MANCHESTER: French forward Anthony Martial risks slipping from the first-team picture at Manchester United if he does not start making more of his opportunities, manager Jose Mourinho has warned.
Martial, 20, impressed in his first United season after his move from Monaco for an initial fee of 36 million pounds ($44.9 million, 42.4 million euros), scoring 17 goals to finish as the club’s top scorer.
But he has scored only twice this season, has been in and out of the starting XI and was left out of the match-day squad entirely for Thursday’s 4-0 Europa League win over Feyenoord.
“First of all, the teams are very different,” Mourinho said in reference to the changes he has enacted since succeeding Louis van Gaal as manager.
“The way the team played last season — I’m not saying better or worse, I’m saying just different. So please write properly my words. Different teams and probably more adapted to Anthony (last season). “Probably he was feeling more comfortable playing that way, at that intensity, at that rhythm, with the ball possession and ball circulation. So probably he needs also some time. “But in our squad, especially for these positions, we have (Henrikh) Mkhitaryan, (Jesse) Lingard, (Memphis) Depay, (Juan) Mata, (Marcus) Rashford, Martial.—APP
