Has Martial done enough to be backed as our long-term #9?

[poleglass red]

He's been abysmal as a finisher since the end of last season, but I wouldn't say he's missed sitters. A sitter is basically empty net and no one in front of you and you find a way to screw it up, which even some of the greatests of all time have been guilty of once in a blue moon. Somehow here it means you're 1v1 with the keeper and miss, that's not a sitter; goalkeepers get paid for a reason and it's to come out on top in those situations as well.

Martial has had horrible misses, misses that you can reasonably expect to end in goals, but I don't really consider any of them actual sitters.

At this level, that needs to be finished. To do so, you make it as difficult as you can for their keeper. Putting at the near post gives the keeper a chance, not even putting in the corner as well made it easier for keeper. A natural striker puts that across towards the far post taking the keeper out of the equation. Top strikers do miss chances as you say but when they do it's almost a shock, you expect the likes of Kane to bury their chances, you don't with Martial, you hope.He did play better than lately and I guess that's a positive but pl is strange this season. Of all the top teams there seems to be a lack of quality strikers.

 

[Sayros]

At this level, that needs to be finished. To do so, you make it as difficult as you can for their keeper. Putting at the near post gives the keeper a chance, not even putting in the corner as well made it easier for keeper. A natural striker puts that across towards the far post taking the keeper out of the equation. Top strikers do miss chances as you say but when they do it's almost a shock, you expect the likes of Kane to bury their chances, you don't with Martial, you hope.He did play better than lately and I guess that's a positive but pl is strange this season. Of all the top teams there seems to be a lack of quality strikers.

Quality strikers are a rare breed to begin with, and even more so in recent times. It wasn't too long ago that you'd also be shocked when Martial would miss 1v1 because he was a solid finisher even when he was struggling in his all-around game; he was the one you'd back on the team to get you a goal if you presented him with a 1v1, but now it's almost expected for him to miss given how poor he has been, and I don't even feel it's the goalkeepers getting the read on him, but more so him just not striking the ball the way he used to and bailing out the keeper with a weak and poorly-placed shot.

Wasn't it Ruud though that said goals were like ketchup? I think once he gets a few going, he'll average out to something decent by the end of the season, at least that's the hope otherwise he's just going to be a very expensive squad player.

 

[laughtersassassin]

I really think it's time we go out and sign a World Class striker.

For years we have been signing stop gap or trying to promote from within and it just isn't working. Since 2013 we've had Falcao, Ibra, Cavani and Igalho. Very clear pattern.

Doing it once so you can get your best target is smart. Doing it 4 times so you can save money is not.

Lukaku was our only attempt post Fergie and he is gone a while now. Time to spend the money we got for him.

Like what looks better

1. Rashford Greenwood/Martial Sancho

Or


2 . Rashford Halaand Greenwood/Amad

Given the option I'm taking number two all day.
With number 1 we'd need to buy another stop gap striker to help Martial and Greenwood out.

 

[poleglass red]

Quality strikers are a rare breed to begin with, and even more so in recent times. It wasn't too long ago that you'd also be shocked when Martial would miss 1v1 because he was a solid finisher even when he was struggling in his all-around game; he was the one you'd back on the team to get you a goal if you presented him with a 1v1, but now it's almost expected for him to miss given how poor he has been, and I don't even feel it's the goalkeepers getting the read on him, but more so him just not striking the ball the way he used to and bailing out the keeper with a weak and poorly-placed shot.

Wasn't it Ruud though that said goals were like ketchup? I think once he gets a few going, he'll average out to something decent by the end of the season, at least that's the hope otherwise he's just going to be a very expensive squad player.

not a lot around these days as teams move to more fluid formations where goals are shared around. Top 4 goalscorers in pl are Salah, Kane, Bruno and Son. 3 of them arguably aren't even strikers. There are still some around, obviously Haaland springs to mind. Liverpool won pl last season, Firminho isn't a goalscoring centre forward in that team, City will win this season, yet played most of it without a recognised striker. we need to address our inability at times to break down defences, move away from simply counter attacking as we have seen against relegation teams that doesn't work.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

I really think it's time we go out and sign a World Class striker.

For years we have been signing stop gap or trying to promote from within and it just isn't working. Since 2013 we've had Falcao, Ibra, Cavani and Igalho. Very clear pattern.

Doing it once so you can get your best target is smart. Doing it 4 times so you can save money is not.

Lukaku was our only attempt post Fergie and he is gone a while now. Time to spend the money we got for him.

Like what looks better

1. Rashford Greenwood/Martial Sancho

Or


2 . Rashford Halaand Greenwood/Amad

Given the option I'm taking number two all day.
With number 1 we'd need to buy another stop gap striker to help Martial and Greenwood out.

I’m all for signing a number 9 if there is a good one available. I was hoping this was the season Martial kicked on, hasn’t happened and for all Cavani’s workrate and running around he is suffering the United curse a bit as well. We just don’t create or get enough people in to positions with genuine chances to score. I worry Haaland would suffer the same fate as I just don’t see him scoring as much as he has been doing in the prem. certainly not the way we play and certainly not with the trio you have in your 2nd line up. Two of them just rarely pass or have any creative vision. The little I’ve seen of Amad he seems to be very selfless and has an eye for a pass in the crucial moments so maybe he’d be better.

or Martial, Haaland, Rashford. Or bring in Sancho/Grealish and go Rashford/Grealish/Sancho, Haaland, Rashford/Sancho.

Bruno would need to adjust his game for me as well and play less as a striker and be more involved in midfield.

Feel like we’ll probably give Martail another year with Cavani and Greenwood competing then next year maybe try for Haaland.

 

[Judas]

Appalling display from him again. When he plays like that he's one of the easiest "strikers" to play against in the PL.