Last Saturday, Manchester United lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace, a team they had previously defeated 3-0 with ease. This was a turning point in their season.
With only three victories from their first seven Premier League games, Erik ten Hag may already be feeling the pressure. If nothing changes soon, the pressure will only increase.
League play is suspended this week as the Champions League takes center stage. This evening, United welcomes Galatasaray to Old Trafford, and nothing less than three points will do, especially if they have any hopes of advancing from their group.
The Dutchman may alter his starting lineup for the match, particularly after a few disappointing performances from various players, including summer signing Rasmus Hojlund.
Rasmus Hojund’s performance versus Crystal Palace.
The young Dane has had trouble making an impact for the Red Devils thus far, averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.45 through four Premier League games, managing just 0.5 shots on target per game, and missing four excellent opportunities.
Although he scored against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, his performance throughout the weekend was, to put it mildly, lackluster.
It was obvious the 20-year-old couldn’t quite get into the game when he attempted three shots but were unsuccessful, won just three of his seven ground duels, and attempted just 25 touches of the ball.
Galatasaray is a different kind of challenge, therefore Ten Hag should use Anthony Martial right away and bench Hojlund to see if that changes anything.
Will Anthony Martial start for Manchester United against Galatasaray?
While it’s easy to argue that Martial has fallen short of the high expectations that were placed on him upon moving to Manchester back in 2015, he has nonetheless established himself as a reliable alternative that Ten Hag could choose from this season.
The £250,000 per week forward, who has made just five league starts and averaged just 36 minutes per game, has proven that his physical presence is beneficial to Ten Hag by completing one key pass per game, making 50% of his dribble attempts, and winning 71% of ground duels.
The Frenchman also contributed an assist in the match against Bayern a few weeks ago despite playing only nine minutes, making one crucial pass and setting up a significant opportunity, showing he may flourish if given a chance to play against the Turkish team in Europe’s top league.
Every United supporter is aware of his true skill, according to Paul Scholes, who praised him last season. But all we need is to witness it more frequently.
“The young man is quite talented. He hasn’t spoken for 18 months; we don’t know if injuries or a lack of confidence are to blame. However, the young man is talented, and we need to see more of it. He has a high goal scoring capacity.
Hojlund might be this United team’s star of the future, but Ten Hag needs goals right away, and Martial could shine if given the chance tonight.