Anthony Martial’s Manchester United future is looking in increasing danger. However, Jose Mourinho is currently being a bit too harsh on the 21-year-old.
Anthony Martial is struggling in his second season at Manchester United. After a debut season that saw flashes of brilliance, an even better second season was expected by all. That’s not been the case, though, and Jose Mourinho doesn’t seem too happy with the Frenchman.
Martial has been left out entirely from Manchester United’s last two matchday squads. It’s one thing to sit on the bench, but to not even earn a place on the squad list is quite something for a talent like Anthony Martial.
Recent reports even suggest the winger’s future at the club is in danger and Mourinho could look to sell come the summer. But how has the situation come to this? And is Mourinho being fair on the young winger?
Quite clearly Martial is not the player he was last year. That much is obvious. But there could be legitimate reasons as to why that is the case. Martial is still finding his way as a player and as a young man.
The form of young players usually ebbs and flows until they find a rhythm after they gain enough experience. That’s what happens. A drop off this season, of some kind, was to be expected. Martial has also had a lot of off-field issues to deal with.
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Those issues have been largely self-inflicted, but they’re still a huge obstacle for a young player to deal with. And, young players make mistakes. Young people in everyday life make mistakes. This is isn’t anything new.
On top of that, and maybe part of the reason for his off-field issues, Martial’s profile and status has grown exponentially in such a short space of time. It’s not outrageous to think that his rapidly rising fame is taking away from his ability to perform? Maybe it’s too much of a distraction?
Clubs are happy to push their player’s star power as far as possible for income. But once that limelight takes it’s toll on a player, for whatever reason, the club are then content to cash-in the star that they created.
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Another problem for Martial could have been the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovich. It’s no secret that wherever Ibrahimovich goes, he shines. Nobody else tends to, but he certainly does. Others around him suffer. And that’s exactly what is happening at United right now. Anthony Martial may just be another victim of that.
And what about United’s playing style? At Monaco, Martial was perfect for the counter-attack that the team played at the time. Lots of space to run into, using his pace out in transition. Now at United, there is no space. Most teams park the bus against United and sit deep.
Last season, everything was new and exciting. Maybe this year, Martial is struggling with the style of play he is facing in the Premier League? Does it suit his strengths? There are a slew of reasons why Anthony Martial could be struggling this season.
Does that mean it’s time to sell up and move on to another shiny new toy? Mourinho is taking a stern approach with the Frenchman, and who knows, maybe it will actually work. Maybe Martial finds some form after all the talk of his future in recent days.
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But if Mourinho is genuinely tired of dealing with his poor showings, then being so harsh might not be the way to go. Anthony Martial is a young player who just needs time to reach his potential. Will he definitely fulfill his potential during his career? Nobody can know that.
But without time, he definitely wont.