Fellaini – Martial must improve
Marouane Fellaini has given some questionable advice to Manchester United team-mate Anthony Martial, claiming that he has to improve as a footballer.
Martial put in a man-of-the-match performance against Derby County in the FA Cup on Friday, giving Cyrus Christie the run-around and providing assists for Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata’s goal in an eventual 3-1 victory.
However, the young Frenchman came in for some slight criticism after the game from Louis van Gaal, who said that Martial had a ‘not so good’ first twenty minutes at the iPro Stadium.
And the Belgian midfielder has echoed those sentiments. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, he said:
He can be a good player, but he must improve. Anthony has a lot of quality; he is quick, a good dribbler and always dangerous. He is young and has to keep going, learn every day and he will be a good player.
He’s settled in well, and enjoys the training and loves the Premier League, and loves playing games. So, first of all, This is good for him, but also the club. He must train hard and keep going as next season will be more difficult because the Premier League will know him. But he has the quality to be a success.
Martial has been a revelation since joining United from Monaco on transfer deadline day for an initial fee of £36 million and has already scored eight goals for the Red Devils while being recognised as one of United’s best performers in a topsy-turvy season.
Fellaini, meanwhile, has still to justify the £27.5 million fee that brought him to Old Trafford from Everton two seasons ago, while being a source of irritation among United fans, who believe that he should not even merit a place in the starting line-up. He has played four successive games in defensive midfield and many believe that he is better suited playing further up as a battering ram.
All in all, the Belgian would be best served doing his talking on the pitch, rather than giving out advice to one of United’s star performers this season.