Is Martial closer to a traditional no.10 than a no.9?

[mariachi-19]

Watching Tony and what is obvious is that he enjoys dropping deeper and moving the ball forward and bouncing it off players around him. He's almost Cantona esque in that regard.

It seems to me that he's a player that would benefit alot more from having a striker in front of him that will work with him in movement into good areas ala Hughes or Cole.

 

[Ander herrera the warrior]

Yes I agree. If we sign Haaland in January, we should only use either Martial or Pogba in the number 10 role or else we will have no creativity upfront at all.

 

[HowYouDoin]

No. He is a number 9, just not a very good one. He has regressed since his first season with United I think.

 

[Josep Dowling]

He got a bumper new contract last year. He’s been given his favoured position. He’s been given his favoured shirt number.

Excuses are constantly made for him. The truth is he doesn’t work hard enough, especially off the ball. His lack of movement is why we don’t score goals. He’s never in the box as well. How can we score goals from wide positions if our centre forward decides to drift wide as well?

Tired of the excuses for him. Hopefully us signing another striker will be the kick up the backside he needs.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

He can't pass, his short passing is abysmal. Movement just isn't there at times but his dribbling is great and finishing is good.

Martial just isn't the player everyone thought he was at 19, people need to accept that.

 

[Obiorahking_]

Nope. He is simply in bad form right now. He needs competition.

 

[Art Vandelay]

He should be closer to the exit door than anything.

 

[MikeKing]

Nah, don't think so but we've yet to see him with another striker up top in this system, maybe it will work. He can certainly hold the ball up at times, and nobody is really around him when he does. I think another striker could both free him up to get in the box and run in behind, as well as give him more space when he turns a player.

Martial could form a dangerous partnership with someone. If that striker is good in the press and works his socks off then it really wouldn't be anything other than a great upgrade from Lingard to Martial.

 

[2 man midfield]

I don’t think even he knows where his best position is. I doubt it’s at number 10 though, as he lacks almost every aspect of what a top drawer one has.

 

[noodlehair]

I remember Ole saying near the start of the season he wanted him in the box scoring goals, not out wide or trying to curl shots in from 30 yards.

He's either not getting the message or deliberately ignoring it. Should probably be dropped. I was surprised it was Lingard and not him who came off today as I thought he needed to be hooked off to make a point to him if nothing else.

Doubt Shaw or Bissaka would be left on the pitch if they decided to wander about in central midfield instead of doing their jobs.

 

[lsd]

He is closer to a statue than a footballer

 

[Invictus]

While Martial could function as a sort of second striker with a hardworking #9 like Jiménez to led the charge and constantly bring him into the game, he's not at #10 in the traditional sense of the term because he is a bit too lackadaisical with regard to defensive awareness/application and isn't most accomplished passer in terms of galvanizing the team or orchestrating our patterns. Especially considering the meta-game where your proactive defensive scheme starts from the front. Just think of how vulnerable our spine would be with this combination in the central midfield zones:

Martial (10)
Pogba (8) McTominay (6)​

As started previously, Martial doesn't press with intensity or track back consistently (compared with say Rooney).
Pogba's defensive acuity has improved but he switches off from time to time. Folks cite France's 2016 World Cup campaign to refute the claim that he is at his best in a midfield 3, but Griezmann was defensively shrewd after training under Simeone at Atlético — and most importantly, they had the irrepressible Kanté to pick up the slack.
McTominay is not a dedicated holding midfielder.

We just do not possess the precise personnel in midfield or on the flanks (in a narrow shape) to experiment with Martial as a second striker. He needs to cement his spot in the current configuration because he is in genuine danger of being upstaged by Greenwood over the coming months, and potentially Håland if he joins United to provide a direct threat in the box.

 

[acnumber9]

I know some here have an unexplainable love for Martial but Cantonaesque? Jesus Christ.

 

[Florida Man]

Here’s a novel idea. Let’s get an actual #10 and stop shoehorning overrated players.

 

[BaneIsPain]

Let’s hope Haaland coming in will ignite fire inside of Martial.

 

[RedDevil@84]

I don't really see him doing any better in no 10. He is a talent who seems to play well or not depending on hundreds of things. I wanted him to become an absolute beast. But somehow I don't think he has an enormous amount of zeal. I am kind of inclined to think, it is not gonna happen for him. He will be a useful player though.

 

[harms]

No, he's not even remotely creative enough. The fact that we have Lingard and Pereira as our current number 10's doesn't mean that the position requirements changed, it's just that we don't have anyone for that spot.

 

[mariachi-19]

I know some here have an unexplainable love for Martial but Cantonaesque? Jesus Christ.

He's Cantonaesque in that he glides past players and is constantly looking for players to link up with through the middle of the park.

He's not a no.10 in the guise of Rooney or Totti, but more like a withdrawn 9.

 

[Champagne Football]

If we land Erling, then Martial is finished at Utd. He'll be no more than a squad player. A decent squad player to have but with endless question marks about his attitude, I think the management will be thinking he does not fit the dressing room culture they are trying to implement.

 

[harms]

He's Cantonaesque in that he glides past players and is constantly looking for players to link up with through the middle of the park.

He's not a no.10 in the guise of Rooney or Totti, but more like a withdrawn 9.

Henry's comparison is a bit lazy but I'd choose him as a point of reference. Still very a much a number 9 though, even though he's not a Shearer-esque figure up front.

 

[Hawks2008]

Nah no way, doesn't work hard enough, he isn't clever enough between the lines, doesn't have game breaking passing, and isn't a shooting threat from outside the box. He just isn't suited to the role, he's a forward not a midfielder.

 

[Web of Bissaka]

Not a 10, more like a SS.

 

[Mr PG]

Doesn’t have enough fight in him. Said many times before.... Greenwood ahead of martial for me. Imagine Pogba at 10 feeding balls to Greenwood in the middle and Rashford on the left James on the right.

 

[Sterling Archer]

He's Cantonaesque in that he glides past players and is constantly looking for players to link up with through the middle of the park.

He's not a no.10 in the guise of Rooney or Totti, but more like a withdrawn 9.

Sounds like you didn't actually watch Cantona if you're comparing Martial to him. Strange comparison, surely you mean another player

 

[Judas]

Comparing him to Cantona in anyway surely has to be the peak of over praise for this lad.

This idea or him being a number ten (which seems like a terrible one to me) is getting thrown around a lot now as people are oddly worried we’ll replace him as a number 9 with someone who will potentially perform more often and deliver the numbers we need from our main centre forward.

 

[Sky1981]

This rooney cycle again.

We should be ruthless with our players, bought as a 9, play or benched as a 9. All this rotations and position changing is detrimental towards both the team and the players. Over the last 4 years we have been giving Martial blank slate because we don't even know what's his position, we always have that benefits of doubt, waiting and asking what ifs. He's a 9, he's an 11, he's a 10, if he fails at a 10 he's originally a 9, give him a run at 11, repeat ad infinitum. I don't think it's good for the player to have to relearn, rebuilt his body, changes his habit/approach to learn a new position all over again.

 

[Red_toad]

He's Cantonaesque in that he glides past players and is constantly looking for players to link up with through the middle of the park.

He's not a no.10 in the guise of Rooney or Totti, but more like a withdrawn 9.

Sorry but nothing about him is remotely similar to Eric other than his passport. Martial doesn’t work hard enough and vanishes when the going gets tough. All things he can improve, if he has the desire to do so.

 

[LucasXXII]

Probably has too many inherent flaws as a player to be a starter for a club of United's ambitions. People can say that movements, key passes, etc. are not his thing but that just makes him a bit of a specialist (ironically, Lukaku is also a specialist but lambasted instead mainly because his style is not easy on the eye).

In the long term he should be welcomed as a rotational player, but a guaranteed starter like he is now? Nah.

 

[Skills]

He's a 9. It's just that our movement in general is so poor, that's the only space he can get into to get involved.

 

[Nuel]

He got a bumper new contract last year. He’s been given his favoured position. He’s been given his favoured shirt number.

Excuses are constantly made for him. The truth is he doesn’t work hard enough, especially off the ball. His lack of movement is why we don’t score goals. He’s never in the box as well. How can we score goals from wide positions if our centre forward decides to drift wide as well?

Tired of the excuses for him. Hopefully us signing another striker will be the kick up the backside he needs.

I think Martial drifting wide during buildup phase is him following a tactical instruction. He connects with the winger with the ball (usually James), to help move the ball and create space for the other winger to attack and score (usually Rashford). Part of the problem is that he doesn't run with rage like prime Rooney to join the attack he helped orchestrate which is baffling cause he actually has the speed to.

 

[DoomSlayer]

I think Martial drifting wide during buildup phase is him following a tactical instruction. He connects with the winger with the ball (usually James), to help move the ball and create space for the other winger to attack and score (usually Rashford). Part of the problem is that he doesn't run with rage like prime Rooney to join the attack he helped orchestrate which is baffling cause he actually has the speed to.

I'm fed up of seeing him outside the box when a dangerous ball is put in. People slate Rashford, but he always tries to occupy the back post, he can't be in 2 places at the same time, while Martial is nowhere to be seen, the centre of the box or the near post are almost always empty.

 

[Foxbatt]

Why not cut back a few to where Martial may want the ball to be played? If it's done and then he doesn't score it's fair to have a go at him.

 

[The Cat]

He is closer to a statue than a footballer

So more of a Number 2 then?

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Anyone who is comparing Martial to Cantona has clearly never watched the former. Not surprising I suppose given he retired nearly 25 years ago - but in trying to be clever, you have showed your ignorance.

back to the OPs original question, my answer is that he’s closer to a traditional no. 12.

a good player on his day, but not showing the level of consistency required.

 

[Andycoleno9]

He is a striker. And there he is natural. He can play on right wing as backup position. And that is it.
Why we try to find new positions to players where they play badly few games? And over and over again. Shaw as dmc, Awb as dc, Lingard as mc, Jones as dmc...

 

[Chaky_Best]

He needs to have a clear look at his level.

He was atrocious against Everton and as usual, when he doesnt score, he's absolutely poor.

Hope we sign a striker and Martial goes crying on the bench again.

Doesn't have the attitude, the work ethic to be the best number 9.

Jose was right

 

[Denis79]

Nr 9 is his position, way too static to play the 10 role and his passing falls short as well. Martial has a lot of the tools needed for a good nr 9, just a bit too static at times in my opinion. I watched Martial more closely yesterday, when he wasn't directly involved in the play, he certainly doesn't move much, seldom does a run for a potential through ball and is often blocked by a defender without any intention to move in a open space to give options to the ball holder. I know it's not a tactical choice because the times Rashford played as the nr 9, he moves around constantly. If Martial had Rashfords movement and mentality he would probably be a monster up front.

 

[djembatheking]

How the feck does anyone compare Tony feckin Martial to Eric?

 

[Bebestation]

He is a False 9 - a mix between a CAM and a number 9.

No one was that enthralled by Firmino until Mane & Salah started becoming the main attacking threat as the players AROUND him.

You cant have Daniel James playing next to Firmino and wondering why he doesn't score goals and get in to the box

Martial will never be good as Firmino but I'm cool with that because false 9's are useful players tactically if used right and Martial is one of better ones in the PL.

The problem is that the fans are not wanting this as our main tactic anymore and it can be understood when you have Rashford on one side playing like Ronaldo, Martial dropping deep to collect the ball from the defence and James whipping crosses in to no one.

Get more left footed attackers in to get a bit of symmetry in to our squad then we can start using players like Martial as a False 9 or as a striker in partnership playing on the left using his stronger right foot whilst a player like Haaland or Greenwood uses their left foot.

 

[Scholsey2004]

Not a cat in hell's chance Martial could play as a 10 effectively. We need a striker who'll score more regularly and a creative 10. Martial should be back up for a new striker and Rashford on the left wing. How he's on £250k a week having proved so little in his time here says a lot about how the club has been run post David Gill.