Martial’s exploits proof of potential or just hype?

by Jacob Tanswell

Bagging a brace at Stamford Bridge at the weekend, Anthony Martial laid down a reminder to world football of the quality he possesses that was first witnessed after a surprise move to the red half of Manchester.

Arriving at Old Trafford just over three years ago, Martial was widely regarded as the hottest prospect in world football. However, somewhere along the way, the French starlet has been forgotten. With long standing apparent tension between himself and boss, Jose Mourinho, can Martial finally unearth his deep pot of potential whilst at United?

The emergence of a fellow Frenchmen in Kylian Mbappe has meant that Martial has lost all attention, plummeting him into obscurity within French Football.

Mbappe, the 19 year old, truly erupted onto the elite football scene after playing a prominent role in France’s World Cup Winning campaign. A player who is a wide forward, makes runs from out to in and has the ability to keep supporters on the edge of their seats whenever he gets the ball, were certainly traits Martial had when he first arrived onto the scene whilst at Monaco. But at this present time, Kylian Mbappe is stealing all of the United man’s thunder. Whilst he was triumphant in Russia, Anthony Martial could only watch on, as he was left at home, well out of Didier Deschamp’s plans.

Perhaps the most frustrating thing for the Manchester United supporters is Martial has always threatened to do the spectacular; every now and again, in-between the mundane football United fans are now treated too, Martial shows a brief glimpse of what he truly is capable of. He can just never quite get to that next step or reach the highest heights.

Gary Neville summed up the feeling of many fans when talking about the 22 year old:

“He frustrates the life out of me, I get the feeling he can always do more than what he does.”

Martial is now in danger of becoming an enigma at United. He has always foreshadowed his undoubted ability but they have been too few and far between. Ups and downs have certainly played in part in his progression, time out of the side and a strained relationship between himself and Jose Mourinho has not helped matters.

Although, with their relationship seemingly warmer as of late, with Mourinho now starting to trust the former Monaco man in vital games and the player himself claiming things “were not tense to begin with”, now seems the perfect moment for Anthony Martial to seize his chance.

With the Old Trafford faithful always getting behind him, he has the capabilities to make “theatre of dreams” his own, as he so briefly did on his debut with an astonishing goal against the most bitter of rivals, Liverpool.

Manchester United have always had a love story with exciting wingers, Hill, Ronaldo and Giggs to name a few, but can Martial establish himself within that long, prestigious line?

Although he has a lot of learning to do in all his all round game, Anthony Martial can reach that next level in the not too distant future. The two goals at Chelsea undoubtedly brought the attention back. Its now up to him that the so called “forgotten man” that’s been for club and country, is never consigned to oblivion again.