Manchester United forward Anthony Martial slammed both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in an interview with France Football this week.
Anthony Martial has unloaded years of bottled-up rage on former bosses Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Manchester United attacker joined the club from Monaco in 2015 and scored 17 goals in his first season, but his form slipped a year later when Mourinho replaced Louis van Gaal as manager, and he hasn’t really recovered since.
Martial accused Mourinho of “lacking respect” for him, notably after giving his No. 9 shirt to Zlatan Ibrahimovic without his permission, and blamed him for France’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, which Didier Deschamps’ team went on to win.
“He [Mourinho] talked about me in the press in small sentences, similar to what he did with Karim Benzema at Real Madrid.” He enjoys these little games, but he is also aware of who he is playing them with,” Martial told France Football.
“He understands that I am then 20 years old and that if I say something, I will be mistaken for the disrespectful young person.” So I said nothing since it was pointless. The following season, I was the greatest player on the squad for the first half of the season, but he brought in Alexis Sanchez, and I barely played at all.
“It’s World Cup season, and it’s cost me dearly, especially since France won.” “I should have gone.”
Martial was optimistic about his future when Solskjaer replaced Mourinho in December 2018, especially after the Norwegian began utilizing him ahead of Romelu Lukaku as the main point of United’s attack – but when he was asked to play through an injury for four months, their relationship soured.
“I was frequently hurt,” Martial confessed. “People don’t realize that, but I couldn’t accelerate for four months after the Covid season.” I play because the coach says he needs me. But, given my game, if I can’t accelerate, it becomes quite complicated. The coach never informed the media.
“Obviously, I ended up becoming permanently hurt, and when I returned, finished, I didn’t play anymore.” I took it very poorly; I had a sense of injustice; you are asked to give yourself to the team, and then you are dismissed behind the scenes.
“It’s nearly betrayal to me.” That’s all I despise. I can be held accountable, but not for being a phony.”
Solskjaer was fired in the middle of last season, but his replacement, Ralf Rangnick, scarcely gave Martial a chance, and he moved for Sevilla on loan in January. Things haven’t gotten any better since Erik ten Hag came. The Dutchman has only used Martial once this season, as a second-half substitute in the club’s 2-1 triumph over Liverpool last month.
Perhaps, in retrospect, the Mourinho and Solskjaer eras weren’t all that horrible, Anthony?
