone like him since Ronaldo. Every time he gets the ball you expect something to happen.

 

[horsechoker]

He did this brilliant little flick to Schweinsteiger when he had two men on him and seemingly nowhere to go. He's honestly amazed me with the way he's started here, if we can get Memphis back into form so he can play as a striker we will be all right this season.

 

[kouroux]

Apart from Messi, I can't ever remember a 19 year old with the ability to beat a man so easily.

Ronaldinho at 19 was a cracking talent too.

 

[Cro]

By far our most threatining player today and in general since he joined us. Amazing talent, just a pleasure to watch everytime he picks up the ball. Quick feet, great hold up play, trying to take players on as often as possible, good vision, calm personality - he got it all. Hopefully the rest of our offensive department starts to perform properly soon, so we can get the best out of him.

 

[pacifictheme]

Can bot believe how good he is. Fantastic player. Just hope we can get the right players around him.

 

[Acole9]

When he reaches his peak he could be phenomenal. The way he was going past City's players was ridiculous at times.

 

[Cheesy]

If he pays me enough, I will take Rooney out for him.

You will take him out in the form of...martial arts!

 

[Igor Drefljak]

Was excellent today. The strength he shows is outstanding, and he fights for everything.
The beauty of watching him out wide is that he gets the opportunity to receive the ball, turn, and run at defenders. He causes problems, and got two players booked today.

I really want to see more of him through the middle though, my only worry with that is, that he won't have the chances to run at defenders as much, as we move the ball quite slowly, so it compacts the middle of the field.

For a teenager, he is showing exceptional talent

 

[Kakeru]

For the love of God, let him play up front with Herrera behind him; that's all there is to say.

 

[Winrar]

it's sad that we're shifting him to the wing in order to shoehorn a clearly out of form/past it player up front.

 

[berbatrick]

I'm hoping he gets a rest sometime soon. He is our only useful striker (and our only decent LW, as it happens). We need him for the whole season.

EDIT: Of couse, he was fantastic today. Class above the 21 other players on the pitch.