Manchester United must treat Mason Greenwood well

Mason Greenwood is one of the best young talents in world football.

At 16 years of age, he was already making a name for himself in the Under-18s, scoring 15 goals in just 13 games.

He is known to be two-footed, and former Manchester United player Clayton Blackmore told the Manchester Evening News: “He’s great on the ball and very good with both feet. He’s the first person I’ve seen that takes penalties and free kicks with his wrong foot”.

He backed up the praise of Blackmore and others by having a spectacular pre-season with Manchester United’s first team. He scored a goal against Leeds United as well as the winner against Inter Milan.

Overall, he looked great on the right flank, was very direct and wasn’t afraid to take a shot. Even out of his favoured position, he showed what he was capable of and was pivotal in Manchester United’s unbeaten pre-season.

But why is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer not playing him? Is it because of his age? Is it because Solskjaer prefers other players ahead of him?

Well, Greenwood could be his last option. With Andreas Pereira having a terrible last game, the only player that’s left is Greenwood.

(Matthew Ashton/AMA/Getty Images)

Daniel James seems to have cemented his spot in left midfield for now, but with Manchester United saying that Anthony Martial could be back in time for the game against Tottenham, he could be moved to the bench.

This would mean that Martial would be played upfront and Marcus Rashford would revert to his spot on the left of midfield. James would most likely be asked to play on the right, where he sometimes looks uncomfortable.

But why play a left winger who is uncomfortable at right midfield there when you can play Mason Greenwood, who is two-footed and looks perfectly comfortable there? Because Solskjaer is going to have to play him at some point – otherwise, he might get frustrated and request a transfer.

In Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Southampton, Mason Greenwood came off the bench in the 82nd minute. He then frequently showed his excitement and ability, running at his marker often and whipping in some really good crosses.

He also had a shot that Angus Gunn only just got to – a turning point for Manchester United, who immediately looked livelier and pushed on for a winner.

Greenwood then made his England Under-21s debut on Friday against Turkey. The young England side was 2-1 down before Greenwood was introduced in the 58th minute.

The performance of his team instantly improved, with them scoring two more goals to end up winning 3-2.

The match report stated that Greenwood consistently looked lively and took up some great dangerous positions in the attack. This led to a lot of Manchester United fans noticing the performance of Greenwood and people are calling for him to get his first start against Tottenham on the weekend.

This yet again shows how Greenwood is already looking like an important player for Manchester United, if he gets the minutes he deserves. When he plays, he not only makes sure he plays well but influences others with his talent and flair. An example of this was the influence he had in England’s Under-21s game.

But now, the decision rests in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s hands as to whether he will play or not.

But Manchester United must treat Mason Greenwood unless they want to risk losing him.