Rash and Martial won’t get chance on centre stage
JOSE Mourinho’s surprise switch in transfer tactics sent a message to Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.
The United manager’s decision to cool his interest in a world-class forward like Atletico Madrid’s French forward Griezmann was a big statement.
And it effectively told young front men Rashford and Martial they do not fit the Mourinho mould to spearhead the Reds attack.
The Portuguese knows what he likes.
Didier Drogba at Chelsea first time around, Diego Costa the second time at Stamford Bridge, Gonzalo Higuain at Real Madrid, Diego Milito at Inter Milan and then, last summer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic at United.
They are the kind of front man Mourinho likes to build his attack around.
Hence the names such as Romelu Lukaku (Everton), Andreas Belotti (Torino), Alvaro Morata (Real Madrid) have been offered up as possible new Old Trafford recruits to fill the Ibrahimovic void.
But it does not mean the end for Rashford and Martial.
Martial’s agent has already said the 21-year-old Frenchman wants to stay at United.
Mancunian 19-year-old Rashford is United through and through and his workrate and learning ethic has seen him become a favourite for Mourinho and an example for others have to convince the Reds boss of their worth.
Rashford and Martial have been largely used to by Mourinho as wide attackers, dovetailing between who got the nod, with Ibrahimovic as the central figure.
It is the blueprint Mourinho sees as the best strategy.
The idea of a front three with the ability of Rashford and Martial to go at defenders at pace and a powerhouse centre-forward has a lethal ring to it.
United fans have traditionally been brought up on wingers – Best, Coppell, Hill, Kanchelskis, Sharpe, Giggs et al.
Mourinho doesn’t have traditional widemen in his current pack.
But the idea of a three-man forward line with Henrikh Mkhitaryan or Juan Mata pulling the strings behind them in the No.10 role is a compelling one.
The wider front man role is one Rashford wouldn’t be unhappy performing as he told M.E.N. Sport towards the end of the season: “The qualities a striker needs now are different to what they used to be. You are just giving yourself all the tools for what any manager needs. That is the main thing.”
Tools that Rashford and Martial are going to need once Mourinho nails down his new spearhead.