Ever since taking charge at Manchester United, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been keen to bolster his squad options with fresh faces. Whether plucked from the academy or signed from elsewhere, the manager has been proactive in trying to upgrade his side, which had been growing stagnant, upon his arrival.
Solskjaer has overseen nine permanent signings in the space of two years, with four coming through the door last deadline day. Edinson Cavani was one, a name that raised eyebrows amongst fans.
An attacker was expected to join, but one that would operate down the right-side, not through the middle. Inevitably, similar to the Donny van de Beek situation, many have already issued their rallying cries of ‘where does he fit in?’ or ‘who will drop out the team?’
As opposed to being complimentary about adding depth to the team’s numbers, pundits have clutched at straws in trying to spin a negative on United’s deals. On the contrary, the Red Devils’ themselves have welcomed such arrivals.
Anthony Martial has been speaking about the Uruguayan in the Red Review, to which he said: “He’s a really great player, he’s proved exactly that all the way through his career, and I hope that he’ll manage to help us out.
“It’s always a positive to have even more quality within the group and as there are always a lot of fixtures to play, when one player is rested, it will allow us to ensure that there is no drop-off in quality whatsoever. That’s especially important for the team.”
Martial was unable to play in the weekend game against Chelsea, due to his suspension. He featured in Paris though, and is available for Wednesday’s clash against RB Leipzig. Reflecting on the opening day Champions League win, the Frenchman was happy to get one over his hometown.
He revealed: “I was really happy because my brothers and a lot of my family are United fans but my mates all support Paris. They’d all told me that we were going to lose, and I’d told them that we wouldn’t. So when we went on to win I was overjoyed!”
The forward is keen to get back on the field, and has learnt from his naivety against Tottenham. Martial is prepared to get firing again, and possesses a burning desire to do so. He finished by saying: “That red card [against Spurs] was my first ever and it’s something that I will learn from. But it will at least allow me to work even harder in training to come back even better.
“I still haven’t scored yet this season. But I know that as and when I get off the mark with one, everything will be fine. So, it’s down to me to keep putting in a big effort in training and to then show everybody the real Anthony Martial.”
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