Anthony Martial cameo vs Man City provides real cause for optimism

Image via: Дмитрий Голубович/Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 3.0. Image has been edited.

Man United fans have been impressed with Anthony Martial, with the ThFrenchman providing real cause for optimism from the 26-year-old.

There are no two ways about it. Yesterday was tough. Manchester United Football Club simply didn’t perform up to standard. Once again, this Red Devils squad wilted under the pressure.

Erik ten Hag has a real job to do to turn things around, though there was one small silver lining from the match; an incredible Anthony Martial cameo.

The Frenchman had himself one outstanding pre-season, before picking up an injury late on in the tour. He’d return against Liverpool and play another sublime half of football, before returning to the treatment table once again…

That lack of consistency hasn’t helped Martial’s case. Though every single time he’s taken to the field with Ten Hag as manager, he’s looked impressive. That’s simply more than a coincidence.

Martial against City

The ex-AS Monaco man was undoubtedly the bright spark. I know what Ten Hag said in his post-match presser as to why he didn’t bring Cristiano Ronaldo on. Though I fully agree calling for Martial was the correct decision. Simply put, he offers more to United in this current regime.

Two Martial goals were not enough for United to turn this game around. Though it did make the scoreline look far less embarrassing. For his first, the attacker wasn’t afraid to put his head in the danger zone and risk getting hurt. The score was 5-1 at this point. Nobody can doubt his commitment to the cause.

The second was a spot-kick. But it was an unstoppable penalty tucked right into the top corner. You can sometimes forget that Martial is ice cool from twelve yards. I’d argue he one of the best in the current squad from that situation.

What the future holds for Martial

It’s all about staying fit, first and foremost. United absolutely cannot afford to rush Martial back too early and risk further injury. Ten Hag has always spoken out publicly about protecting his players, so we have no concern there.

I would gradually increase his minutes on a game-by-game basis and not take any chances whatsoever. It sounds selfish, too, but it may be best if Martial doesn’t head to Qatar for the World Cup with France. It gives him an extra month to work on his fitness, to potentially come back fully fit and firing upon the resumption of domestic football.

The verdict

Finally, it feels like United have a manager who fully believes in what Martial can offer. That has absolutely been a long time coming. No more spats with bosses like Jose Mourinho. No more lack of minutes from the likes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick.

The future is up. Though it all comes down to MArtial’s ability to keep fit. Hopefully, he can do just that and show the world his true capabilities.

Do you think Man United fans are right to have genuine optimism over Anthony Martial? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.

About Jordan Street 19808 Articles
Mancunian. Red through and through. Season Ticket holder block E332.

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