When Anthony Martial was signed by Manchester United for a large fee, there was a sense of disbelief at the amount – around £36million – the Premier League side had shelled out for a talented, but still lot to prove teenager. However, once he showed what he is capable of, everyone was soon nodding their heads in approval at what should prove to be a bargain Manchester United buy, with high hopes for the France international going into the new season.
However, under Jose Mourinho, Martial has not quite been the fast, direct, finishes-like-Thierry-Henry phenom everyone expected him to be. The 21-year-old has been in and out of the team this season – he has started only seven of the 16 matches this season – unable to rediscover the form that made him such an exciting player in a Manchester United shirt.
With Zlatan Ibrahimovic locking up the place down the middle, where many believe Martial will thrive, the former Monaco man has failed to get into the game as much as he would like from out wide, and while Mourinho initially hinted that personal problems off the field might be the cause for his lack of form, Martial has shown little signs of the explosiveness that made him such a joy to watch last season.
"It's annoying to be on the bench," Martial told SFR Sport after failing to find a place in the starting XI in the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday. "It's truly annoying but it's a test you have to overcome and that's how you progress.
"It's difficult because all you want is to be able to help the team and, when you're on the bench, you can't. But these are choices and you have to accept it."
Martial believes he still has the capabilities of being a world beater, especially with time very much on his side, considering he only turned 21 earlier this month.
"People expect a lot of me but sometimes they forget I'm still young," Martial added. "Everyone can think what they want. It won't change anything."
Manchester United face West Brom at the Hawthorns in the Premier League on Saturday.
