[roonster09]

It's like the cretinous "only 1 good season in 7" trope, gets brought out all the time for Shaw as well.

It's because for some weird reason players career are rewritten based on their last season.

IMO the break up is
Martial had 2 very good seasons - 2015-16 and 2019-20,
good seasons - 2017-18 and 2018-19
Average season - 2016-17
Poor seasons - 2020-21, 2021-22

This preseason he is looking sharp, hopefully we get the best version of Martial. Martial in his best form makes the game look easy and also helps his teammates so much with his link up play and also his instinct to look for pass rather than selfish play.

 

[Raven]

It's because for some weird reason players career are rewritten based on their last season.

IMO the break up is
Martial had 2 very good seasons - 2015-16 and 2019-20,
good seasons - 2017-18 and 2018-19
Average season - 2016-17
Poor seasons - 2020-21, 2021-22

This preseason he is looking sharp, hopefully we get the best version of Martial. Martial in his best form makes the game look easy and also helps his teammates so much with his link up play and also his instinct to look for pass rather than selfish play.

That's pretty much how I'd break it down.

The last 2 seasons have put a serious dent in my expectations for Martial but there's no point in denying that he has been one of our better players since he joined. If he can recapture his best form or even improve on it (like ETH says he can) he'll be a huge asset to us.

 

[roonster09]

That's pretty much how I'd break it down.

The last 2 seasons have put a serious dent in my expectations for Martial but there's no point in denying that he has been one of our better players since he joined. If he can recapture his best form or even improve on it (like ETH says he can) he'll be a huge asset to us.

Yeah, he has skillset and all the attributes to play as CF at high level. His passing is good, he combines well with most players, his link up play and hold up play is good and finishing is usually spot on. If EtH brings best out of him (depends majorly on the player himself) then we will have one of the best CFs in the league.

 

[ThanksBoss26]

Refuse to get carried away with this one but wouldn't half solve a problem if he did finally fulfil that potential on a consistent basis. Hopefully after his last couple of years, the penny has finally dropped.

 

[Robbie Boy]

So many agendas around Martial.

Ffs, some seem to want to be 'right' about him being a waste of space - which is some weird ass revisonisnmn, anyway - rather than see him hit form and be a huge benefit to the team.

 

[AbusementPark]

Not getting carried away with him scoring against the away teams reserves. He’s lazy during most games and doesn’t get involved as much as needed. Hopefully ETH will motivate him enough and show him how to play to get the most from his career.

Ronaldo will hold him back in the team if he stays and do hope we sell him, think Rashford and Martial will perform better without Ronaldo.

 

[Oranges038]

Don't like him as a player at all, shows up when he wants and plays when he feels like it. His last two seasons were appallingly bad, he was worse than Bebe, Bellion and Obertan combined.

He's looking a bit better so far this time round. Maybe now that he's out from under the thumb he might actually be less of a miserable looking git and start playing better.

 

[Raven]

Yeah, he has skillset and all the attributes to play as CF at high level. His passing is good, he combines well with most players, his link up play and hold up play is good and finishing is usually spot on. If EtH brings best out of him (depends majorly on the player himself) then we will have one of the best CFs in the league.

He's extremely complete when he's at his best, almost like Firmino with goals. Hope we get to see him in top form again this season.

 

[ForeverRed1]

He looks like a man with a point to prove...

 

[Tom Van Persie]

He's been outstanding this pre season. I would be happy if he returns to his 19/20 form this season.

 

[pocco]

He's extremely complete when he's at his best, almost like Firmino with goals. Hope we get to see him in top form again this season.

Except Firmino works his b*llocks off every game. Something I don't ever remember seeing Martial do.

He's worked a bit harder compared to his usual standard in pre-season, but comparing him to the likes of Firmino or some of the other forwards in the league is a non-starter for me.

 

[SAF is the GOAT]

Glazers are raging that Balon D’Or clause about to be triggered.

I'm pretty sure this clause is expired and invalid by now

 

[rooney2009]

I am obviously a Martial fan but I've always found his problem starts when he is on the bench and has to fight for his position, that is what he needs to improve on.
He has all the skills but just needs to grow so balls and be ready to fight for his position if Ronaldo stays or we get another striker

 

[tidraKS]

Although I'd love him to be our main striker for the next season and hope he hits the form, I think he's lost some of his skills, like dribbling. He was so good at that, now he seems way more heavy and less dynamic.

 

[RedIan]

Ive been extremely frustrated with Martial overvrecentbyears but he looks sharp pre season, maybe ETH can motivate him where other coaches failed.

 

[Raven]

Except Firmino works his b*llocks off every game. Something I don't ever remember seeing Martial do.

He's worked a bit harder compared to his usual standard in pre-season, but comparing him to the likes of Firmino or some of the other forwards in the league is a non-starter for me.

He's been working very hard lately and he worked very hard in 19/20 but generally I would agree, his work rate has been an issue. I meant more in terms of his link up ability and selflessness.

 

[Gurtej]

If Ronaldo stays, it’s Martial and Sancho to paired for front 3….. with Rashford and Elanga to rotate…. This assumes we don’t get Antony

 

[Matt851]

Except Firmino works his b*llocks off every game. Something I don't ever remember seeing Martial do.

He's worked a bit harder compared to his usual standard in pre-season, but comparing him to the likes of Firmino or some of the other forwards in the league is a non-starter for me.

Comparing martial to firmino is definitely one of the most mental things I have ever seen on here, given firmino is famed for being defined by his work rate.

Martial is a man of many false dawns and I will eat not just my hat but my entire wardrobe if he plays consistently well this season.

It would probably only take a few hf decent performances to convince many on this thread that he is worth persevering with for another season

 

[Lynty]

Don't want to get carried away or anything. But currents odds on him being EPL top scorer are 80/1. It's basically free money.

 

[redcucumber]

Although I'd love him to be our main striker for the next season and hope he hits the form, I think he's lost some of his skills, like dribbling. He was so good at that, now he seems way more heavy and less dynamic.

Nah, he's demonstrated some of his dribbling and close control a few times on tour already. He's a natural at it.

 

[DJ_21]

Don't want to get carried away or anything. But currents odds on him being EPL top scorer are 80/1. It's basically free money.

He’s having a good pre season but I don’t think he’s clinical enough to get top goal scorer. I mean we’ll create loads for our strikers now with the creativity we have but I think if any ones winning that for us it’s Ronaldo.

 

[Bondi77]

Seems to me that he is working harder in these preseason games than I have seen him work in the proper season which bodes well for him.
He is obviously a player with a delicate mentality and it doesn't take much to flip his mindset to suddenly give up when things don't go his way so I hope Erik can find a way to address that and turn it around.

 

[pocco]

Nah, he's demonstrated some of his dribbling and close control a few times on tour already. He's a natural at it.

I tend to agree with the other poster. I was all in on Martial after his first season, his dribbling was absolutely amazing. On tour he has tried the quick footwork and taking on players but he looks far more laboured doing it in my opinion. He tends to just end up running into a defender. This has been the case for quite a while actually, I'm not sure what ever happened to the guy we saw in his first season in that sense. I remember he would get the ball and just attack the full back non stop.

 

[VidaRed]

Don't want to get carried away or anything. But currents odds on him being EPL top scorer are 80/1. It's basically free money.

Tony to bankrupt the bookies

 

[Stacks]

It's because for some weird reason players career are rewritten based on their last season.

IMO the break up is
Martial had 2 very good seasons - 2015-16 and 2019-20,
good seasons - 2017-18 and 2018-19
Average season - 2016-17
Poor seasons - 2020-21, 2021-22

This preseason he is looking sharp, hopefully we get the best version of Martial. Martial in his best form makes the game look easy and also helps his teammates so much with his link up play and also his instinct to look for pass rather than selfish play.

this is how I see it. still fairly inconsistent overall but some seasons he's been decent.

Yeah, he has skillset and all the attributes to play as CF at high level. His passing is good, he combines well with most players, his link up play and hold up play is good and finishing is usually spot on. If EtH brings best out of him (depends majorly on the player himself) then we will have one of the best CFs in the league.

With the current level of premier league striker you are perhaps correct.

So many agendas around Martial.

Ffs, some seem to want to be 'right' about him being a waste of space - which is some weird ass revisonisnmn, anyway - rather than see him hit form and be a huge benefit to the team.

they just don't trust him that's all

Not getting carried away with him scoring against the away teams reserves. He’s lazy during most games and doesn’t get involved as much as needed. Hopefully ETH will motivate him enough and show him how to play to get the most from his career.

Ronaldo will hold him back in the team if he stays and do hope we sell him, think Rashford and Martial will perform better without Ronaldo.

Exactly where I'm at right now.

Don't like him as a player at all, shows up when he wants and plays when he feels like it. His last two seasons were appallingly bad, he was worse than Bebe, Bellion and Obertan combined.

He's looking a bit better so far this time round. Maybe now that he's out from under the thumb he might actually be less of a miserable looking git and start playing better.

It does feel like that sometimes based on what he CAN do.

Comparing martial to firmino is definitely one of the most mental things I have ever seen on here, given firmino is famed for being defined by his work rate.

Martial is a man of many false dawns and I will eat not just my hat but my entire wardrobe if he plays consistently well this season.

It would probably only take a few hf decent performances to convince many on this thread that he is worth persevering with for another season

Exactly. It is taking a few goals against reserves pre season to convince some. I am very cautious. I'll judge everyone by games 10 in the league to see what's really going on.

 

[Kaos]

If he keeps its up, I think he'd be a solid stop gap as our primary CF until we sign someone next summer. I still don't trust him to consistently deliver in the long term considering his streaky nature.

Mind you I'd rather we start with him over Ronaldo. Our attack does look more fluid with him.

 

[Sayros]

I'm not exactly sure what it is that causes Martial to have poor seasons, but I can see how an assumption is made that there must be something wrong with his attitude for such a talented players to have so many bad periods.

In 7 years he's really only had 2 overall good seasons in 15/16 and 19/20. He shouldn't be regularly going through such long periods of such poor form if his attitude was right. He had his best ever season in 19/20 and followed that up by scoring 9 goals in 59 appearances in the last 2 seasons.

Agreed, my only point is that has nothing to do with the competition, or not being up for the competition for a spot. He’s managed fine when he had competition for his spot or didn’t have the backing of the manager, like Mourinho. Yet you have some people who constantly parrot the same false narrative because they read someone saying it and just keep repeating it with no actually basis in fact.

 

[andersj]

He's been working very hard lately and he worked very hard in 19/20 but generally I would agree, his work rate has been an issue. I meant more in terms of his link up ability and selflessness.

I really dont agree that he never worked hard. Rather, he was always inconsistent from one game to another. I also think it came down to the team altering the approach quite often, and consequently being inconsistent.

Looking at his pressing numbers in 19/20 they range from insanely good to pathetic. He had several games were his pressing was really, really good.

 

[Ali Dia]

Don't want to get carried away or anything. But currents odds on him being EPL top scorer are 80/1. It's basically free money.

40/1 on skybet. Terrible odds really.

 

[Chief123]

He’s going to be a Fantasy Football must have this season. Too cheap to turn down.

 

[MattofManchester]

He's smiling again.

Naturally, that means he's gonna tear up the league.

Now we understand. Martial's smile gives him top class footballing ability.

 

[RedPed]

Martial FC lives on...

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

Bet against him at your peril.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

No he wasn't, Cavani was our 9. He was shifted out wide most of the time, only up front when the other was injured.

 

[Rolaholic]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[Highfather_24]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

Berbatov-esque.

 

[Yagami]

He's been great, but I genuinely wonder what happened to his dribbling ability. He used to beat players for fun. Now, he never really wants to take anyone on (even when he drifts out wide), and, when he tries to, he isn't as successful as he used to be.

I think the last time he was consistently beating people was in José's first season. I don't think it's about being a CF these past few seasons as, again, even when he drifts out wide he doesn't attempt any dribbles, and when you think back to him as our CF under van Gaal, he was still doing it there.

 

[Lay]

I want to believe!

 

[hellhunter]

He's been great, but I genuinely wonder what happened to his dribbling ability. He used to beat players for fun. Now, he never really wants to take anyone on (even when he drifts out wide), and, when he tries to, he isn't as successful as he used to be.

I think the last time he was consistently beating people was in José's first season. I don't think it's about being a CF these past few seasons as, again, even when he drifts out wide he doesn't attempt any dribbles, and when you think back to him as our CF under van Gaal, he was still doing it there.

Cut him some slack, returning to the job after a year long sabbatical is tough for everyone

 

[Yagami]

Cut him some slack, returning to the job after a year long sabbatical is tough for everyone

I'm not just talking about now, mate. Even when he was in fantastic form in 19/20, his dribbling was still underwhelming compared to when he first joined.

I'm not trying to criticise him because not only has he been great so far, I've always been a fan of his game. I'm just genuinely wondering.

 

[hellhunter]

I'm not just talking about now, mate. Even when he was in fantastic form in 19/20, his dribbling was still underwhelming compared to when he first joined.

I'm not trying to criticise him because not only has he been great so far, I've always been a fan of his game. I'm just genuinely wondering.

Was just a poor joke, but I feel his dribbling never seemed to be under control. Just a sequence of the ball bouncing off his legs which lead to him eventually beating his man.

To be fair though, there are many players dribbling like that, so it's not to say he's poor at it, just not very clean. Maybe the bounces stopped coming off?