Anthony Martial’s Injury Means Now Is The Time For Memphis Depay To Prove His Worth

Fluke and fortune sometimes play an almighty hand in the future of both club and player.

It was good fortune for Manchester United the day that Kenny Dalglish’s Blackburn Rovers left the weekend for Roy Keane to sign the contract he’d verbally agreed to etch, leaving a pre-knighted Alex Ferguson to swoop in and buy the midfielder whose relentless drive and determination for the best would be the backbone for Manchester United’s success over the next 12 years.

While it was bad fortune when after his rather impressive start for Manchester United, which included three goals and three assists in his first five matches, Angel Di Maria suffered an injury that he never recovered from, which ultimately proved to be one of the reasons why he left Old Trafford.

With bad fortune having seemingly ruled Anthony Martial out of Manchester United’s trip to Watford now is the time for Memphis Depay to try and benefit.

Depay has fallen badly out of favour at United in recent weeks. Flashes of brilliance in the early stages of the Champions League have now dwindled out of memory, instead replaced by repeatedly underwhelming performances in the league.

Since United’s 3-0 defeat to Arsenal at the start of October, Depay has been a permanent fixture on the Old Trafford bench. Plus he was dropped from the Holland national team too. This slump has left many Manchester United fans nonplussed with the Dutchman and there is currently a feeling that he just doesn’t possess the temperament or consistency to thrive at the club.

All of this negativity will hopefully be simmering inside Memphis, and the revelation that Anthony Martial will miss at least the game against Watford should have the Dutch forward chomping at the bit to prove his worth and talent.

Unfortunately there’s every chance that the ruthless Louis Van Gaal will ignore the temptation to give Memphis a second chance though. With Martial out Ander Herrera could now just as easily start instead. That would see Wayne Rooney moved into a more advanced position as a centre-forward, while Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata would take up the wing positions.

However the complete lack of pace in that front five would leave opposition defences overjoyed. That’s why bringing Memphis, who on his day has directness, pace, guile, and strength, back in from the cold would be more advantageous, if admittedly more risky.

The deployment of Memphis Depay out on the wing could also allow Mata to take up his favoured No. 10 position, with the ever-improving Lingard then out on the right-wing and Wayne Rooney up front trying his damndest to re-locate his goal-scoring touch.

The decision Louis Van Gaal reaches will teach us a lot about him as Manchester United manager. As Van Gaal has been at odds to tell us over the last few days in response to Paul Scholes’ recent criticism he has found plenty of success in his career playing attacking football.

So far Manchester United fans are yet to see either. Playing Herrera, who admittedly is a quality player that would probably benefit from playing deeper alongside Schneiderlin or Schweinsteiger, would be the safe option.

While taking the risk, a word that was evangelical to Sir Alex Ferguson, and playing Memphis Depay could prove to be the catalyst to both the player’s form and United playing the decent, attacking football that’s so ravenously desired on the terraces.

All that’s known for certain at the moment is that the absence of Anthony Martial now leaves Manchester United without the man who has been their main attacking threat all season.

Now is the time when Manchester United and Louis Van Gaal are calling out for a player to step-up and take over. It just remains to be seen whether Memphis will answer, or if Louis will even allow him to speak in the first place.

[Images via Getty/Dean Mouhtaropoulos & Getty/John Peters]