Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has criticised Anthony Martial after his performance against Everton in the 1-1 draw yesterday.

The current Wales manager says that the Frenchman needs to do a lot more to convince people that he deserves to lead the line after a performance that lacked effort and energy at Old Trafford:

“He is talented, and he’s not a bad kid, but the problem he has is that he looks lethargic all the time. He looks casual as if he’s not bothered. When it comes off, and he’s doing brilliant things, you say it just comes naturally.”

“But when it’s not, you think: he’s not running, he’s not trying, he’s not working hard enough, he’s not holding the ball up. So in my eyes, he has to try extra hard because of his persona, because of the way that he moves.”

“But he doesn’t look like he breaks sweat and when United are chasing a game you want someone to get across the front post – you might not score, but your teammate might score. It’s all these sorts of things that you’re not getting off him at the moment.”

It is not a new criticism of Martial, and despite putting in some excellent displays this season, his inconsistency continues to frustrate fans and pundits alike.

The 24-year-old is a perfect fit when playing on the counter-attack away from home, as we saw against Manchester City, but there are question marks over whether he can lead the line when opponents sit back.

Martial’s lack of movement and low work rate can make him an easy figure to criticise, and if he wants to become the club’s undisputed number nine, he’ll have to do a lot more than he managed against Everton.

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