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[Anthony Martial - a THREAD]
![[Anthony Martial - a THREAD]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdGCPn6WkAEI7h9.jpg "[Anthony Martial - a THREAD]")
Martial isn’t playing as a pure #9 though. He is more of someone who plays between the lines and contributes to buildup by dropping in midfield. In that sense, you can call him a F9.
People blame him for not running in behind or not being positioned well at times just like in the still below where he plays close to Pereira.
Two reasons for that: he is instructed to drop deep which will make the odd collapse with his #10 something who can occur from time to time. He has also played for 3+ years as a LW and has to rediscover a position. Don’t forget he is only 24.
Something that nobody talks about is United’s squad dynamic. AWB isn’t the kind of player who will make your right side superb offensively so you have to make your right side decent/good offensively whilst your left side needs to be perfect and Martial helps that...
because he still has his LW tendencies. He also likes to interchange position with Rashford and his dropping deep movement allows Rashford to play off him as you can see below.
About his weaknesses right now, Martial can’t run the channels effectively, he doesn’t get into the best positions sometimes and isn’t enough in the box. The latter two can be worked upon and will get into his habits when he will be used to play there. Let him some time.
Martial also gets criticism with him not being good enough to take the ball in the air and being used as a focal point in attack. He engaged in the same amount of aerial duels than Firmino (3.5) with 23% success whilst Firmino has a 31% success. This can be worked upon.
Adding onto that, if United had a GK better with his feet who was able to ping balls into Martial’s feet on the zone below, that would create space for Martial to receive and orientate the play. This isn’t all on him.
So, Martial is a very important asset for United at current. He shouldn’t be slated. He changed his position to accommodate Rashford and for Solskjaer to be able to play the system he wanted (Liverpool esque).
End of Thread.
End of Thread.
