Anthony Martial has returned to Manchester United with a fresh new appearance. The striker's shaved bald head is evocative of Thierry Henry, a player to whom he was compared as a teenager.
Martial, like Henry, grew up in Monaco and even received the Golden Boy Award for Europe's greatest teenager in 2013.
When he first arrived at United, the comparisons were obvious, especially after his re-watchable debut goal against Liverpool, which was reminiscent of Henry in his prime.
Martial has been flattering to deceive since then. Last season was a disaster in comparison to the previous one, as evidenced by the raw numbers.
Martial and Scott McTominay both scored seven goals. Worse still, his clinical streak in front of goal had vanished. Martial began to miss simple one-on-one opportunities that he normally would have buried.
DON'T MISS:
He now has a new beginning and an opportunity to reinvent himself. His new appearance is part of his rebranding.
Martial was United's top scorer in 2019/20, scoring 23 goals for the club. All 17 of his Premier League goals came from open play. He would have won the Golden Boot if he had been assigned to penalty duty.
Last season, Martial appeared to be beaten even before the season started. As the season began against Crystal Palace, he appeared fatigued and off the pace, and he rarely showed the same zeal as the previous year. The arrival of Edinson Cavani seemed to hurt his confidence as well.
Martial has spent time on the left side of the field, which has aided his growth. But it was as a center striker that he put up his best performances last season.
Former Manchester United attacker Dwight Yorke told Talksport in 2020 that he believed Martial will improve in the next years. “Anthony Martial, like myself, Thierry Henry, possibly Wayne Rooney, and even Cristiano Ronaldo, began his career on the wing, developing and improving his skills before moving to the number nine position,” Yorke said. That is exactly what Martial is doing right now.”
He now has a new beginning and an opportunity to reinvent himself. His new appearance is part of his rebranding.
Martial was United's highest scorer in 2019/20, scoring 23 goals for the club. All 17 of his Premier League goals came from open play. He would have won the Golden Boot if he had been assigned to penalty duty.
DON'T MISS:
Last season, Martial appeared to be beaten even before the season started. As the season began against Crystal Palace, he appeared fatigued and off the pace, and he rarely showed the same zeal as the previous year. The arrival of Edinson Cavani seemed to hurt his confidence as well.
Martial has spent time on the left side of the field, which has aided his growth. But it was as a center striker that he put up his best performances last season.
Former Manchester United attacker Dwight Yorke told Talksport in 2020 that he believed Martial will improve in the next years. “Anthony Martial, like myself, Thierry Henry, possibly Wayne Rooney, and even Cristiano Ronaldo, began his career on the wing, developing and improving his skills before moving to the number nine position,” Yorke said. That is exactly what Martial is doing right now.”
Several United fans have written off Martial and would not shed a tear if the inconsistent striker was shipped off in exchange for a proven world-class player. It's up to Martial to show his skeptics what they've been missing all along.
Martial will never approach Thierry Henry's prolific records, but he can come a long way from last season's contribution. Henry's strength was his consistency, as he scored 17 Premier League goals or more every season from 1999/2000 to 2005/06, with a 30-goal season at the apex. By comparison, Martial's four league goals last season seem humiliating.
Martial can have another try at scoring now that he has the Henry look with the bald head. Not just from week to week, but from season to season, he must be lethal and constant.
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