Pranav Nair
Gideon Brooks claims Manchester United star Anthony Martial is at crossroads
According to Gideon Brooks of The Express, Anthony Martial still has much to do to prove he is the man to lead the Manchester United attack.
The Frenchman arrived at United as one of the best young talents in European football. Despite an excellent start to life at Old Trafford, he has failed to fulfill the expectations placed on him.
The performance against Southampton was something to behold and gave a perspective of what the 25-year-old can achieve on his day.
Martial enjoyed his best season at United last season. He has barely reached the same level this time around. In contrast, summer signing Edinson Cavani has been much more effective, further displaying the Frenchman’s deficiencies. (h/t The Mirror)
An effective technician with the ball, Martial is also a decent finisher. In fact, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer rates him third in the latter category behind Cavani and Mason Greenwood.
The major issue continues to be Martial’s inconsistency. With him averaging a goal every 4.38 games, he is far from the infallible striker United need in order to lead them to the title.
Competition often brings out the best in players and it has been visible at United this season. Alex Telles has shown up Luke Shaw while David de Gea too looks far from susceptible since the arrival of Dean Henderson.
With Cavani firing all cylinders, Solskjaer will hope that Martial too steps up and raises his game.
Soon to enter his prime, Martial’s career at United has been more misses than hits. It remains to be seen if he will showcase enough to reverse the trend in the coming months.
More Manchester United News
- Paul Pogba appears to be on his way out of Manchester United
- Manchester United keeping tabs on Max Aarons as the search to compete with Aaron Wan-Bissaka
- Manchester United prepared to go big to land Sergio Ramos this summer
A Martial at his best is the striker United deserve. However, the inconsistent performer we see today is not the one we need right now.
While it may be too early to suggest that he is playing for his future, a lack of consistent performances could heavily weigh the balance in that direction.
