New Manchester United forward Anthony Martial has said he was disappointed after the CSKA Moscow game by his performance. The 19-year-old Frenchman has vowed that he will work a lot harder to improve.
During the champions league game Martial was so disappointed, he did not trouble the goalkeeper from CSKA once. It was Wayne Rooney who managed to save the game with a 79th-minute header to win the day.
Marital started off his Old Trafford career brightly but has recently faded. He has now failed to find the net in the last four games he has started.
Martial posted a photo on his page on Instagram and criticized his bad performance. He was happy with the result though which has dramatically increased United’s chances of researching the knockout phases in the Champions League. “Bad match for me tonight but good win #Workhard,” wrote Martial
Over the 13 appearances, playing for the Red Devils he has managed five goals and one assist.
During the match against CSKA Moscow, Van Gaal must have also thought Martial was having a bad night. He substituted him in the 66th minute of play for Belgium Marouane Fellaini. It was a substitution the Man U fans were not happy with as it was seen as a negative defensive shift in tactics by the Dutch Manager. Van Gaal has been heavily criticized in the press and by former players for the team not attacking other teams enough.
The Dutch managers big gamble paid off and United went on to win the game late on through Rooney. It was the first goal the Red Devils have scored in 404 minutes of play. When Van Gaal was asked about the fan reaction to Martial substitution, he was quoted as saying “Of course I heard that (the booing), I’m not deaf. That’s the opinion of the fans, but afterwards they weren’t disappointed with the decision of the manager. I’m relieved but also proud. In the golden years of Manchester United, they never won against a Russian team, I read. Everyone thinks it’s easy, but it isn’t for any club in the Champions League”.
The result against CSKA Moscow helped them to win against West Bromwich Albion at the weekend 2 – 0. The manager will be hoping that his teams drought for goals is finally over.
Even though results have been on United’s side for the last couple of games, their gameplay has not improved. They are still too slow in the build up play, lack creativity and do not take enough risks. The approach has led to a solid defence that is fantastic for the manager but boring for the fans. United under Ferguson were all out attack and entertained week in week out. This one is one of the most boring teams to watch play since the Red Devils were formed. The fans will not put up with it too much longer and are already showing they are impatient with the manager.
This article was written by sports fanatic and author John Hawthorne. John is a freelance writer who has contributed to many websites over the course of his career. His work can be found by visiting this English Premier league blog.
