It might have been a bit of a surprise to see the French squad being listed out for the upcoming Euros. While Karim Benzema missed out due to his earlier misdemeanours, there was one name in the list that raised an eyebrow or two.
Anthony Martial, one of the costliest teenagers in the history of the game was going to the Euros and representing his country but his performances, for all that has been said, haven’t been that great for his club side Manchester United.
The 20-year-old signed for the club this summer and had an eventful debut when he scored against the old enemy Liverpool, but for all the brouhaha about him doing exceptionally well this season, he hasn’t been all that great.
The only reason we think that Martial has done well is because he has been playing in an average Manchester United side and even if we do look beyond that, a talent like Martial is actually getting wasted in Louis van Gaal’s side.
Martial does have 17 goals in his first season for the Premier League side, not a bad return at all, but the problem is the fact that the attacker has had to play out wide more often than not. Martial is someone who needs to be play down the centre, but that position has been taken over by Marcus Rashford and that is something which will affect the 20-year-old Frenchman in years to come.
We don’t expect him to play in that position for the rest of his career at Old Trafford, but his talent isn’t getting the right exposure that it deserves. Apart from playing out on the wing, learning under Louis van Gaal does not seem to be the best thing for an attacker in the Premier League.
Van Gaal, for all his experience, does seem to be fixated on the defensive aspect of the game and this is where Martial ends up losing out more than anything else. Manchester United are not that same attacking team that would dominate sides and batter them constantly until they won the game.
They seem more built of hoofing the ball forward and hoping for the best but that is not what will help a player grow. There really is no proper playing style at the club and this will harm the side more than anything else. The 20-year-old might have been Manchester United’s best attacker, but that does not speak much about his ability, growth or performances.
Martial could be much better in the near future but for now, he is just wasted his chances of growth at Manchester United.
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