Anthony Martial might finally get the role he wants at Manchester United under Erik ten Hag

Anthony Martial has certainly impressed on Manchester United’s pre-season tour, matching a feat achieved by Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney in 2007 by scoring in all of his first three outings. His performances, albeit in pre-season, have shown that he is capable of playing in the style that Erik ten Hag demands and he's given a glimpse of what he can offer on the pitch as their potential main striker.

During United’s tour, we have seen Martial contribute significantly to his side’s 13-goal haul over the course of four games, linking up nicely with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho.

The France international seems to be brimming with confidence and that has shown in his performances, particularly with the goal he scored against Liverpool. One-on-one against Alisson - arguably the Premier League’s most impressive goalkeeper when facing such situations - Martial calmly chipped the ball over the Brazilian.

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Clearly, Martial is feeling the love and support of his new manager even at this early stage, but there are still some question marks over his ability to perform consistently. In a recent interview, Ten Hag spoke about the striker’s attitude. He said: “When he has the right focus and right motivation and he works hard, then he will have production because he’s a good player.”

The No.9 has been given a host of chances during his seven-year spell at United. He has often faced competition from the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Romelu Lukaku, Edinson Cavani and more recently Ronaldo. Perhaps it is a confidence issue, but when he is under pressure to stake a claim for his place in the starting XI, he often underperforms and looks a shadow of his former self.

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