That will come in time as he is still very young. They say the hardest thing to do in football is score goals and he can do that very well so I wouldn't worry too much.
11
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That will come in time as he is still very young. They say the hardest thing to do in football is score goals and he can do that very well so I wouldn't worry too much.
Has anyone said he reminds them of RVP?
Carry on. You’re going to look really stupid in a few years.
Was sure he was gonna get the hook at half time which would have really pissed me off. Had a poor first half like they all did but we need to play him consistently now. Class goal. His all round game wasn't great for a large portion of the game but did show other flashes of class
That’s why I was annoyed when he got brought off last week. When the chance falls, you want it to fall to him because he’ll take it 9 times out of 10.
No doubt. The skill to turn and shoot there is simply world class
That touch and finish 
If he continues on this trajectory, he'll be on a different planet to RVP. He's better than C Ronaldo was at the same age and thats not an exaggeration.
Van Persie Next-Gen
He’s the most talented young striker in the PL, maybe Europe. Haven’t been this excited about a player since Rooney
The state of this post. Mason actually has shown in flashes - once pass in a counter in particular in a previous match in the year - that he can pick out a good pass in fast-play.
Young lad in inconsistent build-up play shocker.
Me too. Has been messing with my mind lately. Playing him out wide, seeing him not getting into the game like the rest of the team and take him out the game once we start to create a fair bit of chances. In situations where he plays out wide and we can't involve him in the game, he should just be moved to play the striker. I feel our team don't trust his abilities enough just yet, and in my book it's not justified.. we can get so much more out of him if we work on a couple of moves to let him break free. Our left is often congested and we don't switch play quick enough so our right side is almost always isolated, which is the real problem. If that happens again, play him as a striker or on the left.
I quite like this but depends on the chunky CBs he'll be up against.
He'll probably see a lot more game time with Martial injured. A blessing in disguise, if you will..
Not really a blessing in disguise considering we'll need all of our squad in such a busy period. That, and it's never nice for anyone to get an injury.
Much better when he went up top today. Making those runs down the sides of the defenders. His finish was world-class.
Well, I meant more from Mason's perspective. But if he can start scoring as a starting centre forward this could be the start of a transition to nailing down that position. I like Martial, but he doesn't score enough goals and we really have to upgrade.
So fresh
Greenwood does actually offer a lot outside of goalscoring. He has really good balance and strength on the ball, is quite agile on the turn in comparison to our other attackers. He can pass and cross to an average level and can outwit defenders when coming inside. He's also aggressive, having the will to find the ball in order to make something happen in a similar way to rashford. These attributes mean that when positioned around the final third, he can consistently make something happen if he's involved in the play. However, as a right winger he can only show that in flashes as it requires consistent creativity and bursts of acceleration that Greenwood doesn't necessarily have yet. He's clearly a striker. And even though his heading ability and movement off the ball are not as refined ( but still existent), his other attributes are more than enough to produce for us if given the chance and having the safety net of a Cavani.
Non existant in the first half, showed why he's a real killer in the box in the 2nd, should have gotten a second. I agree with Neville that he's the most all round talented forward at the club.
Yes. He is very good with the ball, solid passing play. He’s ging to get better and better.
Good summary. That's what I feel too. On an individual level, his all round game outside the box is actually quite efficient and solid as he takes good touches, lays it off when it needs to be and doesn't over do things. However, he's not 'effective' enough to be playing out wide when we already have a shortage of creativity in the team and have trouble creating simple chances or progressing the ball into the final third.
Immense talent and great goal. There's only one thing that worries me and I think it's more to do with the lack of minutes/feeling the pressure to be decisive but he snatches at chances/goes for the jugular a bit more too much for my liking.
To be fair, that's not entirely on him. It's a strange combination of Ole's relaxed approach where he lets the players have the freedom to do what they want but because of it, we lack a structure to be consistent; therfore, it's also places pressure on the individual to find the (attacking) soluions. In other words yes, too much reliance on individual brilliance, which means your Pogbas, Rashfords, Brunos, Martials and Greenwords are playing with the shackles off, which at times leads to reckless indulgence/overplaying.
I think this is why we should play with 2 strikers upfront with Rashford and Greenwood in partnership.
It's the same as the LW and RW role but they get play closer together and in the box when needed to be.
It's the same as the LW and RW role but they get play closer together and in the box when needed to be.
Great goal but general play was only ok. He may have been subbed off at halftime only for Cavani’s injury
Player development is not linear, with some constant growth rate related to age. Ronaldo is living proof of this. You can't compare Greenwood's scoring rate to Haaland, who has played his entire career to date as a CF in Austria and Germany. Similarly, Mbappe is playing in the French League.
Greenwood is a natural born finisher, with goalscoring instincts that can't be taught. He has great technique, and is so two footed its ridiculous. We don't know how good he'll become with time, but he's the complete package in terms of attributes, it's just a matter of when he's able to pull it all together. When that happens is not really comparable across players, especially young players, because they are all playing under different circumstances.
It's like trying to compare De Bruyne and Salah who weren't deemed good enough at Chelsea, to the likes of Hazard, Neymar and Bale who were 'generational talents' at 20. All of them are top class, but they didn't develop at the same rate.
TBH in regards to individual brilliance dictating goals, some of our best teams have had that rather than a clear refined structure. The core problem I see in how we play with Ole is the lack of movement off the ball from our front line borne from lacking experience. Mctominay/Pogba/Fred/Matic should not have to be creative or great passers for us to move he ball out of deep midfield. In a regular 442 in the past, due to how deep the wingers were, they could always be used as outlets to the midfield and defence in helping to get the ball into more choice areas. They provided support rather than simply being attacking, with the no.10 dropping deep at times to provide additional support in case that wasn't enough. At United currently we are playing with 3 forwards, and with the no.10 also expected to press high, it can come of as a 424, especially when employing a more passive no 10 like VDB. Our attackers tend to stay up the pitch, waiting to be fed the ball, whilst our midfield and defence have to jump hoops to move the ball quickly enough to break the first line of the opponents attack. None of our central midfielders have the capacity to dictate the tempo of a game or make plays from deep consistently ( not even Pogba), so then it makes moving the ball up the pitch a strenuous task. We end up essentially playing a narrow 4213 rather than even a 4231. Bruno helps us when he plays at times by dropping deep and creating a third man in different positions while he's roaming, the only problem we have with this is that he can't always do it due to him also being charged with leading our press. So it almost ends up with him doing more things than he can handle. Most teams that employ a three in attack model play a 433 as the two midfielders on either side of the single pivot can connect the wide forwards with the midfield. Succesful teams that have used the 4231 have either had a really good deep lying playmaker to help them bring the ball out from the back or creative wingers on the flanks that can drop deep and join the build up play.
Our issues with chance creation are tactical and wrong personnel. Signing a player like Sancho and adding that to Diallo and Rashford would allow us to push Greenwood into the CF role and use wingers that connect rather than forwards. Or we can use the money to sign a defensive midfield/deep lying playmaker that can help us progress the ball from the back. Unfortunately, these type of players are really rare. Finally we also have the option of changing to a 433 or using the diamond.
I’ll say it again his biggest flaw right now is how light he is in 50/50s and by design his heading. There are so many times in a game you’ll see him jump up and turn away as he’s contesting a header. He needs a bit more grit and hopefully Cavani can teach him that.
Such a shit slide, if anything needs to tell you how out of form he is, it was that slide after his finish.
All jokes aside, class touch and finish. He can be top top quality.
All jokes aside, class touch and finish. He can be top top quality.
Lovely goal.
If he can get better with his back to goal, and up his strength, he'll be great up front.
If he can get better with his back to goal, and up his strength, he'll be great up front.
My expectations of the forum nowadays is revealed by that I thought your first sentence was dead serious until I read the second one.
I think it’s plain to see that his natural confidence is a bit different to that of Bruno or say Haaland as of yet. He backs himself to pull off the most difficult moves, sure, but not in the same relaxed and nonplussed manner as them. Which is bloody normal for a kid his age.
What I like is he already is better than holding the ball up and playing precise quick passes than almost anyone else in our squad.
I thought he had the best first half among the front 4 so it was no brainer to keep him on the pitch.
With how Martial has been playing this season, it's nice for us to play 11 against 11 instead of 10 against 11.
We should go on buying a right winger at some point and play this guy up top.
Mason van Persie
Love that he can use both feet. You can see that unsettles defenders as they can't show him to a 'weaker' side
Great touch and finish. Will take some sort of disaster for him not to be our long term forward player
I loved his movement as well for the goal. It wasn't static waiting for the ball
Love that he can use both feet. You can see that unsettles defenders as they can't show him to a 'weaker' side
Great touch and finish. Will take some sort of disaster for him not to be our long term forward player
I loved his movement as well for the goal. It wasn't static waiting for the ball
I’m coming around to this way of thinking. Rashford’s and Greenwood’s natural inclination is to drift wide anyway, so it will be a nightmare for opposing teams trying to track them. Fernandes could push up in the central areas, although we’d still need our full backs to provide the width going forward.
His finishing has the potential to be elite level. He's looked like he had an eye for a finish and could execute since he entered the first team and started playing. Over the last month I was genuinely worried that the top tier care free finishing ability flickered away but I think if we can continue to give him chances in and around the box. He has that strikers ability where if you give him a chance he'll bury it. I can see that in him personally.
That finish was next level tonight, not many forwards on Europe could execute that. I hope that goal gives him confidence for a real run in the side.
There is some truth to your initial thought.
As for Mason, you are right, amongst all the noise and critique of his form and off the field behaviour. You can see him growing as a footballer, which is important for his development. People have to remember he is quite young and need to understand the "person" aspect of the footballer. To be that good while still learning to play regularly at a top level should be a cause for excitement for his potential, not criticism when he doesn't live up to expectations (whatever that means as that can be heavily individualized to each fans perspective)
His finishing is quite scary for a 19 year old playing in the Premier league.
I don't want to blow my own trumpet but I had the best shot at every team I played for and at school. I was average at dribbling but had an outrageous shot and would score for fun from shooting from all sorts of areas. I couldn't even dribble 5 yards with my weaker left foot but I could volley, knuckleball and curl with it albeit not as good as my right.
The way he shoots with such instinct blows my mind because he is doing it against professional defenders and goalkeepers whereas I was doing it against my mates and 40 year old plumbers at five a side.
Its hard to explain but he is that good at shooting he doesn't even have to think about where he's aiming prior to hitting it. That is rare at the top level.
Most footballers nowadays seem to pick out an area when shooting and use their side foot to caress it in, even after having time and space to lace it. They know prior to hitting it where they want it to go, but usually its not fast enough to go in.
Rooney for example was a joy to watch when he was younger because he would shoot with anger and instinct but towards his later years he resorted to those side foot, carress type shot.
Pogba does it aswell. Granted he scored with it tonight which was even more impressive because it was bouncing towards him but he is capable of leathering a football with his laces and if on target, would beat any goalkeeper.
I'm certain players nowadays are advised not to shoot with so much might and and ferocity because it does take its toll.
I miss roberto Carlos.
I don't want to blow my own trumpet but I had the best shot at every team I played for and at school. I was average at dribbling but had an outrageous shot and would score for fun from shooting from all sorts of areas. I couldn't even dribble 5 yards with my weaker left foot but I could volley, knuckleball and curl with it albeit not as good as my right.
The way he shoots with such instinct blows my mind because he is doing it against professional defenders and goalkeepers whereas I was doing it against my mates and 40 year old plumbers at five a side.
Its hard to explain but he is that good at shooting he doesn't even have to think about where he's aiming prior to hitting it. That is rare at the top level.
Most footballers nowadays seem to pick out an area when shooting and use their side foot to caress it in, even after having time and space to lace it. They know prior to hitting it where they want it to go, but usually its not fast enough to go in.
Rooney for example was a joy to watch when he was younger because he would shoot with anger and instinct but towards his later years he resorted to those side foot, carress type shot.
Pogba does it aswell. Granted he scored with it tonight which was even more impressive because it was bouncing towards him but he is capable of leathering a football with his laces and if on target, would beat any goalkeeper.
I'm certain players nowadays are advised not to shoot with so much might and and ferocity because it does take its toll.
I miss roberto Carlos.
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