A couple of goals either side of halftime and Anthony Martial is the next reckoning of Wayne Rooney, alright even the Manchester United fans are not going that ballistic about the talented 19-year-old but Martial certainly is living up to his billing or his price tag of being the most expensive teenager in football, ever.
Martial now has scored three in two games and has been involved in half the goals that United scored against Liverpool and Southampton, not bad for someone who wasn’t expected to do much at the club. United have had a lot of trouble scoring goals in this season and the brace by Martial will be a breath of fresh air for everyone related to Manchester United.
Wayne Rooney is still searching for his first goal of the season in the league, but something which the team can work towards is creating a partnership of Rooney and Martial.
The young and restless
Martial is a sprightly 19-year-old with an abundance of pace, something that Wayne Rooney doesn’t have at the moment while Rooney has the strength and brute force that Martial is missing from his game, certainly one can help the other out with regards to this.
United need to have someone who is scoring goals but can run behind defences and be a nuisance to them, Martial, based on his last two Premier League games certainly seems to be that kind of player. His pace was unquestionable when he took on the Liverpool defence at Old Trafford, but he also has a great finish in his game. Calm and composed seems to be something that Martial can claim to be, which is extremely important in front of goal.
Wayne Rooney is a player who cannot be dropped from Manchester United or any team to be honest since he can change the game in a flash but he hasn’t been banging in the goals for fun. Playing Martial ahead of Rooney does make sense, especially with an ageing Rooney playing in the passes and having more control of the game.
Rooney might not be as dynamic as he was say 5 years ago but that shouldn’t be a criticism of his game, the English striker should adapt his game to ensure he lasts in the Premier League. Around a decade ago, Rooney was given the star role at United and he wasn’t any different from Martial. Supremely confident with the hunger to prove himself on the pitch, Martial should be allowed to continue in the central forward’s role while Rooney plays behind, this could be the key for Manchester United to actually achieve something this season.