What’s the story?
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho sent out a warning to Anthony Martial to improve his performances as his current form did not warrant a position in the starting lineup ahead of other deserving candidates. The French forward has underperformed in the Premier League this season and Mourinho feels other players will suffer if Martial is given too many chances to pick up the pace.
Ahead of the Red Devils’ EFL Cup semi-final second leg clash against Hull City, Mourinho spoke about how Martial did not take the opportunity handed to him with both hands and also justified the sale of Memphis Depay to Lyon because there were too many players vying for one position.
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“I don’t think he lost his focus,” Mourinho said of Martial. “I just think he didn’t catch with both hands a big opportunity he had.
“We have still five players for this position,” he continued. “I cannot give one player chances to play and kill the others. To kill the others, I think I already did that with Memphis by considering him the last option and by not giving him any option.
“But with the other guys, I think you would be asking me why Mata is not playing or why Marcus Rashford doesn’t have a chance, or why Jesse Lingard, a national team player, is not playing. We have Rashford, Lingard, Mata, Mkhitaryan and Martial, and I cannot give the same player chance after chance after chance and not consider the effort of the others.”
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Signed for £36m last season, making him the most expensive teenager, Martial had a good first season under Louis van Gaal and even finished the season as the club’s top scorer with 17 goals in all competitions. However, Martial is yet to adapt to Mourinho’s style of play.
This is not the first time the Portuguese manager has told off Martial in the press. In November, Mourinho dropped the 21-year-old forward from the matchday squad for a Europa League clash against Dutch side Feyenoord, claiming that he had too many opportunities to prove himself. Martial was dropped from the squad again last weekend when United drew 1-1 with Stoke City.
The heart of the matter
Although Martial was a consistent performer last season despite his age and Van Gaal’s tactics, the pace of the game is vastly different under Mourinho. Moreover, constantly picking Martial in the squad has stalled the progress of young Marcus Rashford.
With Zlatan Ibrahimovic leading the line, the only spots up for grabs are on either side in attack. Martial has rarely played on the right and prefers playing on the left and cutting in. But his performances this season have been below par.
What’s next?
With Rashford, Juan Mata, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jesse Lingard also fighting for spots in the team, Martial has his task cut out. Both Rashford and Mata have scored more goals than Martial while Mkhitaryan has finally come into his own after Mourinho had benched the Armenian midfielder and convinced him to work harder to nail his spot.
Martial has been the subject of loan bids but Mourinho may not allow him to leave due to the fixture congestion in the coming weeks. With fixtures coming thick and fast in the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup and Europa League, Martial may yet get some more chances to prove his worth as Mourinho rotates the squad.
Sportskeeda’s take
The £36m price tag has weighed heavily on the neck of Martial. Mourinho expects his players to put in a shift and Martial is a player who does not track back often, leaving the full backs to fend for themselves. Unless he puts his head down and works hard to fit into Mourinho’s plans, he may soon go down the same road as Depay.
