December 2021 FourFourTwoWhen Greenwood was 15, first-team boss
Jose Mourinho asked Nicky Butt, the former
midfielder turned academy head, which
players he’d elevate to the first-team squad.
“Who’s this kid Greenwood?” asked the
Special One. “Can you bring him to train with
us?” Butt explained it wasn’t possible – ‘the
kid’ was still at school. Scott McTominay was
pushed forward instead.
Greenwood rose quickly. In fanzine United
We Stand’s 2017-18 end-of-season youth
report, the average mark given to players
was 6.5/10; a 16-year-old Greenwood was
handed a 9.5. And then a year later, when
he was still just 17? Fifteen goals in 12 starts
cranked that up to a perfect 10.
Being a star in the reserves is a guarantee
of little. James Wilson looked set for a bright
United future, but he was hit and miss when
Louis van Gaal moved him up to the first
team in 2015. Greenwood is the real deal.
Coaches like Neil Wood, now in charge of the
under-23s, were integral to his progress, as
was Neil Ryan, now with the under-18s.
United have always been keen to protect
their rising star and play down the hype.
That became much more difficult after
Greenwood’s first-team debut in March 2019,
though, when he came on as a sub in the
incredible win at PSG. Aged 17, he was the
second-youngest United player to appear
in Europe after Norman Whiteside. The club
couldn’t hide their gem any more.
Greenwood began to feature regularly,
mainly off the bench – and gleefully took his
chances. “He’s a killer in the box,” beamed
Juan Mata, after his team-mate struck two
goals against AZ Alkmaar that December. “He
scores every time he plays. In training he may
not touch the ball, but he’s a proper finisher.”
If anyone could recognise one of those, it’s
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. “Mason is in a different
class as a finisher,” he told this writer in the
summer. “In and around the box, you expect
him to get a shot on target. He’s so precise in
his finishing and good at creating spaces for
himself: right foot, left foot, it doesn’t matter.
He’s a nightmare for defenders. He just needs
to develop his heading and then he’ll be
a proper striker. I’ve seen a few good ones –
I played with Wayne Rooney. But for natural
finishing, he’s one of the best I’ve seen.”Solskjaer’s old team-mate Butt saw plenty of
Greenwood at youth level to concur – albeit
with a whiff of caution.
“He can do anything,” said the former
midfielder. “He can score and win games,
which is what a United striker has to do, but
he needs to get the other side of the game,
which is important in professional football.
“He’s the kind of player who’ll do nothing
for the whole game and then score you two
goals. He could be a superstar if he works
with the coaches around him to make
himself better – or a miss if he doesn’t.”
Those within the club consider Greenwood’s
finishing and technique as his best assets,
especially for his age – that ambidextrous
talent is considered incredibly valuable.
United insiders also feel his link play and
ability to receive the ball under pressure
aren’t mentioned enough; the cleanness
and weight of his first touch.
“Some of his passing is so accurate,” one
club source told us. “He played a superb ball
to Bruno Fernandes for Anthony Martial’s
goal against Everton [in October], and then
made a similar pass against Atalanta.
“He has a lovely angled pass – think of the
cross he made for Cavani at Tottenham last
season. Those two were on a ridiculous
wavelength to catch the Spurs defenders
off guard. It was such a high-quality goal.”
United know that Greenwood’s final-third
creativity isn’t consistently at the top level
yet – he has moments, but there needs to be
more. His pace is considered ‘good’ but not
at the same level as Marcus Rashford – yet
he’s rated a far better footballer. Better thanjust about every other player at United from
a decision-making, technical or intelligence
perspective, in fact. Solskjaer was a positive
force for him.
“I want him to play on instinct, because
that’s what has made him,” the Norwegian
said. “It’s what he thinks is the right decision
and he can learn from that – to see what
works and what doesn’t. He’ll still go and
finish when he should have passed the ball,
or pass when he should have finished.
“That’s normal for a teenager. He’ll learn
because he wants to learn, and his general
play has improved so much. His fitness and
body shape are different; he can link play
better and hold it up for us. He creates more
chances for others.”
Solskjaer continued: “When he burst onto
the scene, he was unknown for everyone.
Now opponents have seen him. They want
to push him inside, and different defenders
have tried to work him out. That’s the good
thing with Mason – he’s realised that and
has worked on different ways of getting his
finishing off. He’s added more movement
when he’s playing at centre-forward.”
United hope that Greenwood’s aggression
in running and passing will improve. But the
underlying sentiment? It’s all excitement to
see how he’ll develop. Off the pitch, he has
matured in the past 18 months. “A hell of
a lot,” reckoned Solskjaer.
United are wary of Greenwood’s character
being scrutinised, though. The club were
worried about how he would be affected by
the media coverage after he and Phil Foden
invited two local girls to their hotel rooms in
Iceland on international duty, but he has
since impressed. He’s not one of the main
men in the dressing room, but he’s certainly
not a negative influence. Not every teen
could be like Anderson, asking Sir Alex
Ferguson how much he earns in front of the
other players – or even Rooney, who quizzed
Fergie about who he was going to pick
alongside him under the firm (and correct)
assumption that he’d start.
“It’s his mannerisms, the way he conducts
himself,” explained Solskjaer, talking about
a player whose mum, dad and sister have
moved from Bradford to be closer to him in
Manchester. “You see that he’s learning. His
first season with professionals, top players
and World Cup winners was a big thing for
him, but I remember my first season at
United – you go out there and play. You don’t
think. Now, when he comes to training he
asks for help – he asks for extra sessions
because he wants to improve and get to the
next level. His body is still filling out, but he
can get the physique of a centre-forward.”
Rashford bulked up over one pre-season –
if Greenwood can do the same, the results
could be fearsome. By the time he turned 20
in October, he’d already played 117 games
for United and scored 33 goals. He’d played
in four different positions, mainly on the
right side of their attack. In the early stages
of the 2021-22 campaign, the academy lad
was United’s best player.
Greenwood’s future is bright... but much
rests on very young shoulders.22 FOR
2022Above The ace
bagged a brace
at home to AZ50 December 2021 FourFourTwo