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2017-18 Performances


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Pogue Mahone

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Does everyone think he deserved it this month? Felt like one of his poorer months so far this season. I don't think him getting rewarded for that is good for Martial, he needs to improve but he seems like he buys into his own hype a bit at times.
It definitely has been. He's scored a couple of fantastic goals which - in isolation - give the impression of a good run of form. But his form hasn't been great at all. For example, both of his wonder goals came in games where his overall performance was average to poor. In a way, Lingard's the opposite. His hot streak of scoring has dried up but his overall performances have been just as good as, if not better than, what we saw when he was scoring in every game.

Martial's a weird one. Sometimes he looks incapable of the most basic of skills. His short and medium range passing along the ground is generally pretty diabolical, for example. Can anyone ever remember him playing a penetrative through ball? Because in every single game he plays there's usually at least one seemingly straightforward pass from him that almost takes your breath away with its astonishing inaccuracy. Then we have his (lack of) movement. Lingard, Rashford and Lukaku (for all their flaws) are constantly giving an option to our more progressive passers, with clever runs in behind the opposition defence. Martial more or less never gives this sort of option. So you're left with someone who has exceptional dribbling skills (yet seems to have got more and more one-dimensional: constantly cutting inside onto his right foot) and an ability to occasionally curl a screamer into the top corner. Which are nice qualities to have in our team but arguably not at the expense of playing someone who does so many other important things so poorly.
 

el3mel

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Does everyone think he deserved it this month? Felt like one of his poorer months so far this season. I don't think him getting rewarded for that is good for Martial, he needs to improve but he seems like he buys into his own hype a bit at times.
I think yes. He was my preferred choice for the POTM. He has been good in all games except Spurs and scored some vital goals in the run.
 

Red_toad

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How do you expect to get the best out of Martial if we keep asking him to make better crossing (better service) for Lukaku? He's more of inside forward rather than old school winger. Drop Lukaku and play Martial Sanchez Lingard front three. Bring Lukaku in for the plan B. Martial doesn't suit for plan B type of player.
Sorry but did you completely miss everyone of his appearances from the bench this season? Saying he's unable to be a plan B player is an insult to him, Tony can turn a game in a moment and can perform from the bench in difficult games.
 

jem

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Honestly, there is nothing more tedious than two posters taking over a thread with back and forth, finger-pointing posts. Take it to a private message!
 

Sayros

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Who cares about Player of the Month awards? I'm a big Martial fan, I want him to start every game as well, but those are voted on by fans and Martial has such a big following the official account even refers to them as Martial FC. They're always going to vote for their boy, whether he deserves it or not.
 

mav_9me

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It definitely has been. He's scored a couple of fantastic goals which - in isolation - give the impression of a good run of form. But his form hasn't been great at all. For example, both of his wonder goals came in games where his overall performance was average to poor. In a way, Lingard's the opposite. His hot streak of scoring has dried up but his overall performances have been just as good as, if not better than, what we saw when he was scoring in every game.

Martial's a weird one. Sometimes he looks incapable of the most basic of skills. His short and medium range passing along the ground is generally pretty diabolical, for example. Can anyone ever remember him playing a penetrative through ball? Because in every single game he plays there's usually at least one seemingly straightforward pass from him that almost takes your breath away with its astonishing inaccuracy. Then we have his (lack of) movement. Lingard, Rashford and Lukaku (for all their flaws) are constantly giving an option to our more progressive passers, with clever runs in behind the opposition defence. Martial more or less never gives this sort of option. So you're left with someone who has exceptional dribbling skills (yet seems to have got more and more one-dimensional: constantly cutting inside onto his right foot) and an ability to occasionally curl a screamer into the top corner. Which are nice qualities to have in our team but arguably not at the expense of playing someone who does so many other important things so poorly.
He is having moments of quality as opposed to performances of quality. I am a huge fan of his. I feel like he can pull out some magic every time he has the ball but the gap between promise/potential vs reality so far has been a fair bit. Perhaps that's his age showing. Perhaps its him who has to change and get more intensity and desire going forward. Hopefully Sanchez will be a good example for him. To be clear I am not talking about tracking back or tackling or pressing. I am more interested in his attacking work rate. Feels like he sits back waiting for the ball, to go on a dribble, as opposed to making runs in behind or cleverer movement.
 

J_Red 11

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Sorry but did you completely miss everyone of his appearances from the bench this season? Saying he's unable to be a plan B player is an insult to him, Tony can turn a game in a moment and can perform from the bench in difficult games.
I wasn't talking about turn game around or perform from the bench. That plan B what I meant is the plan B that we refer to long ball or crossing to Fellaini or Lukaku and Martial is obviously not a player for that style.
 

roonster09

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Does everyone think he deserved it this month? Felt like one of his poorer months so far this season. I don't think him getting rewarded for that is good for Martial, he needs to improve but he seems like he buys into his own hype a bit at times.
Wasn't his best month like when he won player of the month before but I think it's for the impact he had on the games even when he wasn't playing so well. Scored first goal vs Everton and only goal vs Burnley, 2 tough away fixtures and we came away with 6 points.
 

Red_toad

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I wasn't talking about turn game around or perform from the bench. That plan B what I meant is the plan B that we refer to long ball or crossing to Fellaini or Lukaku and Martial is obviously not a player for that style.
Well for me whoever comes off the bench and is able to turn a game is a plan B player. Martial, Rashford, Fellaini are our usual options. I'd never class Lukaku as a plan B player, as he's pretty much nailed on starter and always will be under Jose. Dunno why fans can't just accept that and get over the illusion that Martial will displace him.
 

J_Red 11

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Well for me whoever comes off the bench and is able to turn a game is a plan B player. Martial, Rashford, Fellaini are our usual options. I'd never class Lukaku as a plan B player, as he's pretty much nailed on starter and always will be under Jose. Dunno why fans can't just accept that and get over the illusion that Martial will displace him.
I think in our term nowdays United plan A has always been fluid flow attacking football, plan B will be "long ball or crossing to the likes of Fellaini". And so far while Fellaini is injured, we have use it (plan B) as our plan A for Lukaku against the top sides.
 

Cliche Guevara

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Given what Jose said about not bringing in a forward in the summer, and Sánchez being immediately played on the left:

Does anyone think Mou’s intention is to play Martial on the right long-term? If so, can he do it?

We probably all see Martial as a left-forward, cutting in to score with his right foot (if not central). A problem he has is he never goes outside. Problems the team have is nobody goes outside on the right either, and nobody scores from the back post.

What about Lukaku making near-post runs, and Sanchez threading or dinking balls for Martial to come inside and finish? When Martial gets the ball deeper he’s told to just drive forward and either knock something across goal or veer central.

If Valencia goes high on the right then Martial tucks into the box as a second striker.

I think this assumes a 4-3-3
 

AltiUn

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Given what Jose said about not bringing in a forward in the summer, and Sánchez being immediately played on the left:

Does anyone think Mou’s intention is to play Martial on the right long-term? If so, can he do it?

We probably all see Martial as a left-forward, cutting in to score with his right foot (if not central). A problem he has is he never goes outside. Problems the team have is nobody goes outside on the right either, and nobody scores from the back post.

What about Lukaku making near-post runs, and Sanchez threading or dinking balls for Martial to come inside and finish? When Martial gets the ball deeper he’s told to just drive forward and either knock something across goal or veer central.

If Valencia goes high on the right then Martial tucks into the box as a second striker.
It looks like it's something Mourinho's seriously considering but I think he hasn't looked comfortable once when played on the right. If that was our plan we'd be better off getting rid and getting a proper right winger in, get someone used to and capable of going on the outside.

Valencia doesn't offer the offensive capabilities on the right hand side that would benefit Martial's game at all IMO, in fact I think it's by far the weakest aspect of Valencia's game.

For now though I think Mourinho is just testing the waters, at the very least until the end of the season I'd expect to see a front 3 more often than not of Martial (L) Lingard (C) and Sanchez (R).
 

charlenefan

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I thought Martial did ok on the right against Spurs, it brought a level of unpredictability to his play and the shot he had I've seen Lloris fumble into the back of his net plenty of times
 

breakout67

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It's a coin toss on whether Martial will have a good performance; but his end product means he is hard to not play. I think he is a very similar player to Hazard; when he can feel like it he'll tear open any team but sometimes he isn't on it.
 

Cliche Guevara

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It looks like it's something Mourinho's seriously considering but I think he hasn't looked comfortable once when played on the right. If that was our plan we'd be better off getting rid and getting a proper right winger in, get someone used to and capable of going on the outside.

Valencia doesn't offer the offensive capabilities on the right hand side that would benefit Martial's game at all IMO, in fact I think it's by far the weakest aspect of Valencia's game.

For now though I think Mourinho is just testing the waters, at the very least until the end of the season I'd expect to see a front 3 more often than not of Martial (L) Lingard (C) and Sanchez (R).
I think Lukaku suffers more from Valencia’s lack of a decent cross. Martial might offer an easy ball inside which would be more beneficial.

For me, the requirement is probably to make use of what we have. Particularly given we’ve brought Sanchez in I don’t see us signing a right-winger and selling Martial.

I also genuinely don’t see Lingard playing as the striker in favour of Lukaku.
 

AltiUn

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I think Lukaku suffers more from Valencia’s lack of a decent cross. Martial might offer an easy ball inside which would be more beneficial.

I genuinely don’t see Lingard playing as the striker in favour of Lukaku.
My bad, I meant 3 behind the striker.
 

Irish Jet

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I thought Martial did ok on the right against Spurs, it brought a level of unpredictability to his play and the shot he had I've seen Lloris fumble into the back of his net plenty of times
He was genuinely far better there than when he moved to the left.

One of the current crop of players who will get excuses made for him regardless. Not like he didn't get his chance on the left vs Spurs - He was terrible when he did.
 

Adisa

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I think we will see the three behind Lukaku continue to rotate. Martial simply has to get used to being able to move across the line.
Would be interesting in seeing what the lineup is against Newcastle.
I maintain, from what I saw in between both Sours goals, the signs were positive.
Spurs couldn't handle him Sanchez and Lingard.
 

Fergies Formula

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Let’s play him from the start on the left and get that form going again. Put the best 11 out which consists of him on the left and Alexis central to everything.
 

haram

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Let’s play him from the start on the left and get that form going again. Put the best 11 out which consists of him on the left and Alexis central to everything.
That's just your opinion. There's no real proof of that.
 

Sayros

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That's just your opinion. There's no real proof of that.
Given that Martial has been the most productive from the left-wing of all the players, it's a reasonable opinion. Alexis is much more flexible and will have an impact anywhere on the field with his talent and motor.

Make it happen, Mou!
If you want to end the argument don't start talking bad behind the poster back. I'm willing to make this into private discussion if you want but don't start speak about me behind my back just because you can't counter it..
For the love of Shiva, please do.
 

haram

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Given that Martial has been the most productive from the left-wing of all the players, it's a reasonable opinion. Alexis is much more flexible and will have an impact anywhere on the field with his talent and motor.

Make it happen, Mou!


For the love of Shiva, please do.
Alexis is better on the left though and Lingard is in hot form at AM...
 

haram

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Isn’t that the whole purpose of the forum?

Please don’t be hung up on our previous encounter. Just learn from it.
You said it like it's a fact. Sanchez is our best LW and we should work from that imo.

I don't remember our previous encounter to be honest.
 

roonster09

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Hopefully he will start on the left side today with Sanchez in the middle and Lingard on the right, any Right winger won't stay on right anyways, so at least it gives Martial to play his natural game and from what I have seen Sanchez looked better centrally.
 

VeevaVee

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Such pity he's being wasted on the RW when we have Sanchez who is equally as productive on the RW as he is on the left.
Why is he wasted? Being on the right doesn’t excuse that awful finish. He still has opportunities there. Up to him to take them.

It’d be a waste playing our best player in a position that doesn’t allow him to do his main thing.
 

Fracture90

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Why is he wasted? Being on the right doesn’t excuse that awful finish. He still has opportunities there. Up to him to take them.

It’d be a waste playing our best player in a position that doesn’t allow him to do his main thing.
Because so far when he played on the left he's shown much more than he has shown whilst playing on the right.

His best games have come from him playing on the left or down the middle.
 

Jazz

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He's not playing badly at all. That miss by him though was horrible. So uncharacteristic....
 

Brwned

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Can't believe we've decided to ignore him again after he proved for a 2nd time in his United career he's a potential ballon d'or contender.
 

youngrell

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Looked decent on the right today so no complaints from me about that.

I do find it very strange though that the whole season Jose has refused to play him and Rashford together, preferring to rotate them both on the left flank, but now all of a sudden he's happy with Martial on the right?
 

Silas

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Should've shot across goal there or at least lifted the ball slightly. Good run, though.
 

vangagal

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If that chanced convert into goal he would be praise because of lovely finish form the right side. That how small margin between good and bad now. Oh, that header he should do better there.

Looked decent on the right today so no complaints from me about that.

I do find it very strange though that the whole season Jose has refused to play him and Rashford together, preferring to rotate them both on the left flank, but now all of a sudden he's happy with Martial on the right?
Because we have Sanchez on the left now. Thats why
 
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