time he had missed out while competing for America. He was not

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has been criticised for not using Anthony Martial as a striker, but is he more effective on the wing? The statistics throw up some interesting results… Anthony Martial has been one of the most talked-about players in the Premier League since Manchester United made him the most expensive teenager in football history on the final day of the summer transfer window.At first, the discussion centred on how the little-known Frenchman could possibly justify a transfer fee that could reportedly rise as high as £61.5m. Louis van Gaal and the player himself called it crazy money, and many observers saw it as a desperate move by United after missing out on bigger names. Martial, though, didnt take long to silence his doubters. He marked his Premier League debut by coming off the bench to score an unforgettable solo goal in a 3-1 win over Liverpool on September 12, and a week later netted a clinical brace in a 3-2 victory over Southampton at St Marys Stadium.Suddenly, the crazy transfer fee looked like a shrewd piece of business for a side desperately lacking spark in the final third. Martials emergence has been one of few bright spots in Uniteds disappointing season, and with the 20-year-olds talent no longer up for debate, the discussion has turned to where exactly he is at his most effective.Van Gaal has provoked the ire of many Manchester United supporters by fielding Martial on the left flank for much of the campaign. The frustration is understandable. The former Monaco man is routinely their most threatening attacking player, after all, and with seven Premier League goals he is also joint-top of their scoring charts. Anthony Martial scores for Manchester United against Stoke in February So is Martial wasted out wide? Sky Sports pundit Thierry Henry is among the leading voices to have said so, but Van Gaal has refused to bow to external pressure. The United boss has explained his stance by saying he puts the teams needs before those of any individual, but he might have been better off pointing to the stats. Anthony Martial comparison - Premier League 2015/16 PL 2015/16 Martial starting as striker Martial starting out wide Starts 9 13 Goals 2 4 Assists 1 2 Total shots per 90 mins 1.7 1.9 Shots on target per 90 mins 0.6 0.7 Chances created per 90 mins 1.1 1.2 Succ. dribbles per 90 mins 2.3 2.8 Touches per 90 mins 45.2 50.9 According to Opta, Martial has begun nine Premier League games as a striker and 13 out wide, and the stats show his starts on the flanks have been more productive in all attacking departments. There, Martial has averaged more goals, more assists, more shots, more chances created and more dribbles per 90 minutes than he has up front. Is Europa hangover real? Does playing in the competition affect a clubs domestic form? His two-goal performance against Southampton in September was an early indication of just how devastating he can be through the middle, but eight Premier League starts as a striker since have yielded no goals and only a single assist. Even more damningly, Martial has only mustered one shot on target in his last five starts up front combined. In those 450 minutes, the Red Devils claimed just two points and only managed to score twice. Anthony Martials last five starts as a striker - Premier League 2015/16 Opponent Result Mins played Goals Assists Shots on target Leicester City D 1-1 90 0 0 0 West Ham D 0-0 90 0 0 0 Bournemouth L 1-2 90 0 0 0 Stoke City L 0-2 90 0 0 1 Southampton L 0-1 90 0 0 0 It is equally significant that Uniteds results have been notably better with Martial stationed out wide. With the Frenchman starting through the middle, they have recorded three wins, two draws and four defeats, giving them an average of just 1.22 points per game. With Martial on the flank, however, their record of five wins, five draws and three defeats equates to 1.54 points per game. Manchester United with Martial starting up front v starting out wide - Premier League 2015/16 Manchester United Played Won Drawn Lost Points per game With Martial starting as striker 9 3 2 3 1.22 With Martial starting out wide 13 5 5 3 1.54 In the continued absence of the injured Wayne Rooney, it remains to be seen whether Van Gaal will keep faith with youngster Marcus Rashford or opt for Martial to lead the line in Uniteds Europa League return-leg with Liverpool and the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium on Super Sunday. United need Rooney back Wayne Rooneys return will boost United for the final stretch of the season, says Denis Law. But with the stats in mind, perhaps it wouldnt be too much of a surprise to see Martial finish the season on the flank. And for a reminder of what he can do when cutting in from the left, you only have to cast your mind back to the last time Liverpool visited Old Trafford… Martial scored on his United debut against Liverpool Also See: Rooney eyeing April return Pallister: Fans will be crucial Kenny Clark Jersey . The Australian is competing in his final season in Formula One and still looking for his first win this year. He will look to end Vettels run of six straight race wins on Sunday. Webber, who is fifth in the championship, earned his second pole from the past three races and 13th of his career. Dave Robinson Jersey . A knee to the thigh might have stung him the most, but his sixth straight double-double made up for the brief burst of pain. http://www.wholesalepackersjerseys.com/?tag=youth-billy-turner-jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Cheap Stitched Packers Jerseys . -- In a span of seven Washington Redskins offensive plays, Justin Tuck sacked Robert Griffin III four times. Eric Cotton Jersey . The lawyers filed a 33-page amended complaint Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan, expanding on the suit originally filed Oct. 3 in New York Supreme Court. Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz last week refused to compel Selig to testify in the grievance, and Rodriguez then walked out of the hearing without testifying. EUGENE, Ore. -- There has been much talk about the surge in youth at these U.S. Olympic track and field trials, what with a large number of teens and high-schoolers competing so well. But that doesnt mean the U.S. team will be limited to people who arent old enough to know what life was like before Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat. Or before the internet. Or even mobile phones.Distance runner Bernard Lagat, who turns 42 in December, medaled for Kenya at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, then gained U.S. citizenship and competed for America in the 2008 and 2012 Games. And despite being in his 40s, he now will run in his fifth Olympics in Rio after winning the 5,000-meter final Saturday.Take that, millennials.I train with young guys, and I dont believe Im old, Lagat said. Because if I believe Im old, then Im going to run like an old man. The thing is, Im with all these young guys, they push me every single day. And when I train with them, they tell me at the end of the day, Man, you really make us feel bad. You know what? I dont give up. I train hard with them. Thats what you guys saw today.Lagat was in sixth place as the race entered the final lap, but he showed his younger opponents that he still has what it takes. He surged ahead and ran a 52-second final lap to win the race in a 13:35.50. After crossing the finish line, Lagat collapsed on the track with emotion, and when he stood up, third-place finisher Paul Chelimo leaped on his back in celebration. Fortunately, Lagat was not too old to withstand the weight.He is my mentor, my role model. I look up to him, said Chelimo, who also grew up in Kenya before becoming a U.S. citizen. Making the team today, I was so happy. There is nothing better than him making the team and me making the team. Im going to Rio with my legend.Galen Rupp, who had already qualified for the U.S, team in two events by winning the marathon trial in February and the 10,000 meters last weekend, finished ninth after hhaving led the race at one point.ddddddddddddAsked whether he can compete like Lagat at age 41, the 30-year-old Rupp replied: I dont know. Im not 40 yet, so I cant comment on that. Ill let you now in 10 years.While your bodys speed declines in your 30s, endurance lasts longer. As Christopher McDougall wrote in the bestseller Born to Run, some people have run a marathon as fast at age 60 as they did at 19.So what is the secret? Said Lagat: You stay fit, you train hard and you keep your focus and never lose hope.For a while, though, it looked as if there was reason to think age had finally caught up with Lagat. He failed to qualify for the world championships last year, the first time he had missed out while competing for America. He was not able to finish the 5,000 at the Prefontaine Classic last month and also did not finish the 10,000 here at trials.At the Prefontaine Classic I was sick, so I did not finish the race and was really ashamed by it, he said. The other day in the 10K, I did not finish the race and felt the same thing as at the Prefontaine. I said, Im not going to end running that way.This is the image I want to leave.He not only wanted to leave that image for the supportive fans at Hayward Field, where he has run so many times, Lagat also was delighted to win in front of his children. They wanted me to go to the Olympics, he said. My daughter told me, Daddy, I want you to make it to the Olympics so I can go watch gymnastics. Lagat says this is his last year competing but never rule anything out with aging top athletes. As 21-year-old fourth-place finisher Eric Jenkins said: Ill probably retire before he does.Chelimo said that when Lagat does retire, Im hoping Im going to take over. Today he won but next time Im taking over.We will see when that happens. As Chelimo said: Age is just a number. ' ' '