UNITED Smalling: Red hot Martial is just on fire for United
JOSE Mourinho told United’s players to give the ball to Anthony Martial ‘as early as we could’ after Burnley defender Phil Bardsley picked up a yellow card, according to Chris Smalling.
The Reds earned a hard-fought win at Turf Moor on Saturday thanks to the Frenchman’s brilliant winner before the hour mark. The 22-year-old has now been directly involved in five goals in just four appearances in 2018.
Martial’s duel with Bardsley was one of the key individual battles and Burnley regularly targeted the winger. But the former United defender was not booked until a cynical foul on Smalling with more than 20 minutes to go. As the Reds looked to grab a crucial second goal to spare them a nervy final few minutes, Smalling has revealed that Mourinho gave his side some trademark instructions from the touchline. “It was brilliant, he’s on fire at the minute,” he told reporters of red-hot Martial’s start to 2018. “As soon as Bardsley was on a yellow card there, the instructions were just to give the ball to him as early as we could because when he’s running at people he’s a danger. “All year, him and Marcus (Rashford) have been playing Chris Smalling on the left and, to be fair, both have chipped in with goals and assists. It’s great for us that we’ve got such great attacking flair.”
Smalling has enjoyed a remarkable campaign so far and his continued omission from the England squad appears to have given him renewed motivation in his eighth season at Old Trafford.
The 28-year-old has been an ever-present this season, starting 25 games, and his partnership with Phil Jones has been one of the key reasons why United have kept five consecutive clean sheets. So what is the secret? “I think we’re well drilled. Even last year I don’t think we conceded many goals.” he added.
“It’s good that as a team we can shut up shop and not give the other team too many chances, knowing that more often than not we’re going to go up the other end and score because certain teams can only keep us out for so long.”