Realistic Expectations for Anthony Martial at Manchester United in 2016/17

Working out the realistic expectations for Anthony Martial’s season is more of a challenge than it would have been had this question been asked in the immediate aftermath of his injury-time winner in the FA Cup semi-final against Everton at Wembley.

By that point in the season, Martial had self-evidently become United’s main man. Indeed, in a heart-over-head decision, he ended up in first place in 2015/16’s Power Rankings, ahead of David De Gea. 

I wrote: “De Gea might have been United’s best player, but time and again Martial was the best reason to watch the Red Devils play. That’s why he’s No. 1.”

However, this season the France international will have some much-needed competition in the worth-the-price-of-admission stakes. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has arrived to own the No. 9 spot. Marcus Rashford emerged as a foil for Martial and a potential usurper of the crown. Henrikh Mkhitaryan is a joy to watch.

And, of course, United could be on the verge of signing Paul Pogba, one of the most exciting players in the game today.

So Martial does not need to provide all of the sparkle any more. And with players who scored 49 league goals in the 2015/16 campaign added to the squad in the summer, and more to potentially arrive, he will not need to score all of the goals either.

The best-case scenario in all of this is that Martial gets to develop at a slightly more normal rate than was required of him last season. And if the sports scientists suggest he should, he might even get a break from time to time.

Reclassified as a midfielder for 2016/17, Anthony Martial could have a big impact in #FPL: https://t.co/zjbD7OTpXe pic.twitter.com/BCk6umcr4c

— Premier League (@premierleague) August 5, 2016

His position in the squad looks absolutely locked down to the left wing. The symbolism of his numerical switch from wearing No. 9 on his back to No. 11 is not the only reason. Other than Mkhitaryan’s ability to play anywhere across midfield or attack, the only obvious competitor for Martial’s spot on the left would be the stuttering Memphis Depay.

While at centre-forward Ibrahimovic and Rashford will battle it out—with the younger man no doubt acting as deputy—Martial has first dibs on the left flank. It will be a surprise if he gets much, if any, time in the middle, but unless his form dips a good deal, he can feel secure in his role in the side.

And he does not have to play centrally to bring enormous influence to bear, as he showed last season. His tip-toed, gliding running style, his superb close control and a knack for finding the net combined to produce most of United’s best moments last time out and no shortage of important goals.

Martial is always gliding past players. …

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