COMMENT: Just shut it, will ya! Just shut ya gob! That's what Anthony Martial needs to tell his agent if he wants to get his Manchester United career back on track.

We're all for agents fighting their client's corner. Defending their best interests. But the disappointing form Martial has served up this season is nothing compared to the performance of his main rep, Philippe Lamboley.

And as much as Lamboley has wagged his finger at the media over the "zeal" they (okay, we) have shown in reporting all of Martial's off-the-field carry on, he needs to take a good look in the mirror and recognise how much his public utterances have hurt the lad.

First, let's revisit the "zeal" accusations, which Lamboley made in November.

"I do not understand this media zeal on Anthony," he moaned. "Today, it seems that some French media want to attack Anthony because he does not give a lot of interviews or because the media game is not his cup of tea."

And he added, with no sense of irony: "What makes me angry is that the media are trying to find problems in Anthony's life. Let's stop looking for extra-sporting problems."

We mention irony, because in the very same interview he's confirming the talk that emerged in August that his Anthony had thrown a wobbler about having to give up his No9 shirt to Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Now, hindsight's 20-20, but even at the time, could Jose Mourinho, indeed any United official, realistically accept a 20 year-old one season wonder pulling rank on a man who has won everything in the game? And that was six months ago. Fast-forward to today, consider the impact Ibrahimovic has made on and off the pitch, and Martial's claims on that coveted shirt look absolutely ridiculous.

But the sad thing is, the player would never have been subject of such ridicule if his agent hadn't bleated it all out while in the very same breath lecturing the media for trying to find ways of pulling Martial apart.

"Personally, I did not accept this decision which I find displaced and disrespectful towards my player," said Lamboley. "This feeling I gave to Manchester United leaders. This was inappropriate."

So the number was an issue. And rather than shrug it off, which Lamboley admits Martial actually did "after two days", he goes to the club and moans about it with accusations of being "disrespectful".

How do you think Mourinho, for all we know about him, would privately take such whingeing from a young player's representative? Oh, but wait folks, there's more...

Yes, more, because out of the blue, Lamboley was at it again, this time talking to Spanish media about a move to Sevilla. Now, there had been whispers coming out of Seville about Martial being keen on a move to the city's LaLiga club. But this didn't make sense, Martial had just hit a brace against West Ham in the EFL Cup. He'd won great praise from Mourinho: "He's working. To be honest, he is working harder than before. I hope this helps". Why would he be agitating for a move?

The whole situation would've simply withered and died. But Lamboley couldn't help himself. Volunteering information to the local Seville media.

“We are studying the Sevilla option in detail," Lamboley told ABCdeSevilla. “Sevilla are a very good club, are in a good position in La Liga, play in the Champions League and have a great coach. That's all I can tell you."

For Mourinho, that was enough. He'd refused to respond to questions about Martial's regular appearances in the gossip pages. His break-up with the mother of his child. His dalliances with reality TV stars (not exactly low key). But now he was hearing his player was thinking of abandoning ship?

"Every day I read in the press that Martial is going to Sevilla, that he is going to be loaned, that he is not happy," Mourinho responded. "Martial must listen to me every day in training, every piece of advice I give him."

And it's not like the manager had become frustrated with the Frenchman's performances. Again, in that same presser, Mourinho made it clear of how he felt about the player's progress.

"(Against Middlesbrough) Martial played, he created, he scored. He fought. He was very positive. I know he has a lot of talent," said the Special One.

Fought. FOUGHT. When Mourinho says that about a player, you know he's winning him over. Yet, all that work. All that effort put into understanding what his new manager wants from him, was blown away by an interview in Spain which didn't need to happen.

When it comes to Martial, Mourinho knows the score. Yeah, having your mug splashed across the gossip pages of the biggest dailies in the country isn't ideal, but with Mum and Dad now relocated to Manchester, there's a confidence Martial is settling into a more positive routine. Mourinho knows he's working with a 20 year-old prospect. He knows that consistency in performance just doesn't happen at that age. The manager rates the player - and highly. There's no plans, from his end, of selling Martial.

But the Frenchman - and Lamboley - needs to take a leaf out of the book of some of his teammates. When Henrikh Mkhitaryan found himself on the outs, we never heard from Mino Raiola about taking him away from Old Trafford. Instead, the Armenian redoubled his efforts and fought his way back. And what of Wayne Rooney and his agent, Paul Stretford? Wayne's no longer a first-choice for Mourinho, yet no-one from his camp have vented.

Take away the rubbish flying around Martial and break it all down: He's simply a young player who's been hit by a predictable and expected dip in form. It happens to the best of 'em.

The problem isn't Mourinho or the media. The problem is an agent trying to put out needless and unnecessary fires. Just button it, Phil, and let the lad work through it.