The "Martial Touch": If Manchester United is gradually rising to the level of the results at the time of facing Juventus Wednesday, Jose Mourinho owes in part to the insolent success of the French Anthony Martial, compared to Lionel Messi by one of his teammates.
With five goals in the last four days of the championship, the 22-year-old arrives at full speed in Turin. A fitness boost that is timely, while Didier Deschamps is about to unveil his new list for the matches against the Netherlands and Uruguay.
Paul Pogba calls this the "Martial Touch", but the world champion may be closer to reality by talking about "Midas Touch", in reference to the Greek king able to transform everything he touched gold. Because right now, since his left lane, Martial tumbles, marks, causes penalties and tilts the matches all alone or almost.
Like Messi
"It's really one of the best I've ever seen," said Argentinian international goalkeeper Sergio Romero. "I think that the only player in the world I saw running with the ball as if he was sticking to his foot is Leo Messi, he can go at full speed and the ball is still at the end of his foot. He never goes out of control, so he can do anything he does. "
"But what Anthony also needs in a similar way is that when he runs at full speed, he can stop the ball in a fraction of a second ... Messi does the same thing ... Leo will run with the ball, go on a dribble, and all of a sudden, it will abruptly stop and change pace or side, " added the N.2 goalkeeper of the Red Devils.
Over the last four days of the Premier League, the prowess of the former Monegasque allowed United to take 10 points out of 12. If he turns everything into gold, Martial had however had a difficult start to the season, after a rather mediocre year . Often the target of Mourinho, the Massicois has been castigated repeatedly for his inconsistency, his lack of professionalism, his absence for pre-season matches this summer because of the birth of his second child ...
But, the striker is now the lifeline of the Portuguese after the start of the poor season of the "Red Devils", only seventh in the league. So, "Mou", who has never doubted the talent of his player, now brushes the big hope in the direction of the hair, especially as his player is negotiating for a contract. Without agreement, the international will leave the club for nothing in June.
Lack of confidence
"He has the same talents as a year or two ago, but he has improved the way he thinks about football and his role on the team," Mourinho said recently.
A great player "is a talented player who is regular and who understands a football match in its entirety," also commented the Portuguese. "It's one thing to have talent, it's another to be a great player, he's getting closer to becoming a great player, so I'd like him to stay in. I know the club wants 'he stays, so I hope he'll stay.'
Except that for now, the striker, who had expressed his desire to leave in June, delays and does not sign. For the club, not to prolong Martial and see him leave for nothing would be a very bad financial operation. And perhaps especially the sign that the British giant can no longer play in the same court as other major Europeans, at the moment when the player ripped for 80 million euros in Monaco, just 19 years, seems on the point to reach its potential.
"Anthony is a great player, he needs to understand that, he needs more confidence. (...) If he reaches his highest level, he can be one of the best players in the league. I have the impression that he does not realize how good he is , " said the" Red Devils "Nemanja Matic.
It's up to him to prove it against Juventus and save Manchester United's European campaign.