[JPRouve]

maybe it's an unfair accusation. Just felt that way, given his best spells for us came when van Gaal and Solskjaer trusted him to be the main attacker while he did rather poorly under Mourinho. Either way, I hope he takes this chance and runs with it.

It's unfair because he didn't do poorly under Mourinho, in fact he repeatedly beat Rashford for the starting position. He won his place under Ole by outperforming Lukaku under Mourinho and then continued to outperform him when Mourinho left. Martial worst season is also the one where he begun the season as the undisputed starter, the following season is for me a question mark because Martial sustained a knee injury in March 2021 and it wouldn't be a surprise if he simply struggled to comeback from it.

Edit: I don't think unfair is the proper term though, because Martial has the habit of coasting when he is in a comfortable position.

 

[Adnan]

I never gave up hope..

 

[Sylar]

Hopefully he takes this into the new season. He certainly deserves to start up top, but hopefully he can continue it.

 

[flameinthesun]

Can Tony actually do this for even 50% of the season? That's the question.

He's done it for a full season already under Ole, this role he is being asked is where he excels.

 

[izec]

Pre season R9

 

[Adam-Utd]

He looks fit and hungry.

No doubt though he'll put in all this work, then come Brighton Ronaldo will stroll back into the first 11.

We just play better with a striker that can hold the ball up and interchange quickly.

He's looking like the Martial of Covid times who was a very good player.

 

[Lynty]

Where do I get my ticket aboard the Martial hype train?

 

[Glorio]

Just picked up my pass back from reception at Martial FC headquarters

 

[Rustyspider13]

That touch to bring the ball down for the second goal was tremendous. Lindelof had the same reaction as me when he went to celebrate. I really hope this time Martial gets it together. There is so much potential in a Rashford-Martial-Sancho front three.

 

[InfiniteBoredom]

Just when I thought I was out, he pulled me back in!

For what it’s worth, I thought he was gradually gaining form back last year after the goal against Everton (then mindbogglingly didnt feature much again), but his loan spell at Sevilla seems to be the end of his career here and any hope of him coming back full stop. Only pre-season but if he repays the trust EtH is showing in him then it would be a great, great comeback story.

 

[#07]

I've written off Martial so many times and, honestly, I can't believe he's still at United. However, I'd love him to prove me wrong and score 30 goals this season.

Tony looks well up for it in preseason. You never know how that will translate to competitive games. However, you have to hope, pray, cross your fingers and toes that, this season, Martial will finally become the player Ed Woodward's Martial FC marketing machine always hoped he would be!

 

[Robertd0803]

I would love to be proven wrong by him this season. Honestly would.

 

[Red Shorts]

Where do I get my ticket aboard the Martial hype train?

It's free entry, all aboard!

Hunger is back, Martial FC is back

 

[King29]

A starting Martial with no competition is a different beast. When he's trusted and motivated nobody can stop him.

Yea no Greenwood, Cavani or Ronnie to compete with and he's smiling and playing football again.

Dunno what to make of that tbh but regardless, hope this form continues into the PL

 

[Biggins]

So Glazer was right. Martial is our Pele!

 

[Andersons Dietician]

He’s putting on a banquet for Martial FC. Be eating good tonight and hopefully many more times during the season.

seriously though, the guy looks like he is ready to go. Some of the touches, passes and positions he’s been taking up.

that pass to donny. A few strikers probably try to score from there. Sees someone in a better position who then also sees someone in a better position.

The touch as well before that bit where he took it out the air.

That’s a 5 course buffet.

 

[marktan]

I never gave up hope..

Same. Ronaldo going awol may have done us a solid, Martial has everything you could want in a modern striker, the only thing is motivating him to play properly.

 

[Andycoleno9]

Everybody wants to join FC Martial now.

 

[Who's Kissing Cameras?]

Are we back baby? Martial FC

 

[crossy1686]

This guy might actually get a redemption, until we sign a new CF this window that is, then he’ll be back to sulking.

 

[Strootman's Finger]

In fairness to Martial he hasn't received any proper training for 3 years, i'm actually quite intrigued to see what he does under EtH, and I am not Martial FC, I'm completely down the line on him.

 

[Red Shorts]

I hope he hits the 20+ mark again and give Martial FC something to cheer about again! He looks so sharp after ~2 years of mediocre performances

 

[tenpoless]

Needs to bulk up. Looks a little lightweight for PL.

 

[Andycoleno9]

If we trust him that he can be first choice no9 then we must sell Ronaldo and buy another forward who can play on the wing or low budget striker who is happy with backup role.
People try to underestimate this (and try to explain it with "season is long" and shit) but despite huge number of games, injuries and specific tactics for specific games there is always first 11 player who plays most of games and substitute who plays less. Especially on striker position. Striker is like a gk. You must have clear no1.

Ronaldo will never accept rotation. Absolutely never. He will sulk, cry, fly to Portugal and ruin good mood in a team. Martial, despite i love the guy, has mentality problem. He is not a fighter. When he is dropped he gives up. So in short; if Ronaldo stays, we can forget on this Martial.

 

[Andycoleno9]

Needs to bulk up. Looks a little lightweight for PL.

Really? I was thinking quite opposite. He seems too bulky for me and like he lost little speed. When he was scoring that goal vs Pool (despite great finishing) i was surprised how slow he was while running on goalkeeper.

 

[jamesjimmybyrondean]

If we trust him that he can be first choice no9 then we must sell Ronaldo and buy another forward who can play on the wing or low budget striker who is happy with backup role.
People try to underestimate this (and try to explain it with "season is long" and shit) but despite huge number of games, injuries and specific tactics for specific games there is always first 11 player who plays most of games and substitute who plays less. Especially on striker position. Striker is like a gk. You must have clear no1.

Ronaldo will never accept rotation. Absolutely never. He will sulk, cry, fly to Portugal and ruin good mood in a team. Martial, despite i love the guy, has mentality problem. He is not a fighter. When he is dropped he gives up. So in short; if Ronaldo stays, we can forget on this Martial.

Martial right now is undropable and Ronaldo hates the bench. Interested to see how Ten Hag handles this

 

[red_de_pologne]

let's see what happens when he's not an automatic starter like he is this preseason. Hope he has a great season, but I remain sceptical.

 

[mu4c_20le]

Erik was right to give him a chance after all

 

[Andycoleno9]

Martial right now is undropable and Ronaldo hates the bench. Interested to see how Ten Hag handles this

This situation he can't resolve. Only solution (if diva stays) is to go easy way and drop Martial. Ronaldo doesn't rotate. How people expect that biggest diva in football will accept being second choice, is beyond me.

 

[PoTMS]

Will he be the Saha to Ronaldo's Ruud? The latter both being the far better players, the formers being much better fits for the team.

 

[NickSantigo]

I want to believe but I've been hurt before.

I can see his head dropping when Ronaldo comes back and he gets benched.

 

[I’m loving my life]

Will he be the Saha to Ronaldo's Ruud? The latter both being the far better players, the formers being much better fits for the team.

Ruud was still a top player, who was wanted by big clubs and therefore easy
to shift.

Ronaldo is still a top player but literally nobody wants him.

 

[InfiniteBoredom]

I want to believe but I've been hurt before.

I can see his head dropping when Ronaldo comes back and he gets benched.

He will start vs Brighton, and it's up to him to keep Ronaldo out of the first XI. EtH isn't going to drop his in form striker for a 38 year old with 1 year on his contract, and the club, as incompetent as it's been, will have to back him up on it.

 

[Darlington Padgett]

This situation he can't resolve. Only solution (if diva stays) is to go easy way and drop Martial. Ronaldo doesn't rotate. How people expect that biggest diva in football will accept being second choice, is beyond me.

There is no reason to drop the player that actually makes everyone around him play better. Ronaldo might hate it but I can't see him doing what Martial is doing right now.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

He will start vs Brighton, and it's up to him to keep Ronaldo out of the first XI. EtH isn't going to drop his in form striker for a 38 year old with 1 year on his contract, and the club, as incompetent as it's been, will have to back him up on it.

It’s still a huge call for ETH to make. And you can imagine the drama if we don’t score a load of goals while Ronaldo is benched. Just an absolute pain in the hole for him, the whole situation

 

[Greck]

Over the player at this point but there's always revisionism about his United career. If we actually sit to count we'd see he's one of the few players with more good seasons than bad, or at least relatively as many. Low bar but it is what it is. This is also a player who has been replaced at least three times already and keeps making his way back to the first team. He was good for a lot of LVG and even Jose's tenure of all people.

Till only recently the sentiment that we should have parted ways was never some foregone conclusion. If we were to part ways now we should definitely be satisfied with what he gave us.

 

[Ali Dia]

Ruud was still a top player, who was wanted by big clubs and therefore easy
to shift.

Ronaldo is still a top player but literally nobody wants him.

Mad isn’t it how all the ronaldo fc fans can’t see it. Despite his goals and him saving our ass a few times his poor form heavily contributed to one of our worst league positions in a very long time. The real clincher is that despite him still supposedly being so brilliant and the rest of our players so terrible that no other big club will take a punt on him. Funny that.

 

[DJ_21]

We still haven’t paid full price for martial have we, how does it work when you do part of the payment if they win like the premier league or ballon d’or… Is it still available if it happens 10 years later? Not getting carried away and saying he’s gonna win it or anything. Obviously at the time Monaco was confident he could become one of the worlds best which is why they accepted the deal.

 

[MUFC OK]

Great pre-season form, have I seen enough to think he's good enough to be our starting striker and to keep his head up and perform all season? Not a chance. I'd actually be shocked.

 

[cabbs1989]

He will start vs Brighton, and it's up to him to keep Ronaldo out of the first XI. EtH isn't going to drop his in form striker for a 38 year old with 1 year on his contract, and the club, as incompetent as it's been, will have to back him up on it.

Must of missed Ronaldos birthday again, second of the year apparently