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- 7.0 IELTS => +) Reading more books and newspapers online.
+) Doing a small passage/section in Cambridge 13/Online Tests everyday.
+) Practice a Speaking topic and a Writing Task everyday.

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Why Manchester United are not scoring from corners

Tại sao Manchester United không biết ghi bàn từ những quả phạt góc?

It sounds like a punch line, but there is no exaggeration when saying Manchester United corners carry more of a goal threat for opponents than themselves.

Nghe giống như những câu punchline trong giới underground, nhưng không quá khi nói rằng những quả phạt góc của Manchester United lại mang đến nhiều cơ hội cho đối thủ hơn là cho chính bản thân họ.

Because while United are the only team in the Premier League yet to score from a corner, they are also susceptible to being caught on the counter-attack.

Ngoài thực tế rằng MU là câu lạc bộ duy nhất tại EPL không ghi được bàn từ những tình huống trên, họ cũng dễ bị tổn thương trước những đòn phản công của đội bạn.

Everton broke away from one at Old Trafford in October and subsequently the net through Andros Townsend.

Everton đã tận dụng được điều đó nhờ vào bàn thắng của Andros Townsend trong trận đấu diễn ra vào tháng Mười.

Wolves, Newcastle, West Ham and Brentford have all launched dangerous counters from United corners too, most recently with David de Gea having to pull off a save one-on-one against Mathias Jensen following a pinpoint move by Thomas Frank’s side.

Những đội bóng khác như Wolves, Newcastle, West Ham hay Brentford cũng tạo ra không ít cơ hội nguy hiểm từ những quả phạt trên, mà mới đây nhất là tình huống 1 đấu 1 giữa David de Gea và Mathias Jensen sau môt tình huống di chuyển chính xác đến từ học trò của ông Thomas Frank.

Both Everton’s goal and Brentford’s big chance came from Bruno Fernandes failing to clear the first man, hitting Allan and Vitaly Janelt respectively at the six-yard line. In the case of the former, the ball landed at his feet.

Cả bàn thắng của Everton và cơ hội của Brentford đều đến từ việc Bruno Fernandes đã không thể ngăn được cầu thủ ở gần nhất, lần lượt là Allan và Vitaly Janelt ở trong vòng 5m50. Trong tình huống này thì bóng đã vượt ra ngoài tầm kiểm soát của anh.

By contrast, the closest United have come to scoring from a corner was back in August at Southampton when Luke Shaw found Nemanja Matic’s head and Alex McCarthy made a good save down low. United have failed to hit the target with meaning since.

Cơ hội đáng kể nhất để MU có thể ghi bàn đã từ tháng 8, khi Luke Shaw đã tìm thấy cái đầu của Nemanja Matic và Alex McCarthy đã có một tình huống cản phá tốt. Cũng từ đó trở về sau, United đã thất bại trong việc tìm đường vào khung thành đối phương.

It is an especially awkward record for a club that hired a set-piece coach in the summer.

Đó là một thành tích tệ hại với một CLB đã sở hữu một HLV chuyên phụ trách mảng tình huống cố định này.

In 117 corners taken by United in the Premier League this season, the occasions of genuine threat are few and far between.

Trong 117 tình huống phạt góc được thực hiện bởi MU, số cơ hội thật sự nguy hiểm là rất hiếm hoi,

Fernandes connected sweetly with a half-volley when Kurt Zouma diverted Shaw’s delivery at the London Stadium, hitting the post; Paul Pogba nodded narrowly wide at close range against Aston Villa at Old Trafford when Raphael Varane flicked on a Fernandes outswinger (United’s analysts in the stands momentarily thought Pogba had scored); on Saturday, Varane glanced over against West Ham from an Alex Telles ball to the edge of the six-yard box.

Đó lần lượt là cú bắt vô lê của Bruno Fernandes sau khi Kurt Zouma phá bóng từ quả tạt của Shaw, là cú đánh đầu của Pogba trong trận đấu với Aston Villa sau pha phối hợp giữa Raphael Varane và Bruno Fernandes(thậm chí những phân tích trên sân còn cho rằng Pogba có thể ghi bàn), và mới đây là pha đánh đầu của Varane trong vòng 5m50 sau pha tạt bóng của Alex Telles.

Back during Everton’s visit, Fernandes nearly atoned for his poor delivery seven minutes from time, placing his corner right onto Pogba’s head on the six-yard line in the middle of the goal. But Pogba got his jump all wrong and brushed the ball well wide. At Leicester, Pogba miscued from a deep Fernandes inswinger, further evidence that despite his stature, he doesn’t appear a natural in the air.

Nhưng quay lại trận đấu với Everton, Fernandes đã suýt "lập công chuộc tội" sau tình huống để mất bóng trước đó bằng một quả tạt đúng tầm cho Pogba trong khu vực 5m50, nhưng đáng tiếc là anh đã để lỡ mất cơ hội này. Còn trong trận đấu với Leicester, từ một tình huống như vậy từ Bruno, Pogba đã làm mất bóng và trực tiếp dẫn tới bàn thua của MU.

From studying all United’s corners this season, the two players most suited to the situation have barely had an opportunity to shoot. Harry Maguire scored three goals from corners for United across 2019-20 and 2020-21, but his best attempt this season came at Leicester when heading wide a Fernandes inswinger. The ball was a little behind Maguire, who also arrived too early — something of a trait this campaign.

Cristiano Ronaldo, a forward with the vertical jump of Michael Jordan, has not had a header in anger from a corner once since returning. The only instance of note came against Crystal Palace from close to the edge of the 18-yard box when his effort was blocked by a defender.

The below table shows that United are generally fine at creating a shooting chance direct from a corner — 22 from 117 equates to a 19 per cent success rate, and only five teams have better (scroll right for more columns). But the quality of those chances is substandard.

Premier League corners

TEAM

TOTAL CORNERS

TOTAL SHOTS FROM CORNER SITUATIONS

XG FROM SHOTS FROM CORNER SITUATIONS

GOALS FROM CORNER SITUATIONS

CHANCES CREATED DIRECT

RATIO OF CORNERS WITH CHANCE CREATED DIRECT
Liverpool | 174 | 85 | 6.9 | 9 | 33 | 19%
Manchester City | 198 | 77 | 6.1 | 7 | 28 | 14%
Burnley | 81 | 31 | 5.3 | 4 | 14 | 17%
West Ham United | 131 | 53 | 5.1 | 8 | 25 | 19%
Brentford | 90 | 48 | 4.7 | 3 | 14 | 16%
Tottenham Hotspur | 113 | 45 | 4.5 | 2 | 20 | 18%
Southampton | 126 | 45 | 4.4 | 5 | 17 | 13%
Arsenal | 112 | 51 | 4.4 | 6 | 22 | 20%
Chelsea | 157 | 60 | 4.3 | 7 | 26 | 17%
Leeds United | 96 | 51 | 3.5 | 5 | 16 | 17%
Wolverhampton Wanderers | 90 | 37 | 3.3 | 5 | 10 | 11%
Brighton & Hove Albion | 119 | 50 | 3.1 | 3 | 27 | 23%
Crystal Palace | 95 | 39 | 3.1 | 2 | 13 | 14%
Everton | 86 | 32 | 2.7 | 3 | 17 | 20%
Newcastle United | 92 | 43 | 2.7 | 4 | 21 | 23%
Leicester City | 94 | 33 | 2.5 | 3 | 6 | 6%
Manchester United | 117 | 37 | 2.1 | 0 | 22 | 19%
Norwich City | 100 | 33 | 1.8 | 2 | 17 | 17%
Aston Villa | 102 | 30 | 1.8 | 7 | 17 | 17%
Watford | 87 | 30 | 1.6 | 3 | 18 | 21%

When allowing for short corners, flick-ons, or second balls — what Opta terms “corner situations” — United’s expected goals total is 2.1, with only three teams registering worse. All of Aston Villa (1.8), Norwich (1.8) and Watford (1.6) have taken at least 15 fewer corners than United.

For instance, Victor Lindelof’s looping header to a Telles outswinger against Arsenal is recorded as a shot but in reality it was unlikely to go in, with Aaron Ramsdale casually tipping over. The same goes for when Matic connected to a Fernandes corner in injury time against Wolves and the ball trickled through to Jose Sa.

Fernandes had another corner even later in that game, but any anticipation in the stadium was swiftly dispelled by an easy Wolves clearance. For a club whose greatest night was sealed by two stoppage-time corners, United’s inability to make them count this season is stark.

It needs to be acknowledged that the probability of scoring from a corner is low. This season, out of 2,260 corners across the division, 88 have resulted in a goal — or 3.9 per cent. The figure is even smaller when limiting to goals direct from corners — just 1.7 per cent.

But when, for example, Virgil van Dijk slips smoothly into space to nod in Andrew Robertson’s corner, as happened at Selhurst Park on Sunday, it all looks so simple. That was Liverpool’s ninth goal from a corner situation this season, the most in the Premier League. Liverpool also topped the division in this regard in 2019-20 and 2020-21, with 11 in each campaign. In the same period, United twice registered six goals — so they can do it to a degree. Fernandes picking out Maguire at Stamford Bridge in 2020 comes to mind. On that occasion, Maguire timed his run perfectly to outjump Antonio Rudiger.

A consistent issue this season, however, has been a breakdown of blocking. For Van Dijk’s goal on Sunday, Fabinho confused marker Joachim Anderson, allowing his team-mate a free run and clear sight of the ball. Too often United players are moving into traffic through lack of a concerted effort to shift defenders out the way.

The deliveries have also dropped in quality. When United passed the century for corners this season without a goal at Villa Park, Sky Sports flashed up a corresponding graphic. Fernandes marked the occasion aptly by putting his next two attempts, within 60 seconds, straight to the near post for easy Villa clearances.

Fernandes has taken 38 corners for United this season, with Shaw the most on 43. Shaw is not faultless but his deliveries tend to be at speed and whipped into good areas. However, he is regarded as United’s best defender to leave back to guard counter-attacks due to his pace and reading of the game, so there is a conflict over his dead ball duties.

Telles has taken 19 and Mason Greenwood 12, with Diogo Dalot and Jadon Sancho taking two each. Pogba is the only other player to take one, but it is unlikely he will do so again. His record is one corner, one red card. Against Liverpool he went short to Fernandes, who overhit the return pass and Pogba dived in too hard on Naby Keita.

United have gone short on 12 occasions, with minimal success. For one of nine corners at Brentford — after Fernandes and Telles had tried inswinging and outswinging, near and deep to no avail — Telles passed to Greenwood, who teed up Fernandes, but the cross was behind United’s line of attack and easily cleared.

There seemed to be little logic behind the move, with the angle worse for Fernandes than Telles or Greenwood and Brentford matching up United’s three players out of the box.

The two occasions when the plan from a short corner was clearest came in the visit by Villa. First, Shaw played to Fernandes and stayed on the wing for a left-foot cross that troubled the away defence. But Shaw was offside. The next corner, United had an overload of two against one and Shaw fed Greenwood, who passed inside sharply to Fernandes and ran into the box for the one-two.

The space behind was clear but the pass by Fernandes was tame and intercepted by Danny Ings, who had been tracking Greenwood.

Still, the invention was noticeable, as was Eric Ramsay on the touchline shouting instructions. Ramsay, appointed United’s first set-piece coach in July, suffered an unfortunate juxtaposition when his Villa counterpart Austin McPhee would later celebrate Kortney Hause heading in from a Douglas Luiz corner. Ramsay stood solemnly next to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Scrutiny has fallen on Ramsay amid United’s problems from set-pieces. With only one scored so far from a total of 36 goals (that being a speculative Fernandes shot from a tapped Telles free-kick at Villa) United’s ratio of 2.8 per cent is the lowest in the Premier League. Norwich have the next lowest on 15.4 per cent, with two of their 13 goals coming from set pieces.

There is a key point to make regarding Ramsay, however. Before joining United his role was general coaching, rather than being set-piece specific, so ideas he might arrive with a Superbowl-style playbook were wide of the mark. When Solskjaer was making the hire, Ramsay was seen as a highly-promising young coach at Chelsea’s under-23s, coming with a recommendation from Kieran McKenna — a contemporary when both were students at Loughborough University — whose fluency in Spanish would prove useful at Carrington.

After gaining his badges Ramsay found work at Shrewsbury Town, his local club, and spent a spell in 2018 assisting caretaker manager Danny Coyne, winning five and losing once.

Brian Caldwell, Shrewsbury Town chief executive, tells The Athletic: “Eric is very articulate, knows football inside out. He is a scholar of football, gets his point over well.

“He was our academy manager but Danny asked him to go up because he had a very good reputation. Some of the players said he was the best coach they’d ever worked with. He was only about 26 at the time. For someone of that ilk to go into first-team football and understand it, coach to the levels he did, was brilliant.”

Ramsay became first-team coach under the next manager Sam Ricketts, then moved on to Chelsea in 2019. Caldwell adds: “I said, ‘I want people to progress, it’s a massive loss for us, it’s a good move for you personally.’”

The jump from League One to Premier League youth football to Manchester United is significant. Ramsay, though, was entrusted to focus on attacking set pieces, getting assistance from United’s goalkeeping coaches Richard Hartis and Craig Mawson for defensive routines.

Under Solskjaer, Ramsay was given regular time to work with the squad, usually 30 minutes after specific sessions. He would be given authority to take the players needed for certain drills. Under Rangnick, with McKenna, Michael Carrick and Martyn Pert departed, Ramsay’s opportunities to work on set pieces have become reduced. He has taken on added responsibilities, for instance warming up the defenders before matches — a job McKenna used to perform.

Rangnick is still wrestling with the formula for his team in open play, even if he knows the value of set pieces. Writing for the Coaches Voice, Rangnick recalled: “More than 30 per cent of goals are being scored from corners, free-kicks and penalties.”

One strategy United have not yet explored is the quick corner. Some close to the club believe that, done correctly, this would allow United to maintain momentum at crucial stages and prohibit opponents from setting up ready for counter-attacks. “If they see the chance for an overload straightaway, they should take it,” says a source.

It requires players to take responsibility in those split-seconds, of course. But after exhausting every other tactic, perhaps United should give it a go.

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Salisu has announced himself to a wider audience after Manchester City showing

Par Dan Sheldon 26 janv. 2022
16

The secret is out.

Mohammed Salisu is no longer a player Southampton and their supporters can say is going under the radar.

In a long list of good performances, his display against Manchester City was the straw that broke the camel’s back in terms of announcing himself to a wider audience.

The narrative has switched from, “How long will it be until he’s noticed?” to “How long can Southampton keep hold of him?”

It’s the multi-million-pound question — and one the club will already be thinking about.

Newcastle United were linked with a move for the defender as their January search for reinforcements continues, although it wasn’t ever going to be a conversation Southampton entertained.

Whether Salisu would think twice about a move to St James’ Park is unknown, although you would expect he harbours far loftier ambitions for his future.

Only 22, the Ghanaian has over two years remaining on his contract (it expires in June 2024) but will need to replicate his performance in the 1-1 draw against Manchester City several times over before attracting concrete interest from the bigger teams.

It is thought the defender is happy at Southampton in his first full season at St Mary’s. He joined the club for £10.9 million from Real Valladolid in August 2020 but only made his debut in February 2021 after Ralph Hasenhuttl said he needed to get up to match fitness.

But after shining against City, Salisu isn’t getting carried away with the recent headlines and is keen to continue developing.

A potential difficulty the club could face is that it is becoming common for players to run down their contracts to assess the available options before committing to a new one.

Paul Pogba has done it at Manchester United and Kylian Mbappe is in a similar position with Paris Saint-Germain. Antonio Rudiger is doing the same at Chelsea. Salisu is yet to reach their stature, but examples closer to home include Danny Ings and Jannik Vestergaard.

They departed Southampton last summer — Ings to Aston Villa (£30 million), Vestergaard to Leicester City (£15 million) — with a year left on their contracts after new ones weren’t signed.

In Vestergaard’s case, his exit allowed Salisu to move seamlessly into the first team, even though it’s likely that would have happened if the Denmark international remained at the club.

It meant the 22-year-old was able to show why Southampton remained patient with him during his first season at the club. The club bought the centre-back even though he was injured, which delayed his debut until February 2021. Hasenhuttl described the signing as a “long-term project”.

Hasenhuttl is now bearing the fruits of his patience, and that was clearer than it has previously been in the defender’s performance against Manchester City.

He made double the number of clearances (14, the next best was six), interceptions (four; two) and tackles won (five; two) than any other player.

Although it’s understood Salisu likes to switch off from football by sleeping — yes, really — as often as he can, others have woken up to his brilliance.

When breaking down sequences of play from the Manchester City draw, it’s easy to see why Southampton’s defender has now entered the mainstream.

In the below example, Jack Grealish was played in behind and proceeded to run towards Fraser Forster’s goal.

Salisu matched his run, avoided diving in to give away a foul, and kept the City player out wide.

He then timed his tackle perfectly and stopped Grealish’s pass from reaching the unmarked Raheem Sterling.

It’s also worth noting Salisu had moved across from his left-sided centre-back berth to fill the gap vacated by Jan Bednarek on the right.

The next sequence of play highlights Salisu’s ability to read the game. Before Kevin De Bruyne’s pass, Southampton’s defender clocked Kyle Walker’s dash to the penalty area.

The glance led him to realise De Bruyne was about to pass his team-mate the ball, which meant he could get a head start and run to block off Walker.

Again, Salisu executed his tackle to perfection and was able to catch up with one of the Premier League’s quickest players.

This all stemmed from having the tactical know-how to scan what else is going on around him.

With Southampton holding out for a point, Manchester City continued to apply the pressure as the final whistle approached.

Salisu, however, kept his composure. In a tackle that produced one of the biggest cheers, he stopped De Bruyne and halted City’s counter-attack.

Covering for Romain Perraud, the 22-year-old sprinted across and went to ground.

At no point, though, was he out of control.

Instead, he trapped the ball with his left foot, got back up and regained possession.

There was, however, still time for one more sequence of excellent defending. De Bruyne’s free kick was intended for Aymeric Laporte at the far post.

Salisu noticed this and dropped deeper than his team-mates to intercept the delivery.

Rodri then looked to strike the loose ball beyond Forster, but Salisu was there to block it.

Hasenhuttl has played a key role in accelerating Salisu’s emergence, and will often take a hands-on approach in training to highlight where he wants him to be stood, his body position and other defensive techniques in several different scenarios.

Southampton know there will come a time where it’s time to cash in and sign the next one. It’s how their model works.

But everyone connected to the club will be hoping that eventuality is several years down the line.

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The image of Martial, who moved from Manchester United to Sevilla on loan this week, is different in Manchester. He joined United from Monaco six and a half years ago but did little to engage with United fans. Perhaps he was less comfortable speaking in English. Perhaps, like fellow Parisien Paul Pogba, he gave up on caring about what the fans thought and concentrated on his friends, family and football instead. Pogba has always been a big influence on Martial in the United dressing room and we saw more of Martial’s off-field personality in a Sevilla club video to promote his transfer than we saw in years at United.
Khi xem Martial thi đấu ở Manchester, người ta sẽ ngộ ra một điều, đó là anh không được thoải mái như ngày còn là một Golden Boy hay như bây giờ, khi đã đi khỏi Nhà hát của những giấc mơ. Gắn bó với MU gần 7 năm, nhưng dường như vẫn có những gượng gạo nào đó giống như việc anh nói tiếng Anh. Cụ Mã khá giống Pogba, khi anh chỉ tập trung vào bạn bè, người thân và bóng đá, thay vì để ý đến những suy nghĩ của các CĐV. Pogba ảnh hưởng đến M9 như vậy đấy, và khi chuyển đến Sevila, tính cách ngoài sân cỏ của Martial mới được bộc phát - hơn rất nhiều so với khi anh ở Quỷ đỏ.

Sevilla will pay all of his wages until the end of the season and Martial was determined to push the move through but United fans will have mixed feelings.
Sevilla sẽ trả toàn bộ lương của Martial từ giờ cho đến hết mùa, và anh cũng quyết tâm ra đi, nhưng khi nhắc về cậu bé ấy, người ta sẽ luôn có những cảm xúc vui buồn lẫn lộn.

He was involved in Marcus Rashford’s winner on Saturday after coming off the bench but it has not been a good season for the forward. He has lost his place in the France team again after battling his way into the squad following a ruptured knee ligament that kept him out of Euro 2020. It is difficult for France coach Didier Deschamps to pick him when he is seldom playing for his club side.

Dù có đóng góp vào chiến thắng 1-0 trước West Ham sau khi vào sân từ băng ghế dự bị, nhưng đó chỉ là một nét chấm phá nhỏ cho cả một mùa giải đáng quên của cựu ngôi sao Monaco. Thêm một lần nữa, cụ Mã lại đánh mất vị trí của mình ở đội tuyển Pháp, sau khi chấn thương đã khiến anh không thể có mặt tại Euro 2020. Và cũng giống như Van De Beek, bạn sẽ không có cơ hội đóng góp cho đội tuyển nếu không được ra sân thường xuyên - cầu thủ người Pháp cũng vậy.

Martial has started only two Premier League games — at Southampton in August and at home to Everton in October, both 1-1 draws — in a total of 210 minutes of league football this season. By way of comparison, Cristiano Ronaldo has played 1,459 minutes. Mason Greenwood has played 1,278, Jadon Sancho 936. Martial also came on at half-time against a Watford team who don’t win football matches. They did that day and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lost his job.
Martial chỉ được điền tên vào đội hình xuất phát trong hai trận của mùa giải năm nay, lần lượt trước Southampton vào tháng 8 và Everton vào tháng 10 - đều là những trận hoà 1-1 - trong tổng số 210 phút ra sân ở mùa giải năm nay. Với những cầu thủ khác thì con số này của Ronaldo, Greenwood và Sancho lần lượt là 1459, 1278 và 936 phút. Ngoài ra, Martial còn có thêm một lần được thay vào sau giờ nghỉ trong trận đấu với Watford - trận đấu cuối cùng ở kỷ nguyên Ole.

Martial, who has 79 goals across his 269 appearances for United, scored only once this season and made no assists. He didn’t feature under Ralf Rangnick until his eight-minute cameo on Saturday. Last season was also poor: four league strikes from 23 appearances at a rate of 0.24 goals per 90 minutes. Injuries, non-selection and suspension were among the reasons.

Dù có được 79 bàn thắng sau 269 lần ra sân cho MU, cụ Mã lại chỉ có đúng một bàn duy nhất ở mùa giải này và chẳng có kiến tạo nào cả. Anh cũng không được Ralf Rangnick tin tưởng mãi cho đến trận đấu với West Ham (anh được vào sân trong 8 phút cuối). Mùa giải trước cũng thật sự thảm hoạ với số 9 - 4 bàn thắng sau 23 trận cùng tỉ lệ 0.24 bàn sau 90 phút, đi kèm với đó là những án treo giò, chấn thương và không được Solskjaer trọng dụng.

It would be wrong to hold injuries against a player who has featured in an average of 43 United games per season since he signed but Martial’s stock has dropped a long way from 2019-20 when he scored a United-best 17 league goals (23 in all competitions, with 12 assists). He had scored 12, 11 and eight goals in all competitions in the three previous seasons, a drop from the 17 (11 league goals) he scored in his first year after United made him the most expensive teenager in world football.

Sẽ thật sai lầm nếu chúng ta nghĩ rằng chấn thương đã khiến Martial đi xuống về mặt phong độ, nhất là với một cầu thủ đã ra sân trung bình 43 trận mỗi mùa cho MU. Mùa giải tốt nhất của anh đã từ 2 năm trước (2019-2020) với 17 bàn thắng tại EPL, 23 bàn thắng trên mọi đấu trường cùng với 12 kiến tạo. Còn quay ngược thời gian, sau mùa giải đầu với 17 bàn thắng ở mọi giải đấu, thành tích này đã hạ xuống lần lượt 12, 11 và 8 bàn ở các mùa giải tiếp theo

Was he a success? He would unlikely be demanding to leave if he was but Martial was a favourite with Joel Glazer, one of United’s owners, and with a section of online United fans who styled themselves MartialFC. At matches, support for Martial ebbed and flowed. He started on a high with a goal in a dream debut against Liverpool and fans soon had a chant: “Tony Martial, he came from France, English press said he had no chance, £50 million down the drain, Tony Martial scores again.” There were times when he was the team’s best player and others when we seemed like the disinterested worst.

Liệu đây có phải là một bản hợp đồng thành công? Có lẽ là không, nhưng nên biết rằng M9 là một "đứa con cưng" của Joel Glazer, được hàng loạt các CĐV tại Manchester yêu quý và thậm chí có hẳn một nhóm CĐV mang tên mình. Sự ủng hộ ngày càng tăng và màn ra mắt như mơ trong trận đấu với Liverpool đã chứng minh điều đó, khi người ta hát lên rằng "Martial, anh ta đến từ Pháp với giá 50 triệu, báo chí bảo anh ta không có cơ hội, anh ta lại thoát xuống và 50 triệu bảng thêm một lần lập công".

The move to Spain could work well, there’s clearly a huge talent in there. Former United striker Dimitar Berbatov was amazed when he first trained with Martial at Monaco. He said: “These young players were flying around me and I was thinking, ‘What the fuck? I am too old or are these guys too good’. Martial had something special.”

Các huyền thoại tại OTF cũng không thể ngừng được sự phấn khích khi nhắc về Mã Tiến An. Dimitar Berbatov - bậc thầy của những pha xử lý một chạm khi tập cùng với tiền đạo người Pháp tại Monaco đã phải thốt lên rằng "Chuyện gì thế này, có phải tôi đã quá già hay sao mà họ chơi bóng tuyệt vời như thế?"

Berbatov saw Martial was speedy and strong and liked him as a person but also felt he should be more confident. He would tell the teenager: “Anto, you are so quick, you can go past me. Don’t be afraid to do that to every player because you are so quick.”
Anh thấy được tốc độ của M9 và đã khuyên cậu rằng "Hãy tự tin lên anh bạn, cậu quá nhanh".

Patrice Evra remembers his first meeting with his neighbour — a young Martial coming to his local football field when Evra was shooting a commercial for Nike at Les Ulis. And he remembers the second, playing against Monaco while at Juventus in the Champions League.

“We all couldn’t help but notice Martial because he was so fast and skilful,” said Evra. “Giorgio Chiellini escaped a red card for a challenge on him.” It wasn’t a one-off. “Martial was on form in the second leg too as Monaco attacked and attacked. After the game, I told Martial that I was proud of him.” Tshimen Buhanga, Evra’s best friend and a junior coach at Les Ulis, has two signed shirts above his desk: Evra and Martial.
Còn Patrice Evra khi hồi tưởng về lần hai người gặp nhau trong cuộc đấu giữa Juve và Monaco cũng phải nói rằng "Martial quá nhanh và khéo léo và phải may mắn thì Chiellini mới có thể thoát khỏi một tấm thẻ đỏ sau khi phạm lỗi với cậu ấy".

Compatriot Eric Abidal was another admirer.

“He has a lot of talent,” he said in 2017. “But more important is the humility and he has that. He’s focused on his goals: he wants to be the best striker in the world and he worked for that. He has a mix of Henry and Wayne Rooney. He has agility, power, he can go one against one. When he arrives in front of the goalkeeper, he’s calm and makes the right decision.

Thậm chí, một cựu danh thủ người Pháp khác là Eric Abidal còn đặt vào cụ Mã một kỳ vọng lớn lao hơn nữa, rằng anh có thể trở thành huyền thoại. "Cậu ấy là sự pha trộn giữa Thierry Henry và Wayne Rooney với sự quyết đoán tuyệt vời và những quyết định chính xác trước mặt thủ môn đối phương. Martial nên dành 5 đến 6 năm trui rèn ở MU như Ronaldo, hoặc xa hơn, là ở lại đó để vươn mình trở thành huyền thoại mới ở Manchester".

“I played with Martial for one year in Monaco so I know what he’s like. He was in Lyon too, they were crazy to sell him. To be the best player in the world, he needs to spend five or six years in Manchester like Ronaldo did. Manchester is good with young players. Or even stay in Manchester and be a legend of Manchester.”

It didn’t work out like that but in mitigation, Manchester United has not been a stable club. Different managers had their preferences and philosophies. What Jose Mourinho wanted from Martial — with an emphasis on tracking back and defending as much as attacking — was different from what was wanted by Solskjaer, who considered him a superb finisher and hoped he would become a No 9. Solskjaer lost patience after a very poor showing in a 4-0 defeat at Everton in April 2019 and he was criticised by United fans for not warming up properly in the next game, against Chelsea.
Mọi thứ không đẹp như những gì cựu giám đốc thể thao của Barca vẽ ra, nhưng xét cho cùng, Martial cũng chỉ là "nạn nhân" của một hệ thống chiến thuật không ổn định tại Manchester United. Jose Mourinho muốn anh trở thành một cầu thủ có thể cân bằng giữa tấn công và phòng ngự, nhưng Solskjaer muốn Golden Boy 2015 có thể trở thành người thay thế xứng đáng cho vị trí của Lukaku - một số 9. Thế nhưng, màn thể hiện kém cỏi trong trận thua 0-4 trước Everton và sau đó là việc bị các CĐV MU chỉ trích vì khởi động sai cách trong cuộc đối đầu với Chelsea đã khiến lươn chúa Na Uy mất kiên nhẫn.

Anthony Martial was well thought of by Cristiano Ronaldo (Photo: Visionhaus/Getty Images)

This wasn’t what fans had hoped for from a player who had a clause in his contract for an extra £7.2 million to be paid to Monaco if he won the Ballon d’Or in one of his first four seasons in Manchester. He didn’t come close, no United player did. And he never ended up costing that fabled £50 million, more like £43 million.

Thậm chí, người ta đã từng hy vọng rằng khoản phí 7.2 triệu bảng nếu Martial danh hiệu Quả Bóng Vàng thế giới có thể được trả cho Monaco, nhưng điều đó đã mãi mãi không bao giờ xảy ra.

The move could suit all parties. Martial wants to get back into Deschamps’ squad in time for the World Cup. Deschamps knows his talents and was starting him up front with Antoine Griezmann and Karim Benzema as recently as September. He did not make it off the bench in France’s next two games, in October, and didn’t make their most recent two squads in November. Deschamps rates him and Ronaldo rates him, and Martial starting centrally away in United’s big away game at Villarreal in November pleased both. But although Ronaldo scored an important goal in an important win, Martial was substituted after having little impact on the game.

Mọi thứ cũng không có gì tốt đẹp hơn với Martial ở ĐTQG. Dù đã được điền tên vào đội hình xuất phát trong tháng 9 tại vòng loại World Cup - bên cạnh những Antoine Griezmann và Karim Benzema, nhưng sau đó anh phải làm bạn với ghế dự bị trong tháng 10, và cũng giống Van De Beek, anh vắng mặt trên tuyển trong tháng 11, dù HLV Deschamps có thể không nói thẳng ra như người đồng nghiệp Van Gaal.

Things got worse under Rangnick. With Edinson Cavani back and playing, Martial saw himself slipping further back and asked to leave. United were reluctant for him to go to a direct rival and were also not prepared to subsidise his wages. Sevilla, who hope to win the Europa League, for which the final will be staged at their Sanchez Pizjuan home, welcomed him with great enthusiasm. His signing is seen as a coup for La Liga, not just the club, hence former Brazil international Ronaldo — Martial’s hero who has no connection to Sevilla — recording a video message for him.
Chuyện đã xấu nay càng xấu thêm khi Ralf Rangnick ngồi vào ghế huấn luyện của MU. Sự trở lại của Cavani khiến cho Martial không còn động lực và anh muốn chuyển đến một CLB khác để được ra sân nhiều hơn. Cuối cùng, BLĐ của đội bóng đã chấp nhận để anh ra đi và để đối thủ "nay mai" của mình tại siêu cúp Châu Âu là Sevilla có được ngôi sao người Pháp. Trái ngược với sự "xa lánh" của MU là nỗi háo hức của Sevilla, khi họ hy vọng rằng sân nhà Sanchez Pizjuan của mình sẽ giữ được cúp C2 ở lại. Thậm chí điều này còn khiến cho Ronaldo De Lima - một người chẳng liên quan gì đến Sevilla - gửi một tin nhắn chào mừng Tiến Linh xứ Monaco đến với La Liga.

Rangnick was pragmatic about Martial’s departure, saying: “I know he is a top player, one of the best strikers in the Premier League, but we have other players in his position. It is his wish to leave, but like I said to him, it always takes different parts to find an agreement.”

Thầy ông nội sẵn sàng chấp nhận bỏ trống chiếc áo số 9 trong đội hình chính của MU, ông nói rằng: "Martial là một trong những tiền đạo hay nhất tại EPL, nhưng trong tay tôi vẫn còn những người khác. Việc cậu ấy mong muốn ra đi là do bản thân cậu ấy, nhưng tôi cũng đã nói rằng, sẽ có nhiều điều cần phải thống nhất trước khi đi đến đoạn kết".

Martial was adamant about leaving and in a state of mind where his presence in the dressing room helped nobody. He’ll leave a Mancunian winter for Europe’s sunniest and hottest major city, to a football club that has mastered the art of doing what United have stopped doing: winning trophies. Sevilla, under the highly-rated Julen Lopetegui, are second in La Liga, six points clear of their neighbours Betis in third and four points behind leaders Real Madrid.

Giờ đây, cụ Mã sẽ bỏ lại một mùa đông lạnh giá của Manchester, nơi đã khiến anh mang danh Kyle Walker ở vị trí tiền đạo để đến với một nơi nóng nhất châu Âu, nóng từ cả trên sân đấu cho đến cả phòng truyền thống, nơi mà Sevilla đang làm điều mà Man United không làm được trong những năm qua: VÔ ĐỊCH. Sevilla giờ chỉ còn cách Real Madrid - đội đứng đầu La Liga - 4 điểm và đang hơn đội xếp sau là Betis 6 điểm.

They have finished fourth in each of the past two seasons and that’s sufficient for a chance at Champions League football, but it’s the Europa League that Sevilla have won more than any other club, with an incredible six triumphs since 2006. Before that, Sevilla had not won a trophy since 1948. The last of those Europa League wins in 2020 saw them eliminate United in the semi-final when Martial started as the main striker.

Sevilla có thể là chú Tư của La Liga, nhưng đã nhắc đến họ thì đừng quên khái niệm "UNAI EMERY LEAGUE" và "UEFA SEVILLA CUP". Ba chức vô địch Europa League liên tiếp của Unai Emery tại Sevilla đang được tiếp nối với chức vô địch C2 mùa giải 2019 - 2020 dưới thời Julen Lopetigui, và hãy nhớ rằng, trên con đường đến với chiếc cúp đó, Manchester United đã gục ngã trước chính đội bóng xứ Basque tại bán kết, và Martial đã xuất phát trong đội hình chính ngày hôm đó.

If Martial has other bad memories of Sevilla, forgive him. He came on for United in the one-sided game that David de Gea somehow kept to 0-0 in February 2018. He came on in the second leg after 77 minutes, too, with the score a surprise 1-0 to the Spaniards. That was 2-0 within a minute and United were going out of Europe.

Martial now has a chance to shine in the sun for a team that has the best defence in Spain. Sevilla have only lost two league games but need more goals and to turn some of their draws into wins — that’s why their sporting director Monchi and their coach wanted a forward in this transfer window.
Có lẽ nhắc về Sevilla sẽ là những kỷ niệm không đẹp chút nào, nhưng giờ sẽ là lúc số 22 gạt bỏ những nỗi buồn đi, tập trung vào nơi anh sẽ thể hiện trong nửa cuối mùa giải, một đội bóng thủ chắc với chỉ hai trận thua, nhưng hàng công vẫn là một cái gì đó chưa đủ sắc bén - thứ chưa thể đưa Sevilla lên đến đỉnh cao tại La Liga.

“If his head is right and he is disciplined across his life then he can be fantastic for Sevilla,” said one agent who is familiar with the situation. “Everything he has learned in England could make him a top player in Spain. He could be the man who gives team the extra that they need to catch Madrid, the little push. That’s what Sevilla are looking for, because with a weaker Barcelona and an out-of-form Atletico Madrid, it’s now or never for them in the league.”

Và xin được kết lại bài viết này bằng một lời đánh giá của một người đại diện khá quen với tình hình tại La Liga, một hy vọng để Martial trở lại là chính mình, cũng như là hy vọng cho Sevilla tìm thấy vinh quang tại đấu trường quốc nội - thứ mà cụ Mã đã không được nếm trải từ ngày chuyển đến nước Anh: "Nếu như Martial có được sự kỷ luật, cộng thêm với tư duy chơi bóng và kinh nghiệm từ Manchester United, anh ấy có thể trở thành một cầu thủ hàng đầu tại Tây Ban Nha. Sevilla đang cần một con người như vậy, và trong bối cảnh Atletico và Barca đang đi xuống về phong độ THÌ KHÔNG ĐUA TRANH VỚI REAL BÂY GIỜ THÌ ĐẾN BAO GIỜ?"

# data[].attributes.body
fellow

adjective [ before noun ]

UK  /ˈfel.əʊ/ US  /ˈfel.oʊ/

B2
used to refer to someone who has the same job or interests as you, or is in the same situation as you

suspension

noun

UK  /səˈspen.ʃən/ US  /səˈspen.ʃən/

suspension noun (STOP)

[ U ]
the act of stopping something happening, operating, etc. for a period of time:

The suspension of fighting is to take effect at 6 a.m. on Monday.

There have been calls for the drug's immediate suspension, following reports that it has dangerous side effects.

[ C or U ]
a punishment in which a person is temporarily not allowed to work, go to school, or take part in an activity:

The union is protesting about the suspension of a restaurant worker.

The player is likely to receive a three-game suspension following an incident in yesterday's game.

humility

noun [ U ]

UK  /hjuːˈmɪl.ə.ti/ US  /hjuːˈmɪl.ə.t̬i/

C2
the quality of not being proud because you are aware of your bad qualities:

He doesn't have the humility to admit when he's wrong.

They might be very rich, but it wouldn't hurt them to show a little humility.

agility

noun [ U ]

UK  /əˈdʒɪl.ə.ti/ US  /əˈdʒɪl.ə.t̬i/

the ability to move your body quickly and easily:

He has the agility of a mountain goat.

The acrobats display jawdropping feats of strength, agility, and control.

the ability to think quickly and clearly:

This job requires considerable mental agility.

We underestimate the agility of a child's mind.

mitigation

noun [ U ]

UK  /ˌmɪt.ɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/ US  /ˌmɪt̬.əˈɡeɪ.ʃən/

formal
the act of reducing how harmful, unpleasant, or bad something is:

effective mitigation of climate change

There has been no significant increase in funding for flood mitigation works.

LAW   specialized
something that causes you to judge a crime to be less serious, or to make a punishment less severe:

"I was very young at the time," he said in mitigation.

His defence lawyers presented their mitigation plea.

fabled

adjective [ before noun ]

literaryUK  /ˈfeɪ.bəld/ US  /ˈfeɪ.bəld/

used to refer to something or someone who has been made very famous, especially by having many stories written about it, him, or her:

the fabled movie director Cecil B. De Mille

slip verb (DO QUICKLY)

C2 [ I or T, usually + adv/prep ]
to go somewhere or put something somewhere quickly, often so that you are not noticed:

Just slip out of the room while nobody's looking.

She slipped between the cool cotton sheets and was soon asleep.

He slipped a piece of paper into my hand with his address on it.

[ + two objects ] If you slip the waiter some money/slip some money to the waiter he'll give you the best table.

slip verb (GET WORSE)

[ I ]
to go into a worse state, often because of lack of control or care:

Productivity in the factory has slipped noticeably in the last year.

The schedule has started to slip (= things are happening later than planned).

I don't know what went wrong, I must be slipping.