Manchester United vs Anderlecht - Mourinho urges Martial to start delivering for United

Posted Thursday, April 20, 2017 by PA

Jose Mourinho has warned Anthony Martial "great potential" is not enough as the Manchester United manager needs the forward to start delivering what he wants.

Having started so impressively after making his big-money move from Monaco in 2015, the 21-year-old's second season at OId Trafford has been a struggle.

Martial, on seven goals this term, has been left out of the United squad entirely on occasions, including for Sunday's impressive 2-0 win against Premier League leaders Chelsea.

Mourinho confirmed his omission was down to dissatisfaction rather than injury, calling on Martial to take a leaf out of 19-year-old team-mate Marcus Rashford's book.

"You know, we have been together for almost 10 months or something like that," the United boss said ahead of Thursday's Europa League quarter-final second-leg meeting with Anderlecht.

"The same way I know the players much better now, the players they should also know me much better now.

"The same way I know what the players like, I think the players also know what I like.

"The same way I have to go in the direction of the players, the players they have also to come in my direction and that's the point.

"That's why Marcus Rashford, even without scoring goals, even without being since September scoring a goal in the Premier League, even without that he was always a player that I trust.

"He was always a player that I play, always a player that I support because he was always coming in my direction, in the direction of what I want from a player, what I want as a Manchester United player, so I think it is about that.

"It is about getting to know each other better and better and better, and going in the direction of the things that we like.

"So do I think Anthony is a player with great potential? Yes, I think so.

"Do I think he can play successfully for me? Yes, I think.

"But he needs to give me things that I like very much."

Anderlecht are fighting against the odds and the record books at United, but their manager Rene Weiler believes his players can land a knockout blow.

The most successful team in Belgian football are competing in their first continental quarter-final in 20 years and arrive at Old Trafford with the score locked at 1-1 after Leander Dendoncker's late header.

However, Henrikh Mkhitaryan's away goal in Brussels last week could yet prove crucial as United look to progress to the semi-finals, which bookmakers have them as short as 1-12 to reach.

"Of course we have to believe," manager Weiler said ahead of the return fixture. "We do believe, but at the same time we have to be realistic.

"We know we are playing a very high level team in Manchester United. You only have to look at the performance of this squad last Sunday, they limited Chelsea to hardly any shots on target at all.

"I think they have had three defeats in the entire season and in the last 22 matches in the game they are unbeaten.

"They are very strong at the back and they have some great individuals as well.

"We saw in the first leg what they can do and we know it is going to be very hard, and we know that pretty much everyone in our team is going to have to put in a perfect performance.

"But we do believe and we will be trying our absolute best to try and make sure that happens.

"We do need a goal tomorrow but we need to be prudent as well."