Manchester United’s Anthony Martial is facing intense criticism from Peter Schmeichel following his performance during the team’s draw against Galatasaray.
Despite initially leading 3-1 at halftime, United squandered their lead in a thrilling six-goal match in Istanbul. Martial, who came on as a substitute, failed to make a significant impact, prompting criticism for his performance.
Erik Ten Hag made numerous substitutions during the game, but Martial’s contribution was notably underwhelming. The Frenchman registered just two touches in the Galatasaray box and 16 touches throughout the match. The decline in work rate after Martial replaced Rasmus Hojlund was a particular concern, according to former United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel.
Speaking to CBS Sports, Schmeichel expressed his disappointment: “When you’re 2-0 up – and it’s not the first time we’re 2-0 up in this tournament – you kill the game. You make sure the other team can’t get into it. You keep the ball, you make sure you don’t make mistakes – and a lot of mistakes were made today.”
Schmeichel highlighted the impact of substitutions, stating, “And of course, you also have to look at players like when Hojlund came off, a lot of the pressure from the very, very front disappeared. The guy (Martial) he (Ten Hag) put in doesn’t do anything, where you had before someone who works really, really hard for the team up front all of a sudden you don’t have that pressure.”
Manchester United have won 4 points in the Champions League so far this season:
❌ 4-3 vs. Bayern Munich in MD1
❌ 3-2 vs. Galatasaray in MD2
✅ 1-0 vs. Copenhagen in MD3
❌ 4-3 vs. Copenhagen in MD4
🤝 3-3 vs. Galatasaray in MD5A huge game against Bayern Munich awaits. 😲 pic.twitter.com/lyz5eYnkbk
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) November 29, 2023
The disappointing Champions League campaign only adds to the pressure on Erik Ten Hag. The team’s prospects of advancing through to the knockout stages now seem unlikely.
Next, Manchester United travel to Newcastle in Saturday’s late kickoff in the Premier League. Ten Hag’s team are currently four points outside the top four, further amplifying the pressure on the manager.
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