Rene Meulensteen urges United to replace Martial as starting CF

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

“The front three works, I have to say, but they’re obviously very young, especially with [Mason] Greenwood," Meulensteen told talkSPORT.

“I can see a more experienced player coming in, but that depends on whether they want to play with a real out-and-out striker, because they don’t really have one.

“Obviously Martial can play there and plays it in his way, so does Rashford, but he’s not an out-and-out striker like for example Lewandowski or Kane.

“With all the strength United have going forward, I think a really top, top striker who you know is going to score 20 goals-plus every season would be a massive help.”

Source- Manchester Evening News

I’ve seen a few pundits/ex-players suggest this. Feels like a lazy critique to me. Makes me just think he hasn’t been watching us play because Martial is in very good form & fits our system far better than a Kane or a Lewandowski. It’s pretty clear that we’re in desperate need of a top class right winger.

The number of pundits I’ve seen with the same lazy “replace Martial with Kane” nonsense just shows me that none of them actually watch us play. Kane would look awful in our team. It’d be Lukaku all over again.

 

[Oldyella]

Lewandowski would obviously work, hes too good not to improve the team, but would much rather stick with Martial than Kane

 

[Owngoalscorer]

clickbait ...

 

[ManRed]

Rene has lost it in recent months. Here is another recent gem comparing Lingard to Iniesta

https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/je...lensteen-alex-ferguson-man-utd-compares-coach

 

[Bwuk]

He’s got 17 in the league and he’s been out injured at points.

It wouldn’t be hugely surprising if he hit 20 either.

 

[DWelbz19]

 

[E-mal]

You begin to wonder what they are watching especially seeing that they are supposed to be more knowledgeable than your average football fan.
Martial is playing as a striker, he has superior hold up play than 90% of your out and out strkers, superior finishing ability and has the added advantage of dribbling, vision, pace and fluidity; something Kane and Lewandoski do not have.

Anyways, Rene's opinion is irrelevant considering how he has failed as a manager himself. It is different from being a number 3 to becoming number 1 and making decisions.

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

clickbait ...

Not really. He’s saying we need a top class striker like Kane or Lewandowski. That’s replacing Martial.

 

[LawCharltonBest]

Title is misleading

He never mentions replacing Martial and we need more than 3 top forwards.

 

[Nou_Camp99]

Firmino isn't an out and out striker and they are current CL n PL holders (yuck) so this is pure nonsense. If you have two wide forwards who score goals then your number 9 doesn't have to be and out and out forward.

Rashford Martial Sancho (with Greenwood) would be among the best forward lines anywhere in the world.

 

[Adisa]

There's a higher chance of seeing pigs fly than a pundit not resorting to cliches.
How on God's earth is Martial not playing like an out and out striker?

 

[FrankDrebin]

Is he still looking for a job ?

 

[Feed Me]

Rene is a bit of a cnut. Couldn’t cut the mustard without the genius of Fergie.

 

[Maticmaker]

“The front three works, I have to say, but they’re obviously very young, especially with [Mason] Greenwood," Meulensteen told talkSPORT.

“I can see a more experienced player coming in, but that depends on whether they want to play with a real out-and-out striker, because they don’t really have one.

“Obviously Martial can play there and plays it in his way, so does Rashford, but he’s not an out-and-out striker like for example Lewandowski or Kane.

“With all the strength United have going forward, I think a really top, top striker who you know is going to score 20 goals-plus every season would be a massive help.”

Source- Manchester Evening News

I’ve seen a few pundits/ex-players suggest this. Feels like a lazy critique to me. Makes me just think he hasn’t been watching us play because Martial is in very good form & fits our system far better than a Kane or a Lewandowski. It’s pretty clear that we’re in desperate need of a top class right winger.

The number of pundits I’ve seen with the same lazy “replace Martial with Kane” nonsense just shows me that none of them actually watch us play. Kane would look awful in our team. It’d be Lukaku all over again.

I agree with you, if our front three can 'pick-n-mix' so to speak, with Martial, Rashford and Greenwood becoming interchangeable up front then the footballing 'canvas' this allows such as Fernandez and Pogba to develop in their roles is almost unlimited. Our biggest problem is (still) what to do when Matic final wears out. We saw against Palace the difference he makes as a true out and out DM. McTominay is going to be an excellent box-to-box mid-fielder in time, but he's not what we need to replace Matic, even though he has the physicality.

 

[Stretender]

“The front three works, I have to say, but they’re obviously very young, especially with [Mason] Greenwood," Meulensteen told talkSPORT.

“I can see a more experienced player coming in, but that depends on whether they want to play with a real out-and-out striker, because they don’t really have one.

“Obviously Martial can play there and plays it in his way, so does Rashford, but he’s not an out-and-out striker like for example Lewandowski or Kane.

“With all the strength United have going forward, I think a really top, top striker who you know is going to score 20 goals-plus every season would be a massive help.”

Source- Manchester Evening News

I’ve seen a few pundits/ex-players suggest this. Feels like a lazy critique to me. Makes me just think he hasn’t been watching us play because Martial is in very good form & fits our system far better than a Kane or a Lewandowski. It’s pretty clear that we’re in desperate need of a top class right winger.

The number of pundits I’ve seen with the same lazy “replace Martial with Kane” nonsense just shows me that none of them actually watch us play. Kane would look awful in our team. It’d be Lukaku all over again.

I think Manchester United need a striker but it doesn't have to be Harry Kane or Lewandowski. That striker should be in addition to our current front 3, who are good in my opinion but if Martial got injured the dynamics change. I know people will say we have Ighalo, but am talking about a clinical sure thing here. Someone who could have buried the Rashford and Martial missed chances against Southampton. I think we should go back for Haaland. I want a strike force that strikes fear in opposition at Old Trafford before the match has even started. We are getting there at the moment. Lets get our fear factor back.

 

[Mainoldo]

This is why Phelan and his shorts need to go too. Who know’s what he’s suggesting.

 

[kouroux]

Title is misleading

He never mentions replacing Martial and we need more than 3 top forwards.

He clearly means it though.

 

[izec]

Clueless

 

[Buchan]

He’s never gotten over Moyes fecking him off, has he?

 

[JPRouve]

He clearly means it though.

He clearly says it, he says that Martial isn't an out and out striker and that United needs one like Lewandowski or Kane. It takes some work to not understand that he is talking about replacing the current starting striker.

 

[E-mal]

I agree with you, if our front three can 'pick-n-mix' so to speak, with Martial, Rashford and Greenwood becoming interchangeable up front then the footballing 'canvas' this allows such as Fernandez and Pogba to develop in their roles is almost unlimited. Our biggest problem is (still) what to do when Matic final wears out. We saw against Palace the difference he makes as a true out and out DM. McTominay is going to be an excellent box-to-box mid-fielder in time, but he's not what we need to replace Matic, even though he has the physicality.

I have said basically in most threads, if you want someone with little drop off in quality, then get Neves.
We could even do a player(Fred) + cash for him if Fred is interested because both Fred and Scott are box to box really and none of them are true DCM.

 

[kouroux]

He clearly says it, he says that Martial isn't an out and out striker and that United needs one like Lewandowski or Kane. It takes some work to not understand that he is talking about replacing the current starting striker.

Which makes you wonder what he is actually watching.

 

[DannyDee]

Lewandoski is world class, he'd improve any team he went to. But, do people not realize Liverpool just won the league without an elite goal-scoring #9 in Firimino because they rely on their goals to come from there attacking wingers/wide forwards in Mane and Saleh, with #9 taked with playing in those guys (combined with crossing from their left and right backs in a packed box?). There is more than one way to skin-a-cat. Do, I miss the assurances a guy like RVN or RVP provided, yes. But, our last CL winning team relied heavily on a #9 in name who was used to play-in guys like Ronaldo off the wing, and basically the interchanging attacking front 3 of Tevez, Rooney and Ronaldo, who could fluidly drift into different attacking roles. If we had the delivery to the box from guys like Giggs, Beckham and Irwin, a true poaching #9 would be great, but that isn't what are current attack is built around. Its built around fluid-play and players shifting roles in the front 3 with Bruno having the freedom to rove to where he sees fit.

I also don't see him referencing getting rid of Martial. He seems to be saying that neither Rashford or Martial are the typical poaching/target men #9 alot of successful clubs were historically built around. But, you've seen very strong teams recently win a lot with a dynamic changing front 3 like Ronaldo/Benzema/Bale (or Isco) or Pedro/Messi/Villa. Now, those two line-ups have two of the greatest players ever, but neither possessed an out and out #9.

I'd also add Martial scores a hell of a lot of goals from open play, and almost never takes penalties or FK's. Not that it isn't great other #9's are doing that successfully for their teams, but if you have a midfielder who does those things at a high level, it will somewhat depress the numbers of the strikers who don' do that in comparrison, even if its because the team they play on possesses someone who just happens to be elite at those (Bruno seems designated on most dead-ball situations going forward).

 

[Pexbo]

Well there’s a headline which bares no relation to the content.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

I'm starting to think he's the one who suggested Sir Alex to signed Berbatov because neither Tevez & Rooney are real out-and-out striker

 

[Gerald G]

Firmino isn't an out and out striker and they are current CL n PL holders (yuck) so this is pure nonsense. If you have two wide forwards who score goals then your number 9 doesn't have to be and out and out forward.

Rashford Martial Sancho (with Greenwood) would be among the best forward lines anywhere in the world.

100% agree here

 

[Cassidy]

Well there’s a headline which bares no relation to the content.

Except it does, unless you think signing a top 20 goal a season striker is for the bench incase Martial gets injured...

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Title is misleading

He never mentions replacing Martial and we need more than 3 top forwards.

I’ve seen a few people say this & im not understanding how. He’s saying we need a top class striker like Kane or Lewandowski. Who currently occupies that position? Who would be losing his place? Even if it meant pushing Martial to the wing he’s still saying we need to replace him at centre forward.

Well there’s a headline which bares no relation to the content.

He’s saying we need a top class striker. Who is currently our starting striker? Martial. Bringing in a top class striker means replacing Martial as starting striker. Why are so many people struggling to understand that?

 

[Red00012]

Speaking like someone who hasn’t watched Utd play since January.

 

[Gerald G]

I feel like this is very old school thinking. Back in the early 2000s and earlier you probably did need an out-and-out number 9, but football has moved on since then and it isn't required. As others have mentioned, Liverpool won the league (by some distance) and won the CL without a goalscoring striker. This has been Martial's first season purely playing as a #9 and he has put up very good numbers despite being out for two months and playing with zero midfield creativity for half a season.

We don't need an out-and-out number 9, we don't play that way. We have a fluid front three and I'm liking it right now. Bring in Sancho and we're all good in going forward. It's not like we play a 4-4-2 with two #9's and traditional wide men. Football has changed so much since those days. Pundits I here talking about stuff like this seem to be stuck in the past

 

[rcoobc]

Getting a world class out an out striker seems to be the easiest way to improve our squad.

We could play 4-4-2 or rotate Martial, Greenwood and Rashford.

 

[Dan_F]

He’s shown better number 9 skills in the last few games than Lukaku showed in his whole time here. I don’t understand how you can watch the games and think that is the position that needs a replacement.

 

[JPRouve]

Getting a world class out an out striker seems to be the easiest way to improve our squad.

We could play 4-4-2 or rotate Martial, Greenwood and Rashford.

How does that improve our team when 442 doesn't suit our attackers and midfielders?

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Getting a world class out an out striker seems to be the easiest way to improve our squad.

We could play 4-4-2 or rotate Martial, Greenwood and Rashford.

How are we going to play Pogba, Fernandes, Rashford, Martial & another world class striker in a 442?

 

[Woodzy]

There's many times a lot of people including myself have doubted Martial throughout the season, but I don't understand how right now could be one of our times for anyone.

 

[Varun]

Getting a world class out an out striker seems to be the easiest way to improve our squad.

We could play 4-4-2 or rotate Martial, Greenwood and Rashford.

A tiny problem with that being a) our attack and mids aren't built for that formation and b) neither martial nor Rashford play RW to a semi Decent level

 

[Tarrou]

I've often thought adding world class strikers to teams improves them too

Seriously though, I wouldn't swap Kane for Martial right now

 

[harms]

I’ve seen a few pundits/ex-players suggest this. Feels like a lazy critique to me. Makes me just think he hasn’t been watching us play because Martial is in very good form & fits our system far better than a Kane or a Lewandowski. It’s pretty clear that we’re in desperate need of a top class right winger.

Lewandowski would actually fit pretty well to this fluid system, he has a very wide set of skills. But Lewandowski in his current form is a Ballon d'Or candidate, of course he would improve us

And he's not going anywhere, there aren't any reasonable alternatives and there's no real need to replace Martial (I'd rather see Sancho come in and compete for one of the front three spots alongside Rashford, Martial & Greenwood).

 

[Pexbo]

Except it does, unless you think signing a top 20 goal a season striker is for the bench incase Martial gets injured...

He’s saying we need a top class striker. Who is currently our starting striker? Martial. Bringing in a top class striker means replacing Martial as starting striker. Why are so many people struggling to understand that?

The updated title is much closer to the truth. I was disputing the idea that he had identified Martial as a weak link and one we should replace with a better striker when he actually said Greenwood is inexperienced and lumped both Martial and Rashford in the “play their own way“ category.

It’s a completely daft idea whatever way you look at it. The Martial and Rashford is blossoming and beginning to be worth more than the sum of it’s parts.

 

[JPRouve]

I've often thought adding world class strikers to teams improves them too

Seriously though, I wouldn't swap Kane for Martial right now

The problem is that it depends on the team itself, on the internal dynamic of the team. Lewandowski is the best striker in the world and the only one able to do everything. Everyone else is system dependent and in my opinion Martial is the best fit for for us, in our current system Griezmann could be an option but he isn't worth it, he is too expensive, Bobby No Goals isn't an option and Kane hasn't been Kane since the WC.

Should we bring a talented attacker? Absolutely none of our players should feel that they immovable but it could easily be a wide player with Greenwood genuinely competing with Martial.