Anthony Martial – The best is yet to come?

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The deadline day transfer of Anthony Martial for a record fee of £36 million raised quite a few eyebrows.

Let’s be honest; most of us hadn’t heard about him until he signed for Manchester United. And that too for that high a transfer fee? It’s sure to raise some doubt on his ability and potential.

His first game for the club was a Premier League encounter against Liverpool. Having come on with just about 10 minutes of football left to play and the score at 2-1, Anthony Martial produced a piece of genius that very quickly elicited comparisons to Arsenal’s greatest striker, Thierry Henry. His mazy run into the box caught Skrtel off guard as he calmly side footed the ball into the back of the net to make it 3-1 on the night; and open his account for his new club.
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He went on to score an impressive 17 goals in his debut season along with the accolade of being the club’s top scorer.

Jose Mourinho has come out recently to speak of the faith he has in Martial and that it will come good sooner rather than later. He predicts a better season this time around and hopes to be able to get the very best out of the Frenchman.
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Martial for much of last season seemed to be a shadow of his old self. When faced with a defender, most of the times he would look up for a pass; than put his head down and drive at him at menacing speed. It was his sheer dribbling that evoked ‘oohs and aahs’ from the Stretford End. That part of his game went missing for the majority of last season.

His weaknesses include his crossing accuracy and his defensive laxity. Jose Mourinho demands his players to be alert and up for the cause when they take to the pitch.
Lingard, while not blessed with natural skill has been in the squad for his high intensity in both attack and defence and as a result of which has been preferred to Martial on quite a lot of occasions.

All is not glum though, an impressive cameo from Martial in Manchester United’s resounding 4-0 win against West Ham saw him clock a goal and an assist to his name. While his celebration didn’t seem to show it; he highlighted the importance of his creative brilliance. He proved that he can add a different dimension to the United attack. Most importantly, he staked a claim for a starting position in this new look and exciting Manchester United.