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 Stitched NFL Jerseys . He looked very comfortable Wednesday night. Konerko had a big three-run double and Gordon Beckham homered for the second straight game, leading the Chicago White Sox to an 8-3 victory over the sliding Chicago Cubs. Cheap Authentic Jerseys . Behind the talents of rookie Johnny Gaudreau, the Flames will look to keep pace Thursday night when they face the Minnesota Wild in the second of a six-game homestand. http://www.authenticnfljerseys.net/. The world No. 1 had one of the most dominating performances in a final and was on his way to a possible shutout on Sunday until the third-seeded Berdych broke the super Serbs serve in the 12th game of the match. Wholesale Jerseys China . Zdeno Chara scored with 13 seconds left in regulation after David Krejci tied it late, lifting the Bruins to a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday night in a game that saw Orpik taken from the ice on a stretcher. Wholesale NFL Jerseys Authentic . Garcia had eight birdies overall to go with a lone bogey on the fourth to move to an 18-under total of 198 at the Asian Tour event. "I was able to hit some really nice shots and then was able to roll two or three really good putts in and it was nice to be able to finish birdie, birdie on this difficult finishing stretch," Garcia said.SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants slugger Michael Morse received a couple of batting tips from home run king Barry Bonds during spring training. He obviously heeded the advice. Morse homered for the second consecutive game to back another stellar outing by Tim Hudson, and San Francisco beat the Cleveland Indians 5-1 on Friday night. "One thing Barry told me was just go up and try to get hits," Morse said. "Home runs are a product of good swings." Morse might have been channeling Bonds a bit when he hit a towering blast to right-centre off Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco. The leadoff shot in the fourth went to one of the deepest parts of the park and is Morses sixth home run of the season. He also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the first. "For a guy to hit the ball where he hit it, a man has to do that," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "I guess thats why hes got the nickname The Beast." Hunter Pence had two hits and two RBIs while Brandon Crawford also knocked in a run to help the Giants win in their first interleague game of the season after going just 6-14 against the American League in 2013. Hudson (3-1) scattered four hits over seven innings and struck out five. He walked two, ending an impressive streak of 30 consecutive innings without one. Michael Bourn tripled and scored Clevelands only run. Jason Kipnis and Nick Swisher added two hits apiece for the Indians, who lost for just the second time in six games. The Giants jumped on Carrasco for two runs in the first inning, then rode the pitching of Hudson and two relievers to the win in their first game against a team outside of the NL West this season. Hudson had not issued a walk in his first four starts this season before giving up a free pass to Carlos Santana with two outs in the first. It was the longest walk-less streak to start a season by a pitcher in the majors since Tiny Bonhams 33-inning stretch for the New York Yankees in 1944. Hudson also walked Santana in the sixth. Beyond that, San Franciscos crafty right-hander was solid in his first start against the Indians since May 30, 2004. He pitched out of two-out, two-on jam in the first and retired nine straighht after giving up an RBI single to Nick Swisher in the third.dddddddddddd "It was a nice streak to start the year," Hudson said. "Obviously it was not going to continue all year. Thats not typically the kind of pitcher I am." Jeremy Affeldt pitched a scoreless eighth and Javier Lopez worked the ninth to complete the five-hitter. Morse, who homered twice in Wednesdays extra-inning win over Colorado, made it hold up with a sacrifice fly in the first and a leadoff home run in the fourth, a booming shot to centre on an 0-2 pitch from Carrasco. Pence added an RBI triple in the first and an RBI single in the third. Both times he drove in Angel Pagan. Carrasco (0-3) allowed four runs over six innings. The right-hander, winless over his past 17 starts dating to 2011, struck out six and walked one. He didnt get much support, either. The Indians had two runners on in the first, sixth and eighth but failed to score each time. The bottom six spots in Clevelands lineup went 0-for-21. "We couldnt generate enough offence to climb back in," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "(Carrascos) fastball was kind of what plagued him tonight right from the get-go. He was scattering some fastballs and I think thats what got him in a little bit of trouble." Pagan had two hits in his return to the Giants lineup after being limited to a pinch-hitting role on Wednesday. San Franciscos leadoff hitter underwent an MRI on Thursday and was diagnosed with what manager Bruce Bochy called a "chronic small tear" of the patella tendon in his right knee. The Giants made it 5-1 when slumping Pablo Sandoval tripled in the seventh and scored on Brandon Crawfords single. Sandoval, who went into the game batting just .165, was dropped to sixth in the Giants order and went 1-for-3. NOTES: Bochy said he plans to keep Morse in the No. 5 spot as protection for cleanup hitter Buster Posey. Morse leads the Giants with 17 RBIs. ... RHP Tim Lincecum (1-1), who pitches for San Francisco on Saturday, has struck out 24 hitters in 21 innings. ... RHP Zach McAllister (3-0) goes for the Indians and has not allowed a home run in 31 consecutive innings dating to 2013. ' ' '