What’s the story?
Manchester United striker Anthony Martial has rejected any rumours that have linked him with a move away from Old Trafford in the summer. The 21-year-old striker, who has been both out of form as well as out of the manager’s plans, has felt that he was the target of Mourinho’s latest criticism.
The United manager recently stated that some of his players lack the mentality to win titles and the France international has felt that some of those words were directed towards him.
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The 21-year old, who became the world’s most expensive teenager when he signed from Monaco in a deal worth close to £60 million, has struggled under new manager Jose Mourinho.
Martial was United’s top scorer last season with 17 goals in all competitions, but has barely managed to make an appearance since United’s 4-0 win in the FA Cup over Wigan Athletic.
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Earlier today, rumours were floating around that claimed that the Frenchman was quitting United for a move to PSG after a falling out with his manager. The former Chelsea boss had promised Martial that if he played well against Wigan during an FA Cup clash, then he would start the next game against Hull City, but the promise wasn’t kept.
The France frontman has started just one Premier League match this calendar year and a post-match interview suggests that Jose wants the youngster to improve on certain aspects of his game like fellow United teammate Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
The heart of the matter
Martial, who made a bright start to his career under then manager Louis van Gaal, has struggled to make an impact so far, in the current Manchester United side. He has failed to cement his place in the lineup and, as a result, has lost his starting XI spot to players like Marcus Rashford, Juan Mata, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jesse Lingard.
The 21-year-old has only made nine league starts, failing to make the squad on multiple occasions despite being fully fit. His arrival at Old Trafford was sensational to say the least, as he brought about comparisons to Arsenal’s goal-scoring legend Thierry Henry, but a year later, and the youngster looks frustrated with his lack of game time.
It has been suggested, however, that maybe Mourinho’s managerial style has been the contributing factor to Martial’s dip in form and reports say that the Frenchman hasn’t exactly adjusted to his Portuguese manager’s style of play.
What’s next?
The 21-year-old’s tweet, however, shows that he wants to fight for his place in the starting line-up. But it’s now, up to the club to get the most out of the youngster, as for £50 odd million, Martial hasn't done enough so far.
Mourinho’s next challenge will be to somehow try and convince the France striker into becoming more of an all round performer, adding a pinch of defensive discipline, and improving his work rate. If the former Chelsea boss can achieve that then United have a player worthy of a £60 million price tag.
Sportskeeda’s take
Martial has been overlooked by his manager far too often this season despite performing fairly well when given an opportunity. He certainly has been on par with the likes of Rashford and far better then Lingard.
However, with United being linked with a summer move for Atletico Madrid’s Antonie Griezmann, it might make sense for Mourinho to offload him when he gets the chance.
