3 changes Manchester United need to make in their starting lineup

#2 Anthony Martial for Alexis Sanchez

BSC Young Boys v Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Group H — Time for Tony Martial to get back into the starting XI

Alexis Sanchez has not been among the goals but he the fact that he has improved in a United shirt is there for all to see. However, his failure to link up with Lukaku and disturbing inability to leave defenders for dead in the final third is clawing United back.

The tough love that Mourinho showed Luke Shaw worked wonders and the same seems to be happening in the case of Anthony Martial. Against Young Boys in the Champions League and against Derby County in the Carabao Cup (the two recent matches that Martial has started), he has shown a lot of promise.

Martial's close control that gives defenders nightmares is helping United cause havoc in the opposition's defensive third and if United's conversion rate in front of goal was better, the Frenchman's stats would look a lot better.

He is not afraid to take on defenders and his quick turn of pace and ability to slalom past defenders in addition to the fact that he plays much better with Pogba and Lukaku make this a no-brainer.

The 22-year-old who had a spectacular debut season at Old Trafford looks to be regaining the confidence that made him such a menacing presence down the left flank. He needs a steady run of games and like it was afforded to Sanchez so far, it should be given to Martial as well.

About the author

Shambhu is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda who focuses on previews, listicles and news articles. An ardent Manchester United supporter since before his teenage years, he started following the Red Devils by age 10 watching MUTV on television. Shambhu is also a highly-revered rapper and a playback singer on Spotify, having a whopping 1 million monthly listeners.

For his articles, Shambhu believes in triple-checking every piece of information, relying on trusted websites like Transfermarkt and Opta, and staying away from speculative publications. He believes that his law degree helped him to be more articulate and meticulous with his content and one of his core strengths is seamlessly involving emotion in his write-ups owing to the love for the sport. For Sportskeeda, has done exclusive interviews with Spanish legends Gaizka Mendieta and Fernando Morientes so far, and his articles boast of a huge readership of close to 50 million.

Shambhu's favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and the Argentine attaining glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment. He believes only Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland could replicate Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's rivalry in the years to come. His favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson due to the Scot's unmatched longevity at the top.

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Edited by Sripad