Jose Mourinho has reportedly held heart-to-heart talks with Anthony Martial in an attempt to bring out the best in the French starlet. 

 

The Sun have claimed that Jose Mourinho sat down with French striker Anthony Martial to discuss his struggles to maintain his form from last season. The Portuguese manager told Martial to up his game and concentrate on football rather than the personal matters off the pitch which seem to be taking a toll on his game.

Anthony Martial took to Manchester United like fish to water after his much-publicised big-money switch from Ligue 1 to Premier League. The 20-year-old shone under former manager Louis van Gaal, ending the season as the club’s highest goalscorer with 17 goals to his name in all competitions.

However, the player has so far struggled to find the back of the net under the new boss despite playing a part in all three of Manchester United’s competitive games this season. It is worth noting that Martial was deployed mostly as a centre forward under Van Gaal, while he has been restricted to the left wing under the Portuguese manager, which may have diminished his impact on games.

Anthony Martial has seen a slight dip in his form from last season and Jose Mourinho has reportedly held talks with the 20-year-old in an attempt to shift his focus away from off-the-field problems. (Picture Courtesy - AFP/Getty Images)
Jose Mourinho has reportedly held talks with Anthony Martial in an attempt to shift his focus away from off-the-field problems. (Picture Courtesy – AFP/Getty Images)

The 20-year-old, though, seems to be far more troubled by his personal problems. The France international recently broke up with his childhood sweetheart and has since been subject to defamatory attacks on social media from his long-time partner.

The report by The Sun stated that Jose Mourinho approached the Frenchman over the issue and conveyed the message that he wanted the forward to ignore the circus and fully focus on improving his performances on the pitch.

“Standards have been raised under Jose and he wants his players to be focused on United,” the report quoted a Manchester United source as saying. “Martial is going through a tough time off the pitch, but it’s down to him to sort it out. The manager’s made him well aware of that.”

Anthony Martial would know that his future at Manchester United lies on the left wing, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic commanding the front line at the moment and Marcus Rashford lined up to lead the Red Devils attack for years to come. The Frenchman must address his problems off the pitch and adjust to his new position if he is to continue his growth and become an important player for the club.

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