Speaking on talkSPORT, former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara has slammed Anthony Martial for his disappointing displays.
What did he say?
The France international has blown hot and cold in his Manchester United career so far, and this season has encapsulated that perfectly. Despite netting against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, the forward has also had a couple of goal-droughts, with his latest one seeing him failing to net in the Red Devils’ last three Premier League games.
And O’Hara has insisted Martial has not shown nearly enough since United spent £36m on bringing him in from French side AS Monaco back in 2015.
Watch Manchester United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below
He said: “He just frustrates me, because I look at him and think he could just be so good with the ability he’s got. For me, if you’re playing as a no.9 for Manchester United you’ve got to have everything. First and foremost you need work rate and desire to hold the ball up and bring others into play and be a nuisance. As a centre-half you’d probably dream about playing against Martial.
“He’s been there long enough now to have stamped his authority on the football club and be like ‘I’m the main man’ – but he just hasn’t done it. They brought him in to be one of those superstars, and he hasn’t fulfilled his potential in terms of what he could achieve for the club.”
More needed
Only scoring 12 total goals in 27 games as a centre-forward this season for a side like United is extremely disappointing. And with Marcus Rashford out for the foreseeable future with an injury, the Red Devils desperately need Martial to step up in his absence, and really embrace the goal-scoring burden.
Instead, the Frenchman has floundered under the sheer weight of the responsibility, with just one goal in five games across all competitions since Rashford’s injury. Martial’s struggles naturally open him up to criticism, and at 24 now, age shouldn’t really be an excuse anymore. He has had plenty of time to get used to the pressures of playing at Old Trafford and in the Premier League too, so the demands for him to show a lot more is absolutely fair.
Quickfire Questions: Can you get 100% on this Man United prodigies quiz?
O’Hara’s particular gripe about Martial’s lack of work-rate and hold-up play as a number nine is also right – he wins just 3.7 total duels per game, a measly 36%. He needs to be far more physical and with a desire to win the 50/50s, and not simply get bullied off the ball. Perhaps Odion Ighalo’s arrival could be the catalyst for him to recognise a change is needed.
Meanwhile, Man Utd fans react after David Ornstein provides an update on their failed swoop for Josh King.
