Jose Mourinho Says Anthony Martial Needs More Consistency After Real Madrid Win

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has called for Anthony Martial to show more consistency following his "positive" outing against Real Madrid on Sunday.

Some sublime skill from Martial helped him set up Jesse Lingard for United's opener, and following the 1-1 draw, the Red Devils won the penalty shootout 2-1, despite the Frenchman firing his spot-kick over the bar. 

Per ESPN.co.uk's Mark Ogden, Mourinho said: 

"Obviously we want more consistency in his talent. I think today was positive for him, that's why I left him for 90 minutes on the pitch.

"He was enjoying it and trying things, it's important to try things in these friendly matches, so it's good for Anthony and his confidence.

"He is a young player, still time to learn, still time to improve, still time to develop, and it's also his personality.

"I can say he is training better than before. He's working harder than before. It's just a question to bring his talent more in a consistent way."

Martial was not the only one to miss his penalty, though, as it took 10 for the score to reach 2-1.

BBC Sport's Simon Stone was impressed with his assist and urged United to keep hold of him:

The France international was the talk of Twitter after he twisted and turned past Dani Carvajal and Luka Modric, rendering them helpless as he bore down on goal.

Sky Sports pundit Matt Le Tissier and Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News were similarly in awe:

The 21-year-old enjoyed a strong first season at Old Trafford, scoring 17 goals, but he struggled to impress last year and mustered just eight in all competitions.

Martial has perhaps not been aided by constantly playing on the left wing since his arrival at United in 2015, having regularly played as a centre-forward for former club AS Monaco and during his early days at Old Trafford.

With Zlatan Ibrahimovic gone, Martial should have been in pole position to take his place up top, but his failure to kick on from his first season means he will instead be fighting for a spot on the left in the starting XI.

Football writer Liam Canning is anticipating a much-improved campaign, though:

United need him if they are to challenge for the Premier League title. While their business this summer will go a long way toward determining what they're able to do next year, many of their players also need to play to their potential, Martial in particular.

The youngster's talent has never been in doubt, and he could become one of the best players in the world, but Mourinho is correct. For Martial to do that, he must start showcasing his ability every week.