Tony Martial came from France, English Press said he had no chance – £50 million down the drain, Tony Martial scores again. The song has been heard and sung countless times over the past 5 years since Anthony Martial made his way from Monaco to The Theatre of Dreams, but has his time come to an end here?
It's the stuff of dreams to score a perfect goal on your debut against Liverpool in front of the Stretford End. Antony Martial did it and that goal also happens to be one of the highlights of the last decade. He had a fantastic first season, full of promise, but he has not lived up to the expectations since then. There were problems with managers Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, but under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's early reign, he seemed more like the player he should be. Last year he scored 23 goals out of 48 games but since then his form has gone for a vacation. This season, United signed experienced striker Edison Cavani, and his effect on the team and his activity have fans and analysts wondering whether Martial is the striker the club requires and whether he should still be at the club.
Martial has his advantages – his ball retention and pace are obvious – but his greatest quality is unquestionably his finishing. When he plays poorly, this masks his other flaws, but when he doesn't score, it exposes those flaws to the full extent. Certainly, a proper striker needs to better his hold up plays and his movement to succeed at the world level. Also, playing 38 games in the Premier League pushes a player to be physically strong as well.
His first few touches matter a lot to him for the game. He is the embodiment of a self-assured player; once he is up for all of it, he can be unstoppable, but when he isn't, the team is practically reduced to ten men. This quality frustrates fans when they know that Martial has the skills to be whatever he wants, but he hasn’t.
Certainly, Martial arrived at United at a pivotal time, displaying flashes of brilliance and being responsible for some incredible moments during his time there. The two standout goals are his debut goal against Liverpool and the FA Cup semi-final winner against Everton, and certainly, every person has their selection. But then, observing an accomplished striker over the likes of Edinson Cavani, whose experience and movement are superb as well as his closing down, certainly reveals the flaws in Martial's game, and this season he seems to have lost his way. experience and movement are superb as well as his closing down. Martial has been able to get the back of the net only 7 times this season, and that’s certainly not good.
Finally, Solskjaer seems to have lost patience, and himself being a striker, if he can't make things work, it's better to let Martial go. Sometimes, it’s just necessary to make the tough decision.
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