Is Gary Neville being a bit harsh here?
Throughout the season, Anthony Martial has been rotated with Marcus Rashford by Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and to good effect.
Neither man could really be accused of underperforming but there are only so many places on the pitch.
In 14 appearances this season, Martial has found the net on six occasions and registered six assists so it’s been a pretty impressive start to the campaign for the Frenchman.
The 21-year-old came off the bench on Saturday to score a late winner for the Red Devils against Spurs and, after that game, United legend Gary Neville raised doubts about the former Monaco forward.
“It’s been a stop-start Manchester United career for Martial,” he said on The Gary Neville Podcast .
“For someone of his talent, he should be tearing this league apart with his ability. He’s lost his place in the France squad. There’s obviously something wrong with him.
“Mourinho and the French manager has turned off of him a little bit. You always get the feeling he’s playing at 85 per cent.
“If he showed that extra 15 per cent, then he could do anything. He’s got everything you’d want: composure in front of goal, great skill, pace, strength, but what is that little bit missing?”
Martial signed for United in 2015 for £50 million and after a relatively shaky start, looks to have established himself as a reliable player for Mourinho.
But Neville can’t shake the feeling that he’s not fulfilling his potential.
“He scores in big games, he takes big moments on and obviously has the temperament to play in big games,” Neville added. “But come on, let’s see it every single week.
“He could be a player that could score 20 goals in 20 games if he really wanted to and strived to be the best.”
