OSLO’s biggest pub was packed over three levels on Monday evening, the night before Manchester United beat Kristiansund 1-0 in a dull pre-season friendly. I was asked to host an interview between former players Jesper Blomqvist and Bojan Djordic to fans who were who both nervous and optimistic about the nine months ahead.
The Swedes were in town to see United play. Blomqvist’s son, 7, has the words ‘Lindelof’ on the back of his red United shirt. They’re are proud of their own and the man likely to partner Harry Maguire in the centre of Manchester United’s defence this season, but I later asked them which player they hoped would have a great season, which one needed to have a brilliant season. Both said, Anthony Martial.
They’re right. Martial is considered to be the best finisher at the club, the man who converted a higher percentage of chances than any other player for England’s best six teams last season.
Anthony Martial should definitely be Manchester United's centre forward in 2019–20 and should be given the no. 9 shirt, too. pic.twitter.com/yYnZZVDV1m
— UtdArena. (@utdarena) July 31, 2019
Trophies mean far more than any stats, but the 23-year-old can get fans off their seats. On his day, he’s everything an attacking United player should be. He runs at players, he takes them on, he’s fast, well balanced. He’s got everything. And yet he’s been as bad as the rest, a wholly inconsistent performer with only Alexis Sanchez more disappointing in 2019. Jose Mourinho, whose frustrated body language pitchside was evident whenever Martial lost the ball and failed to try and get it back, wanted to sell him a year ago – and there were serious suitors too.
Ed Woodward did not. Martial stayed and scored 12 goals, ten in the league. He was feeding on scraps when he was allowed to feed at all, but he knows he could have done much, much better wherever he played.
Like the rest of his teammates, he was awful in the spring. Like the rest, he’s doing well in the summer friendlies. He looks sharper, he’s scoring, assisting, he was man of the match against Spurs in Shanghai last week.
FT: Manchester United 2 v 1 Spurs.
(Martial ‘21, Gomes 81’) #GGMU #ICC2019 #NA pic.twitter.com/dvjuU8IYjT— #SUTSL (@SU_Tangsel) July 25, 2019
Whatever – yet he’s in a better frame of mind than a year ago when he was fined – in his mind to go home and see his child born. United’s version is that he stayed longer than he was supposed to. In his mind, he wanted the freedom to express himself on the pitch, in Mourinho’s mind, defence led to the best form of attack. When Dimitar Berbatov played with Martial in Monaco, he saw him as a hugely talented player – one who needed confidence. When his confidence was shot last term, United went to shit.
With Romelu Lukaku wanting to leave and Marcus Rashford still to convince as an outright number nine, Martial will have more chances in the central attacking role. That’s where Eric Abidal, now Barça’s sporting director, played with Martial at Monaco.
“He’s focused on his goals: he wants to be the best striker in the world and he worked for that,” he told me. “He has a mix of Henry and Rooney. He has agility, power, he can go one against one. When he arrives in front of the goalkeeper, he’s calm and makes the right decision.”
When Solskjaer arrived, I asked him about Martial.
Solskjaer used 27 of the 30 players who traveled to Australia and Asia for the first four preseason games. The players most often on the field were Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jesse Lingard, Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, who accumulated 197 minutes each.#MUFC pic.twitter.com/Ie3dTZ09x0
— Manchester United (@ManUnited_ENG_) July 28, 2019
“Anthony can play as a No 9, of course, because he’s got strength and he’s good at holding the ball up. But he is fantastic at one-one-one, so he can also play on the left or right-wing,” he said.
“I’ve had chats with him and he can play in all those positions. As a defender, you don’t want to be dropping off towards your own goal with him running at you.
“We need to get Anthony facing forwards. I realised when I was a striker that when I ended up wide on the left or right, it can be so much easier to get space and face defenders up. I think Anthony enjoys playing wide, taking players on.”
So why wasn’t Martial a world-beater? As Solskjaer’s spell shifted steadily from superb to sullen to shit, the Norwegian hoped that he would make more runs behind or beyond defenders to be in a position to take chances he usually scores. He did that against Spurs like a week and Solskjaer wants him to score more, to get on the end of more chances.
What an amazing stat.
All goals in United’s preseason have been scored or assisted by an academy product…#Mufc #ManchesterUnited #manchester #preseason https://t.co/koJZvUtU5u— Cai Sherlock (@CaiSherlock1) July 25, 2019
United need more goals. Lots more. City scored 30 more league goals than United last term. Whatever you think of Lukaku, he got goals in his two seasons in Manchester. Seventeen-year-old Mason Greenwood might be the next Pele, Sanchez might learn to play well and score goals. Pablo Dybala, but as we stand Rashford and Martial are likely to be in United’s attack. They need to perform.
Martial might end up back in that number nine shirt which Mourinho passed to Lukaku after all. The Frenchman was playing well enough to earn a new contract before Mourinho left, but last season was not good enough from him – though his goal at Fulham was one of the best of a frustrating campaign.
Martial was deservedly dropped and didn’t start any of the final four league games. His stock had dropped to its lowest level among fans at games towards the end of last term. Many wouldn’t have been sad to see him go, but he’ll get more chances to prove that undeniable talent this term. Like the rest, he simply has to take them.
