Man Utd star told he looks foolish in damning comparison with colleague

Former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov says that Edinson Cavani has made Anthony Martial look foolish since his arrival at Old Trafford.

There are concerns that Martial has returned to the inconsistent form he showed earlier in his United career. Indeed, after posting 23 goals and 12 assists last term, he has struggled to find the net this campaign.

As such, the Frenchman has faced criticism from pundits such as Paul Scholes for his drop-off. The ex-midfielder has warned that the striker must begin to prove himself again.

Meanwhile, veteran striker Cavani has done just that; after slowly gaining fitness he has showed the deadly touch that made him Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time leading goalscorer.

In fact, Berbatov believes that Martial should look to the October arrival for inspiration on how to improve. However, the pundit added that Martial should already be showing his ability as a United forward.

“I was thinking about him [Martial] and there were fans messaging me on social media about him asking what is going on with him and why he isn’t producing and scoring goals,” Berbatov told Betfair.

“He needs to up his game, not only him but the whole team too. In the really important games he needs to shine even more.

“I’ve been surprised with how well Edinson Cavani has performed, the guy is 33 years old and he’s running around the pitch like he’s a 25-year-old, fighting for the ball, making spaces.

“The passion he had is still there and that is something that Martial needs to look at and improve on. He needs to bully defenders and get dirty from time to time.

“He has the other attributes like technique, speed and stamina and other things like that, but in some games, like the one against PSG, you need to be a bit nasty and when you have an opportunity to score, you need to score.”

Solskjaer hails Cavani influence

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has also praised Cavani’s influence since moving to Old Trafford.

The Uruguayan’s best performance to date came when his stunning brace earned a comeback win over Southampton.

But Solskjaer told Friday’s press conference that the forward offers more than just his own ability in front of goal.

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