OLE’S MARTIAL AWE
Boss backs star to shine as his No.9
Anthony Martial
to score first
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER insists that Manchester United don’t need Harry Kane when they have Anthony Martial.
The United boss has been urged to break the bank for Tottenham talisman Kane by Old Trafford legend Roy Keane.
But Solskjaer believes that Martial can be the natural goalscorer his team have been missing after taking the decision to ditch Romelu Lukaku and hand back United’s No.9 shirt to the £45million Frenchman.
Martial scored United’s winner in Thursday night’s Europa League victory at Partizan Belgrade after an eightweek absence with a hamstring injury.
And now Solskjaer is backing him to become the leader of the attack.
Solskjaer said: “Now Anthony is back, I am quite happy with the options I have in attack.
“I’ve heard what some people have said about us being short of a genuine No. 9, but Anthony has absolutely everything in his locker to take that role.
“He can be a target man, he’s quick, he’s technical – and one of the reasons he wanted to stay here was because I told him I saw him as a central striker.
“I don’t think people outside the club realise how good this lad is.
“But the players in the dressing room know. When we are talking about how we are going to score goals, they say, ‘ We will just give the ball to Anthony.’
“He has the confidence of his team- mates and his manager because we see him every day in training.
“What I’ve now got to do is set the team up to get the best out of him, but I think he will improve by just staying fit and playing more games.” Lukaku was sold to Inter Milan in the summer, despite scoring 41 goals in two seasons at Old Trafford.
And Alexis Sanchez was allowed to join the Belgian on loan at the San Siro after failing to justify his £500,000-a-week wages.
United chiefs felt the pair were becoming a disruptive dressing- room influence after losing their places in
Soskjaer’s team last season.
The United boss made a clear statement of intent by handing Martial the No.9 shirt that had been stripped from him by Jose Mourinho, following the £75million purchase of Lukaku (above). Solskjaer feels the 23-year-old paid the price for being used as a winger by the Portuguese boss and by Louis van Gaal. And he insists Martial can be his smiling assassin after being often misunderstood as a misery- guts during his time in Manchester.
Solskjaer said: “People have the wrong idea about Anthony. He is a lad who enjoys life and always has a smile on his face. I know some people will be surprised by that because he is always being criticised for having poor body language.
“But he is happy again. He always wanted to be Manchester United’s No.9 – and he’s got his number back.
“We have missed him for the last eight weeks. We hoped to have him back earlier and he was so desperate to play that he really pushed his recovery and ended up having a small recurrence.”
Solskjaer added: “Anthony got put out on the wing by other managers and I understand why because he is so quick.
“But, for me, he is a proper No.9. He needs to be connected to the game. He has to be in the action all the time to be the best player he can.
“I am absolutely certain that, if we get the ball to him in the right positions, then he will be scoring goals for fun.”