Up top: Does anyone else prefer seeing Ighalo over Martial?

Pexbo

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What does that even mean actual no9? How Martial is not that? He is quick, has lethal finishing and excellent technique. What else he needs?
Im not being funny but I feel like that’s the sort of thing you know the answer to if you follow football.
 

bosnian_red

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Bit different playing Brugges and Derby vs playing Everton away. Ighalo was bought as a backup to be used in these easier games. Hes doing that. Before, we had to start both Rashford and Martial always... which is why they pick up unnecessary injuries.
 

Cassidy

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he’s not a no. 9 though. Surely we all know that Martial as our first choice striker is not going to be good enough to consistently win trophies.

his best position is where Rashford plays.

he’s not Dong, and he’s a good player. A top class striker would benefit the team far more than just the goals scored.
In relation to this thread. He should start ahead of Ighalo. Should we get a better no9 if we can in the summer? Yes
 
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What does that even mean actual no9? How Martial is not that? He is quick, has lethal finishing and excellent technique. What else he needs?
to head the ball, hold it up, occupy centre backs, bring in midfielders, score the ugly goals etc etc.

his finishing is far from lethal either. He’s a good player, but nowhere near a no 9 for a decent side.
 

Josep Dowling

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What does that even mean actual no9? How Martial is not that? He is quick, has lethal finishing and excellent technique. What else he needs?
Positioning. Martial is never central and it’s a hindrance when we attack.
 

OleGunnar20

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For me, no.

But it is a concern than martial hasn't really fit into any position the last couple of years. He's awkward at times at both LW & CF, despite having huge talent.

So I really don't know where he should go long term, but no doubt we could improve upon him relatively easily with a talented, rounded CF.
 
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In relation to this thread. He should start ahead of Ighalo. Should we get a better no9 if we can in the summer? Yes
I’d start Ighalo and have Martial on the left whilst Rashford is out. When Rashford is back, I would then go with Rashford on the left and Martial as striker, and Ighalo as back up. We can definitely improve on Martial in the long term.

If Ighalo is happy being a back up, and willing to take a big pay cut, then he could be a good squad option for a couple of years.
 

hobbers

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You play Ighalo and bench Martial? Hahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahah, no. Don't be ridiculous. :rolleyes:

But if by some miracle we win the title in the next 2 or 3 years, it would be done with a new no.9 and Rashford playing from the left, and Martial playing more often than not from the bench.

In the mean time with Rashford injured, our best front four is clearly Martial on the left, Ighalo up front, Greenwood or James on the right and Fernandes playing behind the 3.
 
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davidmichael

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Ighalo is a decent back up option and gives us something completely different to Martial, that kind of diversity can be invaluable when trying something different against a team that we struggle to break down.

In reality though Martial fits the way we’re trying to play when everyone is fit which is with lots of pace up top, Rashford and Martial started to really get a good partnership going together and you’d think with Sancho maybe coming in and Fernandes creating that’ll only improve further.
 

Art Vandelay

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I wouldn't say a definite yes, but if he finds form then I don't see why not. Martial does feck all a lot of the time, Ighalo at least occupies defenders and makes the right runs which helps us as a team. If Ighalo finds form and Martial continues playing poorly then yeah.
 

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What does that even mean actual no9? How Martial is not that? He is quick, has lethal finishing and excellent technique. What else he needs?
He's static, he doesn't get into poaching positions, he doesn't have a striker's instinct in the box and he's often flat footed too.

He's everything you just said, but he's also everything I stated. You can be a very talented player and still not be suited to certain roles.
 

Andycoleno9

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Sense for positioning and movement
I agree that he needs to work about positioning. 100%. But his movement and even hold up play are not that bad like some people here say. There is no striker in the world who has all striker traits on maximum.
 

r0663664

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Obviously a yes. Knows where is the goals. Martial can play on the left for now. That's where he belongs.
 

Damien

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And some were bemoaning the signing of him. Way better to make moves in the transfer window to strengthen a problem position than just ignore it (see: Spurs on a four game losing run and Mourinho saying that Levy has to make a choice whether he wants Mourinho to focus on the league game against Burnley or the CL game against Leipzig and not both).
 

Denis79

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I agree that he needs to work about positioning. 100%. But his movement and even hold up play are not that bad like some people here say. There is no striker in the world who has all striker traits on maximum.
Martial has a lot of skill and is a great wide attacker or inside forward but he's a poor number9/poacher. It's not a coincidence that Ighalo gets those sitter chances.
 

Zen86

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And some were bemoaning the signing of him. Way better to make moves in the transfer window to strengthen a problem position than just ignore it (see: Spurs on a four game losing run and Mourinho saying that Levy has to make a choice whether he wants Mourinho to focus on the league game against Burnley or the CL game against Leipzig and not both).
Yep, oh how our standards had apparently fallen by signing him.
 

hobbers

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He knows his limits which is refreshing, keeps it simple.
It's incredible but I actually think I haven't seen him attempt a single stepover..

If only a certain other number 9 could have figured that trick out.
 

VP89

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And some were bemoaning the signing of him. Way better to make moves in the transfer window to strengthen a problem position than just ignore it (see: Spurs on a four game losing run and Mourinho saying that Levy has to make a choice whether he wants Mourinho to focus on the league game against Burnley or the CL game against Leipzig and not both).
I made this thread and I was one of the people bemoaning the signing of him. I just feel his natural position makes him look more suitable up top, and he's looking sharper as the minutes go by.

It's a nice problem to have, I don't really want to offend by suggesting he can displace Martial. Some posters are clearly less than impressed.
 

GazTheLegend

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Im not being funny but I feel like that’s the sort of thing you know the answer to if you follow football.
Something else comes to mind - like how many people got into football / man utd because of games like FIFA and how in that, pace, skill and finishing is literally everything

Nobody wants a Silva, a Giroud or a Mata in their ultimate team but holding up the play and intelligence are really hard to mimic in a sim. I've not played the latest FIFA's but I bet the likes of Martial are MONSTERS because of what he can do.
 

Pexbo

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So, are you saying that if he does well on his loan we should just give him the boot... cut him off?
Did you feel the same about Solskjaer?

Edit - Oh I get it. feck.
 

Mainoldo

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Yes. I just hope we by Troy Deeney to partner him for next season.
 

OldSchoolManc

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Ighalo gives us an actual focal point, by making the runs that pull defenders away and he’s a good finisher too!
It makes a big difference to our whole attack.
 

Brwned

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Martial's hold up play has been rubbish for a while now so if Ighalo was any good at that I'd be up for having him there. Doesn't seem great so far but he's clearly working his way back to fitness. It's nice having someone who actually knows where to be in the box but he's very limited.
 

OnlyTwoDaSilvas

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Martial is way more talented, but Ighalo gives the attack a lot of balance. He does what a centre forward should do, makes the right runs, takes up the right positions, holds up the ball, occupies the centre backs and constantly gives them something to think about

Martial is more capable of pulling a goal out of nothing and rinsing defenders, but he doesn't seem to have centre forward instincts. He drifts, and generally looks better to the left of a striker. That's fine in Rashford's absence. It's a problem when he's back as that's also where Rashford is best.