Song Proves Martial Value

Anthony Martial is among the contenders to win Manchester United's Player of the Year award, yet the Frenchman does not need the Sir Matt Busby trophy to render his debut season a success.

Martial's first campaign has already been approved by the fans who have repeatedly chanted his name, and that is arguably a greater validation of his form than any individual honour.

Supporters' songs about the 20-year-old originally borrowed the tune of Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes - an anthem that had previously been adapted to honour Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa - but a second, more popular chant has recently emerged to the melody of Tom Hark by The Piranhas.

This latest effort is inspired by a national newspaper which rashly printed ‘WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY’ as its back-page headline in September, a few days after Martial had joined United from Monaco on transfer deadline day. The song's sarcastic lyrics amusingly pay tribute to a player who “came from France”, who the English press said “had no chance” and whose reported fee was “50 million down the drain”.

The pay-off is the closing line of “Tony Martial scores again” and this terrace anthem was fittingly all that could be heard following the Parisian's winner in last weekend’s Emirates FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, where he scored his 14th goal of the season to ensure the Reds will play in the competiton's final for the first time since 2007.

The celebrations were unsurprisingly wild and, even after the final whistle, a few thousand Reds remained in the national stadium for up to half an hour simply because the Martial chant was still going strong. Their eventual exit was of much relief to the watching stewards, yet the song continued to echo onto the free coaches that drove north for Manchester, while also bellowing into various corners of the capital where fans stayed to savour the pivotal victory over Everton.

It may seem odd to highlight the importance of a simple chant, but the fans remain the cornerstone of this great football club and the focus of their praise must not be overlooked. The match-goers pay good money to watch the action and their committed attendance gives them first-hand knowledge of the players' performances. They know who deserves praise and who doesn't. After all, not every player is singled out in song and very few of these ditties live to stand the test of time.

David De Gea’s face lights up when asked about his chant to the tune of Weather With You by Crowded House and Michael Carrick has admitted “it’s a great feeling” to hear his own singalong that has been adapted to Magic by Pilot. Bastian Schweinsteiger has used social media to share footage of his Deutscher Fussball Meister tune being belted out on concourses across the country.

Eric Cantona, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ryan Giggs are among the small group of ex-Reds who still hear their names ring out at Old Trafford, although a few others are also treated to the odd rendition from time to time. Diego Forlan is one example, particularly in fixtures against Liverpool, and the Uruguayan has spoken about the pride he feels when hearing his name on TV from the other side of the world.

It is that level of affection that every player must crave and, while we are still in the early stages of Martial’s United career, his increasingly influential performances have deservedly made him a favourite among fans who have a long history of defending players against unfair press coverage.

Anthony may yet win the club’s Player of the Year award – and you can still vote at manutd.com/poty until Monday evening – but even if he doesn't, his chant has already proven his true value to United fans.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and should not be considered as representative of Manchester United Football Club.

Credit: Manutd.com