French starlet Anthony Martial was left out by manager Jose Mourinho once again, as Manchester United booked their place in the EFL Cup final
The arrival of Mourinho at Old Trafford hasn’t worked out so well for Anthony Martial. The French forward used to be a crucial first team player under Louis van Gaal, but now finds himself on the periphery.
Martial wasn’t in the squad as Manchester United lost to Hull City this past Thursday, still progressing to the final on a 3-2 aggregate scoreline. This is the second game in a row where the 21-year-old hasn’t even made the squad.
After he was dropped for United’s draw against Stoke City last weekend, reports were flying around that the player and his entourage were unhappy with the situation between Mourinho and Martial.
However, this has been refuted by Sky Sports, whose sources have told them that the Frenchman remains happy at Manchester United and is not considering a move away from the club.
Sky sources: Anthony Martial is happy at Manchester United and does not want to leave: https://t.co/HQa1R5E9vu pic.twitter.com/A6I5ceFrtd
— Sky Sports News HQ (@SkySportsNewsHQ) January 27, 2017
There have been mixed reactions to Mourinho’s treatment of Martial, with many standing by the manager for making the young forward sweat. There have also been those who think the former Chelsea manager is doing the wrong thing.
Manchester United legend and fan favourite Gary Neville seems to belong to the former camp. The Englishman has stated that Martial is not living up to his potential and had some advice for the young forward.
“He’s only achieving a very small part of his potential,” said the Sky Sports pundit.
“He ranges from sensational to disinterested. Let’s hope he gets going now.
“He has the talent to become a very special player. He needs to show his love for the game and display that in his performances.
“I like him but, like others, I want to see him realise his potential.”
Martial has managed just two goals and three assists in the Premier League this season, but has been putting in some good performances. He won the Man of the Match award recently after scoring a late winner against Middlesbrough in United’s last game of 2016.
It is perplexing that Mourinho didn’t even pick him for the match-day squad in United’s last couple of games. However, we have seen the Portuguese manager give another player a tough time before, as Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan was banished to the bench for a prolonged period earlier this season.
Mkhitaryan bounced back in a huge way and is now definitely part of Mourinho’s plans, and Martial would be hoping he can emulate his teammate.
