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

[RUCK4444]

Yes... Because Ighalo is a true number 9. You can rely on him to be in the right position to play up to him, ultimately it improves our attacks having that focal point. His positioning as a no 9, movement in central areas and hold up play right now are better.

Martial is technically superior, there is no debating that. However, for functionality, we need to play with a true no. 9. Martial gets into the side but as the LF/LW

In a perfect world that number 9 is Kane.

 

[Cloud7]

Here we go again. Why is it that anytime a player does well, we automatically have to turn it into a battle with them vs another one of our players? Why can we not just be happy to have more than one competent player?

To answer your question, no I do not prefer it. Martial is a better player, but it’s good to have someone else in now that can chip in with some goals.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Yes.

Martial is a better player, but he's not really a striker

Ighalo just seems to 'know' the strikers role better. He holds the ball up, then gets into position to get the next ball or make a run to make space for other players.

Martial doesn't want to hold the ball up, he wants to be running through.

I don't mind Martial as a number 9 and it's lethal with Rashford playing too but Ighalo looks like he fits our team. It's a tough one.

Do people actually watch the same game? Martial's best traits as a 9 are literally his hold up play and playmaking for our other runners, along with finishing. With Rashford playing inside left the two were excellent together.

 

[gerdm07]

And missed all one on one chances so far in United shirt? Yes, that is him.

I mean, he can be good backup and i will not mind having him as backup if he keeps doing well but overreaction is insane

I think he is better at holding up the ball than Martial. Does anyone really disagree? He also might be a better natural goal scorer but I need to see more to make that kind of observation.

I think our best forward line is

Martial.....Igahlo......Jame/Greenwood

and I believe we will see it soon. Ole is wisely slowly making the move to this.

 

[GazTheLegend]

Do people actually watch the same game? Martial's best traits as a 9 are literally his hold up play and playmaking for our other runners, along with finishing. With Rashford playing inside left the two were excellent together.

I watch Martial get bullied off the ball all the time

I watch the ball flash across the box with Martial standing at the edge of the area on the regular

I watch the ball break in the box and get cleared because nobody is near it

Football is a game of opinions. I love Martial - you put him through on goal and he is ICE cold. He can beat three players then dig it over a goalkeeper.

But his hold up play is NOT good so yeah I dunno what you're talking about

Incidentally Rio is literally talking about this sort of hold up play right now on BTsport so I'm not the only one that's noticed this

 

[Foxbatt]

I like Martial but Ighalo as a CF is a much better option. I actually would like to see both of the play up front together with Ighalo leading the line and Martial dropping deep. We should forget about wingers etc.

 

[Judas]

Ighalo is a proper striker, a true number 9, Martial isn't, never has been, don't believe he ever will be, not for a top team anyway. Doesn't mean Martial can't be of use to this team, but yeah I think you can get more out of a lot of our players, with someone like Ighalo spearheading the attack.

 

[Kag]

No. But Martial could learn a thing or two from his movement in the box.

There hasn’t been a game (and this includes five/ten minutes cameos) in which Ighalo hasn’t been straight through on goal in and around the box. It’s not coincidence; he just knows where to be.

I think they’d dovetail nicely if we ever play two up top.

 

[JJ12]

Is this the same Ighalo that looks like he can't control the ball at times?

Eh?

 

[Cassidy]

No. But Martial could learn a thing or two from his movement in the box.

There hasn’t been a game (and this includes five/ten minutes cameos) in which Ighalo hasn’t been straight through on goal in and around the box. It’s not coincidence; he just knows where to be.

I think they’d dovetail nicely if we ever play two up top.

Would love to see this

 

[arnie_ni]

Possibly prefer the ighalo style of player as a 9 but if your putting out our best team, its martial.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

I watch Martial get bullied off the ball all the time

I watch the ball flash across the box with Martial standing at the edge of the area on the regular

I watch the ball break in the box and get cleared because nobody is near it

Football is a game of opinions. I love Martial - you put him through on goal and he is ICE cold. He can beat three players then dig it over a goalkeeper.

But his hold up play is NOT good so yeah I dunno what you're talking about

Incidentally Rio is literally talking about this sort of hold up play right now on BTsport so I'm not the only one that's noticed this

He was lauded for his hold up play all year, and every striker fecks it up now and again. I agree that he isn't as good inside the box positionally, but to say Ighalo is way better holding the ball up I simply disagree with. This was a myth with Lukaku as well with his hold up play considered to be good just because he was big bodied, when in reality he lost the ball countless times do to poor touch or getting bullied compared to the times it actually helped an attack.

 

[ICHM]

We should sign him permanently.

 

[Ace of Spades]

Martial just needs to learn a few things from him, overall Martial is just a better player.

We should look for a permanent back up option though, just being able to rest players is very important.

 

[tomaldinho1]

Nope
Different players anyway

 

[wolvored]

Its hard to compare as one has been here all season and as had as many good games as he had bad, and the other has only just arrived. As a No 9 Martial is bang average and doesnt seem to realise the striker should always get into the box when an attack is happening, not run off to the left of it. Ighalo isnt a top striker either, but knows where to stand as a striker. I would imagine he may have scored more goals than Martial if he had have had the same number of games as the striker.

 

[TheRedHearted]

He's the better striker, but not better player overall. He's near to useless in the buildup plays compared to Martial. I prefer him playing vs similar oppos, however not with anything better than that.

But his ability to take a touch and turn and slink a pass is strong.

i think they both should play. Martial likes to drop deeper and can play a 1-2 with Ighalo and martial can explode into space.
Pogba (if he ever returns), Bruno, Fred and Mctominay can create a strong midfield. Pogba creating the width on the left and Bruno on the right, but otherwise a team that attacks narrow and through the middle.

 

[MikeKing]

Ighalo found his style a long time ago, Martial is still adjusting. Obviously that can be quite disappointing because Martial has great talent, but right now I can see how Ighalo's playing style will give us another dimension against the smaller clubs. In some games, I definitely prefer him to Martial, especially right now where Martial looks in pretty bad playing form.

 

[Sparky Rhiwabon]

Surely in the short term Ighalo (the better no.9 for sure) could play with Martial in Rashford's left hand side role?

 

[TheRedHearted]

Sounds about right

I don’t think so. He would have the same role in Cup games and against low blocks where his physicality helps him.

 

[Raven]

This is going to look really silly soon.

 

[Random Task]

Ed is in dreamland right now. If Ighalo turns out to be a success, he can reward him with a full-time contract and forego the option of buying a striker in the summer.

Winner winner, chicken dinner.

 

[ReddBalls]

Surely in the short term Ighalo (the better no.9 for sure) could play with Martial in Rashford's left hand side role?

Seemed to me like Ole experimented with that when he subbed Martial on.

 

[Cliche Guevara]

I think he is better at holding up the ball than Martial. Does anyone really disagree? He also might be a better natural goal scorer but I need to see more to make that kind of observation.

I think our best forward line is

Martial.....Igahlo......Jame/Greenwood

and I believe we will see it soon. Ole is wisely slowly making the move to this.

I agree with this at least until Rashford comes back. James concentrating on being released in behind by Pogba/Bruno for crosses and cut-backs.

Pogba......Fred......Bruno

Behind them and that’s a pretty decent side for now.

 

[stevoc]

Uh no.

 

[Von Mistelroum]

By a long way. I don't see Martial as a real striker and it often shows.

 

[Infra-red]

We should sign him permanently.

I'm not convinced of that. I'd sooner see Ighalo playing as our #9 than Martial, but we should really be looking to upgrade on both players this summer.

 

[Rightnr]

Absolutely not. Ighalo looks good against these pub teams but he'll be played out of the game against the better sides.

Martial has that little bit of X factor and magic but he does need to work to get better in the striker role.

It would help if we create a few more chances for him as well.

 

[Foxbatt]

Yes but we can play both of them together as strikers with Martial dropping deep and Odion up front. It also means when Martial drops deep the Cbs will have to go with Martial and Odion up front would be one v one. I do not care if we do not have wingers but let both of them play up front together.

 

[OL29]

I don’t get this thread, it completely discounts the different aspects of playing up to focus on the one aspect we now Martial needs to improve upon. It’s good to have great movement but what about all the other attributes Ole seems to want from his cf? Flexibility, pace, a good touch, etc. Ighalo does look good but Martial brings a lot to the team as a striker (granted, when he’s in form). As an overall package, I’d stick with Martial currently.

 

[2 man midfield]

Here we go again. Why is it that anytime a player does well, we automatically have to turn it into a battle with them vs another one of our players?

That's what competition for places is? And talking about that is a perfectly normal thing to do on a football forum?

 

[el3mel]

I'll take any striker ahead of Martial. Martial should be a bench option for Rashford on the left.

 

[Scholsey2004]

Im not sure I see where Martial fits in long term. Rashford is miles ahead on the left and is still only 22, and if Martial is your main centre-forward you'll never score enough goals. He can't play on the right and he gets paid too much for a squad player. If we brought in a decent centre forward in the summer then I think there's a case for selling Martial.

 

[Greck]

Come on. We really haven't learned better than to judge new signings on the back of unsustainable early output. This time a couple months ago James was a surefire future star. Ighalo won't score every 77mins. That's balon dor territory. He'll still experience a big regression to the mean

 

[Scholsey2004]

I'm not convinced of that. I'd sooner see Ighalo playing as our #9 than Martial, but we should really be looking to upgrade on both players this summer.

If we brought in a first choice striker Ighalo would make a lot more sense as a backup than Martial. Lower wages, fan of the club so he'd be less likely to sulk.

 

[Tarrou]

I mean I like the guy but nah

he's definitely highlighted how badly we needed a player in this mould, but I hope we bring in someone better in the summer

Martial has done very well considering how lacklustre our midfield has been this season

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

Hope we can see them in together in a big game. Very refreshing to see a striker with a nose for goal and all over the box.

 

[ghagua]

If the question was who is the better player there would be no question, but what we need to win games is someone sticking the ball into the net and Ighalo seems to doing a great job of getting into positions to score. Martial is infuriating to watch sometimes. With Bruno creating chances, I would love to see Ighalo continue to start. We need a consistent goal scorer and I think we landed one. As long as he keeps scoring, I have no complaints. We need skill behind him to create chances for him, I am fine as long as he is sticking the ball into the back of the net.

 

[tenpoless]

If We play with only one striker, yes. It's not knee jerk reaction, a lone striker role suits Odion more than Martial who I believe will thrive in a two strikers setup.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

I can see Iglaho getting 8/9 goals for us during his loan spell and earning himself a contract and scoring 2 goals in total next season.

This is exactly what I've been saying worries me about this deal. Would be typical of us.