Anthony Martial had a less than ideal 2020/21 season. He scored seven goals and provided five assists, a disappointment after netting 23 and assisting six the previous campaign.
So how good really is Martial? Well, over the course of his United career he has shown he is not good enough to score more than 20 goals a season regularly. His 2019/20 campaign was, so far, a one-off.
But the Frenchman is better than he showed last season, his worst in terms of goals since joining the club.
The true measure of Martial’s ability is somewhere in between. He is not the prolific striker United ultimately need – but he is good enough to be useful.
Exit rumours never made sense this summer
The media have really stuck the knife into Martial this summer. From throwing his name into outlandish swap deal discussions for Harry Kane [The Times], to more recent links with Inter Milan via The Sun, which were repeated by numerous outlets.
On the weekend Martial made his United comeback after a knee injury suffered in March, the transfer rumours will have been unsettling. Even if they made little sense.
The Mirror twisted the knife with a report claiming United ‘were ready to accept the truth’ of Martial and sell him. This was the paper in 2015 which claimed United panicked by signing the striker in the first place, and inspired a mocking chant with the backpage saying the money went down the drain. It’s almost as if the press have an agenda in wanting Martial to fail.
United appeared to brief the press yesterday to put a stop to the baseless rumours. BBC and The Telegraph both reported that Manchester United have no intention of selling Martial this summer.
This always seemed obvious. Martial’s inconsistent record has opened up criticism, and that comes with the territory as a Manchester United striker. But just the season before last, he struck 17 Premier League goals from open play and would have won the golden boot if he was on penalty duty.
Over the past six years we have probably seen enough to know Martial is not going to be the Ruud van Nistelrooy type poacher United crave, in terms of style or production. He can still be very useful.
Martial’s 2021/22 role
This season United are not asking Martial to be the number one striker, even though he may shunted into this role in week one.
Edinson Cavani will be United’s first choice when fully fit. He is a forward with proven quality, and struck 17 goals in total last season, finishing strongly.
Martial is being asked to split the back-up load along with Mason Greenwood as behind Cavani. United can find use for him here, and likewise see if he can rise to the challenge of recapturing his 2019/20 form.
Next summer Cavani will leave when his contract expires. If Martial does not perform this season, then he could depart too. But he deserves this season to prove his use.
Selling Martial this summer never made sense, as United would be left with just Cavani and Greenwood. There is no quick fix option in the transfer market at this late stage as a replacement, or the appetite from United to find one.
United will sign a new striker next season, ideally Erling Haaland. A big name striker addition will happen regardless of whether Martial performs or not. But if he doesn’t play well this campaign, United will have to sign two next summer.
The addition of Jadon Sancho should help him. Martial is strong at dribbling in tight spaces, like Sancho, and the pair should flourish playing alongside each other. The winger’s addition might be the spark Martial needs to improve.
Reaction
Martial may have frustrated supporters last season, but he still has his backers. Here is a look at how United fans reacted positively towards the reports the Frenchman will stay…
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