Are Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial on their way out of Man Utd?

With the January transfer window nearly here, Asif Norat looks into the difficult situations of Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba.

 

Manchester United have improved dramatically since the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, showing the ability to play proactive football and proving themselves to be defensively organised. Although it’s still early in the Ralf Rangnick era, the team are playing with an identity and with the much-needed intensity on and off the ball.

In terms of midfield and attack, the majority of the players have stepped up since the managerial change and there is now genuine competition to be selected within the 4-2-2-2 formation. The likes of Diogo Dalot, Fred and Victor Lindelof have been able to take their game up a notch, whilst both Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay have failed to truly get going.

However, the biggest concerns remain over Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba, two players who have failed to live up to their expectations since arriving at the club and have not shown their qualities on a consistent and regular basis. With the January window imminnet, would it be better to cash in on the pair who semmingly do not fit into what Rangnick requires for a high pressing team.

It’s time to look further into the serious situation of Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba.

 

The Anthony Martial conundrum

Since joining the Red Devils in the summer of 2015, Anthony Martial has achieved double figures in goals in the Premier League in three out of six seasons, leaving questions as to whether he is mainly effective as a wide player or as a number nine.

From his harsh treatment under Jose Mourinho, scoring 17 league goals in Solskjaer’s first full season at the club, to scoring just four goals in the last campaign, the French international has had his fair share of ups and downs at the theatre of dreams.

Now, at 26-years-old, he has fallen down the pecking order, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani and Mason Greenwood being preferred as striking options. Rangnick has also recently utilised Marcus Rashford as a forward, due to his burst of pace and dribbling ability, making it difficult for Martial to receive a chance to prove himself to the new manager, an issue that Pogba shares.

Over the last few yearsManchester United have not been built around Martial and he has constantly had a position change under likes of Louis van Gaal, Mourinho and Solskjaer. Furthermore, his mentality has come into question time and time again, as he has failed to show why he deserves to be in the starting line-up whilst his work rate has been on and off.

Overall, it would be ideal for all parties that the player leaves as soon as possible, for him to achieve his potential and regular game time in a new environment, whilst the football club utilises the transfer fee received on a holding midfielder or a right-back, a department they need to focus on.

 

Paul Pogba is out of his depth

If United fans are exasperated at the situation of Martial, Paul Pogba is regarded as one of the most frustrating players in Europe. There has never been a single doubt in what he is capable of and he has shown his strengths more on international duty and for Juventus than at Manchester United.

For sure, the lack of coaching and team management has not helped his cause but there have been matches where his personal decision making have let him and his team down, from his lack of defensive discipline to his tendency to lose the ball.

With Rangnick implementing a high pressing style into the team, it is quite difficult to see Pogba being selected over the likes of Fred, Donny van de Beek and Jadon Sancho, which covers three out of the four midfield positions available. And the former RB Leipzig and Schalke 04 manager is looking to add a defensive midfielder, someone who can provide the ideal balance in the middle of the pitch and to support Fred, with reports linking the club to Amadou Haidara and Boubacar Kamara rising.

Pogba has received a contract offer from the Red Devils but is waiting to see if other clubs are prepared to acquire his services in January or in the summer. This leaves United and Rangnick in a difficult dilemma, as the player may not be fully committed to the cause and will perform when he intends on doing so, which could directly affect the side’s chances of finishing in the top four spots.

The Paul Pogba situation is quite similar to that of Martial, where the club have failed to make the right decisions in terms of marquee signings and managerial changes over the last five years, leaving the side with nothing to show for in the Premier League and Champions League.

United should look to sell the 28-year-old in the January rather than allowing him to leave in the summer on a free transfer, especially with close interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

 

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