Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
GIVE ME 20 GOALS , ANTHONY
Ole reckons Martial is on course for career-best tally
ANTHONY MARTIAL can bag a career-best 20 goals this season, according to Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The striker took his season tally to 14 with the equaliser in United’s 1-1 draw against Club Bruges (above), just three short of his best-ever total of 17 four seasons ago.
With United’s top scorer Marcus Rashford out potentially for the rest of the season, the burden of getting the goals has fallen squarely on the shoulders of the France star.
Solskjaer is convinced the 24-yearold, a £36million signing from Monaco, can step up in the absence of Rashford and score the goals to push United’s bid for a Champions
League place. “Yeah, I think Anthony can step up, get a few more and get to the 20 mark,” said Solskjaer.
“Definitely. He’s got quality of course, he’s a very good finisher. He takes his chances really well. There’s good technique in his finishing.
“He’s good at receiving the ball at times and dropping off. He can play almost like a false nine as well, although sometimes I’d like him to be stronger physically.
“I’m encouraged by his attitude this season as well, wanting to do those things that are not natural for him.
“You’ve got to make him a No.9 again, after playing wide for so many years. Both Marcus and Anthony have played wide for a few years, until the last 12 months really.”
United’s win at Chelsea has put them right back in the hunt for fourth spot, although with Manchester City’s two-year European ban, fifth place could be enough to reach the Champions League. With Martial scoring regularly and the January additions of Bruno Fernandes and Odion Ighalo, the Norwegian reckons United will have more goals in them as the season enters the home straight.
Asked how they will get the consistency to go on a winning run, Solskjaer (below) replied: “Take our chances. I feel with Bruno coming in and Odion coming in, we’ll get more goals in the team.
“That’s been lacking. The games we’ve lost – West Ham, Burnley, Palace, Bournemouth – we’ve had chances, but haven’t scored goals and you can definitely see that Bruno gives us another dimension.”
United, who host Watford tomorrow, are set to welcome back midfielder Scott Mctominay, who has been out since Boxing Day with a knee injury.
“I think he might be in the squad,” said Solskjaer. “I’m not surprised he’s got back so quickly, because that’s the type he is.
“He’s a physical specimen. He’s a leader, he never shirks a tackle and he brings everyone with him. He can sit with Nemanja Matic or Fred or he can be one of the runners in midfield.
“We were talking about that today, that we don’t have that many runs past the striker. He used to be a striker before, so he’s used to being in the box.”