You get the feeling that if Manchester United are going to leave Wembley Stadium on Saturday with a win and a trophy, then Anthony Martial is going to be a large reason for that success.
Even if he doesn't manage to register a goal or assist in the final, his contribution in the FA Cup is greater than every other player in the Man United squad as time and time again he has been the one turned to in times of need. The guy is 20, and nobody had heard of him this time last year. That is incredible.
In no time at all Anthony Martial has become more than a fan favourite at Old Trafford. He represents the brand of football that United fans demand of their team, and he's so incomprehensibly cool that he's carrying a massive club and making it look like he's bored.
The Arrival
Tony Martial came from France, the English press said he had no chance, fifty million down the drain, Tony Martial scores again.
You'll hear the above every time you watch Manchester United play. The supporters are rarely shy to profess their love of their new star. Because that's what Martial is, already. The English press mercilessly mocked his transfer from AS Monaco as if it was a certainty that he would fall flat on his arse like the vast majority of the 48 players Newcastle have signed from Ligue 1 in the past three seasons.
Must admit I'm loving this #MUFC #SkySports #Martial pic.twitter.com/OxzL3YcJtd
— Mikey Traynor (@Mikeyt086) January 11, 2016
Instead, Anthony Martial announced himself with an arrival that will be talked about for years. To score against Liverpool, on his debut, by making Martin Skrtel look like a clown (granted, that is something that many others have achieved this year including Skrtel himself), was a statement of intent. This kid had the mentality to play at this level, after that goal it was just about proving that he had the talent. Spoiler alert: He does.
The fee was crazy, but Manchester United, who have been regularly criticised for dithering in the transfer market, pulled the trigger in a deal that was a foreshadowing of where football is going. Who knew then that in May the United fans scratching their heads as to how this deal made sense would feel as though the club underpaid.
The Position Change
Anthony Martial has made his debut season look far more comfortable than it should have been. Besides arriving in a new country where he doesn't speak the language, having been ridiculed before he even did so, he has also gone through personal issues with his partner, so it's not like it's all been sunshine and rainbows for the young Frenchman. Considering how quickly a certain Argentinian decided to call it quits in Manchester, it's a credit to Martial that he is visibly happy in his present surroundings.
However, he carries himself with such unshakable confidence that you get the feeling that nothing bothers him. His stoic demeanour is the perfect guise for his ice-cold composure in front of goal.
Still, most impressive is the fact that he has made the left wing the main source of Manchester United's positive attacking play. Having burst onto the scene as a striker and offering the goals that a misfiring Wayne Rooney couldn't, Martial looked to be the number nine that the fans were crying out for. Instead, Louis Van Gaal made a clear decision to move him to the left wing, and it worked seamlessly.
He can do it all. He doesn't run, he glides. His toes graze the grass like something out of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and he scores all types of goals. If you asked a United fan which player he would most want to be sent through one on one at a crucial moment, it would have to be Martial.
The FA Cup
Not since 2004 has a Manchester United player raised the FA Cup trophy. Then, it was a seriously promising teenager who ran the show and left United fans giddy at what would follow, and now Anthony Martial has a chance to secure his first piece of silverware with the club, like Ronaldo did way back when.
After letting his teammates (barely) handle the third round against Sheffield United, and having put in a solid performance in a comfortable away win at Shrewsbury in the fourth, Anthony Martial then became the driving force behind United's charge on Wembley.
Against Derby County, a match where it seemed as if the media and opposition fans had decided that Derby were going cause an "upset" based on the form both teams were in at the time, United ran out 1-3 winners, with Martial causing havock at from the left wing.
When Cyrus Christie pulls out the car park tonight, it would be entirely fitting if, at last sec, Martial nips through barrier ahead of him
— Sam Wallace (@SamWallaceTel) January 29, 2016
Cyrus Christie has been voted Derby's young player of the year, so roastings like the one he received from Anthony Martial have been few and far between.
Then came a truly tricky tie at home to West Ham United. Trailing thanks to a sublime Dimitri Payet free-kick with ten minutes remaining, Anthony Martial found himself in the right place at the right time, and he was the right man to finish off the chance and take the tie to a replay, where he would provide both assists in a 1-2 win to secure a place in the semi-final.
With the Champions League looking all but gone at the time, it quickly became apparent that Manchester United's season was on the line when they took on Everton at Wembley. In arguably his biggest game for United, Martial was absolutely electric.
This season has had many, many low points for the supporters, but on that day, Anthony Martial gave them something to lose their minds over.
Having spent 92 minutes watching Romelu Lukaku - who this week has apparently had a £65m price tag slapped on him by Everton - squander chances from promising positions, Martial found himself in a position to win the game, and he slipped the ball home like he would in a training match.
Rival and opposition fans tend to speak of Martial only in a respectful manner, and that is simply because talking negatively of his first season in England would seriously damage that person's credibility. You cannot ignore how impressive the lad has been.
The Future
The introductory line to this article was that you get the feeling that if Manchester United are going to leave Wembley Stadium on Saturday with a win and a trophy, then Anthony Martial is going to be a large reason for that success. The odds currently being a mere 13/5 for Martial to score and United to win serve as evidence that it's a fairly common thought.
Without him in the team you would wonder where a goal would come from, other than an opportunist's finish from fellow youngster Marcus Rashford, but with Martial on the left win the Man United fans know that at any moment he could square up his man, leave him on his arse with a shake of his shoulders, and decide the game.
Anthony Martial Skill! #GGMU #MUFC #Martial @AnthonyMartial pic.twitter.com/caYv1zfeK9
— IG: MUFCUpdate (@UnitedNewz_Indo) December 23, 2015
That in itself represents hope for Man United fans going forward. While the current squad needs key signings in many positions, Martial represents a piece of furniture that can be built around and complimented. His clear understanding with Marcus Rashford is further reason for any United fan to be excited.
At this point, and with a summer transfer window looming, you imagine Martial would benefit from having a world-class attacker play alongside him, but would also be capable of shouldering the attacking burden if the team was strengthened in the areas behind him.
17 goals in all competitions is an excellent return for his first season, and it seems inevitable that if he remains injury free then he will easily pass 20 next year, but he still has one game left to play for this campaign, but don't rule out the possibility of him adding to that total.
Should that happen and United come out on top, it will be a fitting end to a great first chapter in his Man United career, and the FA Cup winners medal will be the tangible award he fully deserves.
