Before Anthony Martial, it is fair to say Manchester United looked fairly lightweight in the striker department.
Wayne Rooney was failing to convince as a target man in the first few weeks of the season, while Javier Hernandez’s fleeting performances had done nothing more than convince Louis van Gaal that he no longer wanted the Mexican at the club. Such was United’s lack of quality and depth in that department, Marouane Fellaini was being talked up by his boss as a possible solution.
Yet just nine games into his United career, Martial is already finding new ways to show why he is the famous old club’s true No.9 in more than just squad number. Van Gaal’s decision to switch the 19-year-old to the left-hand side at Everton on Saturday and against CSKA Moscow on Wednesday night appeared to be a move designed to reinvigorate club captain Rooney.
But Martial’s superbly-taken equaliser in the 1-1 Champions League draw at the Arena Khimki provided the latest evidence in the case for the Frenchman’s permanent return to the central striking role. He guided home a wonderful header from Antonio Valencia’s cut-back when there appeared to be nowhere near enough pace in the delivery for Martial to beat CSKA keeper Igor Akinfeev.
The goal came moments after Wayne Rooney had failed to get anything like the same contact on a much more straight-forward headed chance from an Ander Herrera cross, instead sending his effort straight to Akinfeev. It was the story of the skipper’s day to an extent after another performance in which he very rarely provided the effective leading role that was required of him.
United were sluggish and predictable for large spells of the first half despite bossing possession. When they needed something different in the last third they just didn’t have it, and regularly saw sloppy passes undo most of their better work. Only after Fellaini replaced Bastian Schweinsteiger at the break did they look to play more expansively in the attacking half. The extra forward threat also helped Martial to play with greater freedom.
Martial had shown with four goals in his first four United games that he has exactly the kind of instincts that the three-time European champions had previously been missing in the final third, and he continued to display his attacking qualities even when not finding the scoresheet in the wins against Sunderland and Wolfsburg which followed. As such it came as some surprise when he was shunted to the left side after Memphis Depay’s exclusion at Goodison.
But he showed in Moscow that he is the real deal as a centre-forward and remains United’s best bet as the lone striker. While Rooney hit the target on Saturday on his former stomping ground, he did so with one of three one-on-one opportunities. A conversion rate of much greater than 33 per cent should be expected of a top-class poacher in such situations.
Rooney’s struggles are a hugely debatable topic, but what cannot be doubted is that Martial is a better finisher than his skipper. In the second half on Wednesday, Martial was given licence to drift inside more often from the left as United chased the game and it was almost inevitable that he would be the man to deliver a goal when his side needed it most.
While there are a number of options open to Van Gaal in terms of Rooney – ranging from the No.10 spot to the substitutes’ bench – there should be a simple decision for the Dutchman to make in relation to Martial.
The teenage sensation is United’s standout striker, and should remain their first-choice front man for the foreseeable future.
The young striker was left red-faced after conceding an early penalty, but redeemed himself by heading home the visitors' equaliser to win his team a point in the Russian capital
Source: Goal
An excellent analysis that most MUtd fans will agree with; it's a pity that LvG chooses to ignore the obvious.
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