Mason Greenwood | 2023/24 Performances | on loan to Getafe

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People really want Greenwood to flop so bad that they are rewriting history. GW was wayyyyy ahead of hojlund even mentally. This idea that he wasnt progressing is another lie that is being repeated over and over again. He was young and growing into this RW role, its normal to have dips...but he was definitely our best attacker by the time he got suspended. In that whole season, except for ronaldo, he was the shining light.

GW isnt even really a RW...he was a CF and a very good one at that. He joined a first team where we really needed a RW and he could deliver from there better than our other options and so we shoe horned him there...and he delivered. Everything hojlund does now, GW did even better...hold up, dribbling, finishing etc. Hojlund has alot to do to even get into the comparison story with GW.

I get it, he messed up but lets not rewrite history and make him look average yet he was special. Football wise, he was that good. He wasnt a RW but is better than any RW we have had since Ferguson. He was a better striker than hojlund and I am sure if he had stayed this season...it wouldnt even be a debate by the end of the season. Both are good...GW was better

Yeah there is a fair bit of rewriting of history going on regarding Greenwood's performances. His breakout season where he scored 18 goals in all competitions at the age of 18/19 for United already put him way ahead of Rasmus and most young footballers except for the like of Mbappe, Haaland etc. Even then at the end of that season an argument could have been made that he was the best teenager in the world or easily top 5, just in that season. The last time we had that level of talent at that age was Ronaldo and Rooney. Again this wasn't some 18yo scoring 5 goals in a season for Brighton...perspective is needed.

He struggled the following season which made sense, as did the likes of Ronaldo and Rooney at that age, and it was clear he needed to develop more mainly in getting more involved in the game. His touch, passing and shooting was never a question, just his involvement. The season when Ole got sacked he started to show that development with myself and a lot of people saying that he was probably our best attacker, despite not scoring at the rate he was in his breakout season his all round play had significantly improved and he was getting more involved in the games. His play was a lot more mature than when compared to his breakout season.

Add in your point that during all this time he has been playing from the RW when the majority of the time in the youth team he was playing striker, then its pretty impressive what he was able to do. Even in the small sample of Getafe games you can see his touch, passing, movement and game IQ is a level above their entire team. The reality of it is is that there are levels to this game, Greenwood has shown from a young age he is levels above the majority of young players. Now whether he develops the drive and maturity to truly take games by the scruff of the neck (which is my criticism of him and where I think he needs to develop) like the truly top players do we will have to see.
 
I believe the normal people are pretty apathetic now that he isn’t our player. But yeh you can hope someone who beats women has a great carrer as a footballer. Live your truth babes x
This is a performance thread . Feck off to the other thread if you want to spout that
 
Was a good finish from a tricky angle, wouldn't have trusted many in our present squad to put that in.

Does he want to play for us again, difficult question really. Depends if we feel we've treated him fairly this year.
Nah, it wasn't the easiest tap-in ever, but it wasn't a hard strike at all and a professional footballer is expected to put that in almost 100% of the times, and they'd be ridiculed if they don't.
 
People really want Greenwood to flop so bad that they are rewriting history. GW was wayyyyy ahead of hojlund even mentally. This idea that he wasnt progressing is another lie that is being repeated over and over again. He was young and growing into this RW role, its normal to have dips...but he was definitely our best attacker by the time he got suspended. In that whole season, except for ronaldo, he was the shining light.

GW isnt even really a RW...he was a CF and a very good one at that. He joined a first team where we really needed a RW and he could deliver from there better than our other options and so we shoe horned him there...and he delivered. Everything hojlund does now, GW did even better...hold up, dribbling, finishing etc. Hojlund has alot to do to even get into the comparison story with GW.

I get it, he messed up but lets not rewrite history and make him look average yet he was special. Football wise, he was that good. He wasnt a RW but is better than any RW we have had since Ferguson. He was a better striker than hojlund and I am sure if he had stayed this season...it wouldnt even be a debate by the end of the season. Both are good...GW was better

I agree with your overall point here. People forget how talented this guy was and still is by the look of things. Yesterday, there was one high ball he stopped with a first touch the likes of Berbatov and Mata would be proud of. It looked so simple but I don't see many in our squad capable of stopping the ball dead like that, probably only Shaw tbh.
 
I agree with your overall point here. People forget how talented this guy was and still is by the look of things. Yesterday, there was one high ball he stopped with a first touch the likes of Berbatov and Mata would be proud of. It looked so simple but I don't see many in our squad capable of stopping the ball dead like that, probably only Shaw tbh.

It sounds like something you’d expect every footballer to be able to do but I remember SAF raving about Lee Sharpe when he was at Torquay, just after we bought him. He was talking about a ball dropping out of the sky from a great height and Sharpey killing it dead…he was very impressed and I remember thinking at the time, that must be the mark of a highly talented player because if everyone could do it, surely Fergie wouldn’t be bringing it up…
 
Nah, it wasn't the easiest tap-in ever, but it wasn't a hard strike at all and a professional footballer is expected to put that in almost 100% of the times, and they'd be ridiculed if they don't.

Like the one Gravenberch finished yesterday?
 
Lets not rewrite history all too much. Greenwood in Ole’s last season was as selfish as he was talented.
He was still one of our better attackers that season that's just the
It sounds like something you’d expect every footballer to be able to do but I remember SAF raving about Lee Sharpe when he was at Torquay, just after we bought him. He was talking about a ball dropping out of the sky from a great height and Sharpey killing it dead…he was very impressed and I remember thinking at the time, that must be the mark of a highly talented player because if everyone could do it, surely Fergie wouldn’t be bringing it up…
First touch is one of the most difficult skills in football. It's why hold up play is important for strikers and receiving angles are important for midfielders. The first thing you do with the ball that instant you receive it sets the tone for what you do with it. Thats why if you watch some of the best dribblers in the world it's always about how they manipulate the ball under pressure as it comes to them.

It's one of the reasons I always rate Martial as a better dribbler than anyone in our team in the last 10 years (including Pogba).
 
More goals/assists than Antony this season so far. Wouldnt be surprised if that ends up being true when the season ends either :nervous:

Ofcourse G/A are not everything...
 
He was still one of our better attackers that season that's just the

First touch is one of the most difficult skills in football. It's why hold up play is important for strikers and receiving angles are important for midfielders. The first thing you do with the ball that instant you receive it sets the tone for what you do with it. Thats why if you watch some of the best dribblers in the world it's always about how they manipulate the ball under pressure as it comes to them.

It's one of the reasons I always rate Martial as a better dribbler than anyone in our team in the last 10 years (including Pogba).

Aye, this is one the reasons I always hated having Fred and McT in midfield, first touch was almost always off and didn't set them up to utilise the ball efficiently.
 
At the end of his last period with the club, he had that weird tension with Ronaldo when it felt like they were fighting each other for chances and ignoring each other. Probably not the best growth and development environment for a young player.

I felt his development was stuttering during his last half-season here, but I quite liked that he was our only attacker that didn't seem cowed by Ronaldo's giant ego.
 
I felt his development was stuttering during his last half-season here, but I quite liked that he was our only attacker that didn't seem cowed by Ronaldo's giant ego.

I thought this for a while and had this conversation with fellow United fan only yesterday. For the short period of time Greenwood was here, there was a sense that he had a much more ruthless streak in his finishing and he also seemed to be much more mentally tough in comparison to Rashford.

Particularly, when you consider the latter's form after his comeback from shoulder surgery and it is at present.

Coincidentally, I watched Jamie Jackson on the Stretford Paddock as there was not much to do in the evening. He made the very point (again something that I thought before), is that Rashford is not or should not be seen as the main focal point of an attack. Jackson said he should be what "Sterling was to City." A very good player, but a support attacker.

This why I think United could struggle at times this season, because I do not expect Rashford to return with goal output he produced last season. I think it is evident that he feels the pressure. I have also mentioned ghis before, I think he might expected a more experienced forward in the mould Kane as well as Greenwood up there with him this season.

Jackson also said it could be possible for Greenwood to return next season "as you never know in football." If he gets his head down and stays fit and out of the headlines and then there is a possibility that a lot of people will say "well he has paid his penance and in the eyes of the law he is innocent. "
 
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People really want Greenwood to flop so bad that they are rewriting history. GW was wayyyyy ahead of hojlund even mentally. This idea that he wasnt progressing is another lie that is being repeated over and over again. He was young and growing into this RW role, its normal to have dips...but he was definitely our best attacker by the time he got suspended. In that whole season, except for ronaldo, he was the shining light.

GW isnt even really a RW...he was a CF and a very good one at that. He joined a first team where we really needed a RW and he could deliver from there better than our other options and so we shoe horned him there...and he delivered. Everything hojlund does now, GW did even better...hold up, dribbling, finishing etc. Hojlund has alot to do to even get into the comparison story with GW.

I get it, he messed up but lets not rewrite history and make him look average yet he was special. Football wise, he was that good. He wasnt a RW but is better than any RW we have had since Ferguson. He was a better striker than hojlund and I am sure if he had stayed this season...it wouldnt even be a debate by the end of the season. Both are good...GW was better
Huge talent but he was never convincing as a striker for us, we all hoped he'd grow into the role, but he was quite poor centrally at that stage of his career. And he definitely doesn't have the physical attributes, hold up play, or speed of Højlund. In other things like touch and finishing, GW was better.
 
Nah, it wasn't the easiest tap-in ever, but it wasn't a hard strike at all and a professional footballer is expected to put that in almost 100% of the times, and they'd be ridiculed if they don't.
Antony would have missed that and he cost over 80mil :lol:
 
I thought this for a while and had this conversation with fellow United fan only yesterday. For the short period of time Greenwood was here, there was a sense that he had a much more ruthless streak in his finishing and he also seemed to be much more mentally tough in comparison to Rashford.

Particularly, when you consider the latter's form after his comeback from shoulder surgery and it it is at present.

Coincidentally, I watched Jamie Jackson on the Stretford Paddock as there was not much to do in the evening. He made the very point (again something that I thought before), is that Rashford is not or should not be seen as the main focal point of an attack. Jackson said he should be what "Sterling was to City." A very player, but a support attacker.

This why I think United could struggle at times this season, because I do not expect Rashford to return with goal output he produced last season. I think it is evident that he feels the pressure. I have also mentioned ghis before, I think he might expected a more experienced forward in the mould Kane as well as Greenwood up there with him this season.

Jackson also said it could be possible for Greenwood to return next season "as you never know in football." If he gets his head down and stays fit and out of the headlines and then there is a possibility that a lot of people will say "well he has paid his penance and in the eyes of the law he is innocent. "

Not often I agree with Jamie Jackson on anything but I think that Sterling comparison is a very good one. There's just too many deficiencies in Rashford's game, both technically and mentally, for us to seriously challenge for the league title with him as our main/best attacker.
 
I thought this for a while and had this conversation with fellow United fan only yesterday. For the short period of time Greenwood was here, there was a sense that he had a much more ruthless streak in his finishing and he also seemed to be much more mentally tough in comparison to Rashford.

Particularly, when you consider the latter's form after his comeback from shoulder surgery and it is at present.

Coincidentally, I watched Jamie Jackson on the Stretford Paddock as there was not much to do in the evening. He made the very point (again something that I thought before), is that Rashford is not or should not be seen as the main focal point of an attack. Jackson said he should be what "Sterling was to City." A very good player, but a support attacker.

This why I think United could struggle at times this season, because I do not expect Rashford to return with goal output he produced last season. I think it is evident that he feels the pressure. I have also mentioned ghis before, I think he might expected a more experienced forward in the mould Kane as well as Greenwood up there with him this season.

Jackson also said it could be possible for Greenwood to return next season "as you never know in football." If he gets his head down and stays fit and out of the headlines and then there is a possibility that a lot of people will say "well he has paid his penance and in the eyes of the law he is innocent. "

I saw the Jackson bit earlier. He was basically just speculating based in United’s broad language in their release. Obviously much can change between now and Jan or next June.
 
I saw the Jackson bit earlier. He was basically just speculating based in United’s broad language in their release. Obviously much can change between now and Jan or next June.

I do find his writing a bit brief when reading it the Guardian, but he was quite good yesterday discussing Erik Ten Hag's position and the past managers.

In relation to Greenwood, he did say that the people he speaks to at the club genuinely think "he is the best player they currently" have on their books.

I do not usually watch the Paddock, but what I also noticed was Joe's response and body language to what Jackson was saying. Joe was against it and was lauding Crafton when he appeared on there, but he was in a reticent agreement with Jackson "yeah, I can see that happening."
 
Huge talent but he was never convincing as a striker for us, we all hoped he'd grow into the role, but he was quite poor centrally at that stage of his career. And he definitely doesn't have the physical attributes, hold up play, or speed of Højlund. In other things like touch and finishing, GW was better.

Nah, you probably didnt really watch GW play CF. His hold up was great, he dribbles better than hojlund and passes better too. The only thing hojlund had on GW is being big and fast.

This idea that GW was not convincing as a striker is a big lie, he played for the team when we had an over abundance of strikers who could only play strike. Lukaku, martial, cavani, ronaldo, ighalo etc. Consequently he was moved to the RW because he could play there. But if GW was given a 5 to 10 game run in that position...he would have nailed it down.

People confuse his lack of games in CF for us to mean he was not good there...big huge lie. He absolutely was very very good there. The problem is the other strikers could not play RW. Period.. every thing else is rewriting history to make hojlund look like he can talk to GW.
 
Nah, you probably didnt really watch GW play CF. His hold up was great, he dribbles better than hojlund and passes better too. The only thing hojlund had on GW is being big and fast.

This idea that GW was not convincing as a striker is a big lie, he played for the team when we had an over abundance of strikers who could only play strike. Lukaku, martial, cavani, ronaldo, ighalo etc. Consequently he was moved to the RW because he could play there. But if GW was given a 5 to 10 game run in that position...he would have nailed it down.

People confuse his lack of games in CF for us to mean he was not good there...big huge lie. He absolutely was very very good there. The problem is the other strikers could not play RW. Period.. every thing else is rewriting history to make hojlund look like he can talk to GW.
I agree with most of that.
In his second season he was not as prolific but his general hold up and distribution had improved and it makes me laugh when they say some players could play anywhere in the forward line and be effective when they simply would not...Mason would be.
 
The only one rewriting history here is you. Greenwood was as selfish and self entitled as Rashford.

His hold up was poor, he never looked up and never got along with his team mates. Hoijland is a much better player for this team than GW will ever be.

Make no mistake, he’ll be a very good CF but we’ll end up playing him on the RW where we will become even more “individual fc”

Cristiano and Cavani hated played with him and GW was a spoiled brat with no respect for seniors or willingness to improve his game.

So yeah, lets not rewrite history.
I never got any bad vibes from Cavani re Greenwood up until his suspension (i.e. until he was clearly disgusted by the material made public and visibly upset about the company he had been keeping and investing in).
 
Guys guys guys.. i know you all want to think hojlund to be the better player, but no. GW excels everywhere other than probably on the air. And let hojlund score 18 goals a season and then we discuss aite. Its a shame he done here, but we always knew he will be a good forward someday. I hope he matures and have a career somewhere. This is the kids second chance.
 
No one says Højlund is a better player, Greenwood was a scary talent, but in no world was his holdup play better than Højlund's.

In men's football, he wanted no part of that and the few games we tried him in the centre he spent the entire games vacating his position. He had 1 good game as a CF, we thought it was a sign of things to come, but the next game he reverted to type.
 
Feck me, tap in? It's a quality finish from a top striker. Calm and collected top corner finish. Many in our squad will mess that up. Give credit where is due, he always has world class finishing skills.
 
Nah, it wasn't the easiest tap-in ever, but it wasn't a hard strike at all and a professional footballer is expected to put that in almost 100% of the times, and they'd be ridiculed if they don't.


With their weaker foot, no. Antony doesnt make that and I also dont trust Rashford to put that in with his left. Think both would try to use their dominant foot and in that split second someone might block that shot.
Greenwood is so 2 footed you dont even think in terms that its his weaker foot, doesnt even cross your mind.
 
With their weaker foot, no. Antony doesnt make that and I also dont trust Rashford to put that in with his left. Think both would try to use their dominant foot and in that split second someone might block that shot.
Greenwood is so 2 footed you dont even think in terms that its his weaker foot, doesnt even cross your mind.
Many of his fans are constantly praising how two-footed he is. Except when he scores with either of his feet, in which case the goal will always have been more difficult than if he had scored with the other foot.
 
Many of his fans are constantly praising how two-footed he is. Except when he scores with either of his feet, in which case the goal will always have been more difficult than if he had scored with the other foot.

What?
Im just saying its taken for granted but other players do often mess up those decievingly easy finishes especially with their weaker foot. That is easily a clearence if he spends extra split second trying to bring it on his left. Likes of Antony, Rashford, Sancho, pretty sure they would try to bring it on their dominant foot here. For some reason Martial is the only one I kinds trust to finish that every time
 
Heard he has decided to stay there permanently. But I'd doubt if Getafe could afford him. Unless we would let him leave on a free or cheap.
 
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Rashford - Hojlund - Greenwood

Would be an outstanding front 3 on a technical level, drama aside. Who knows if he'll ever come back here though.

I do feel his ability has been a bit downplayed since his absence. He was on track to be one of the best #9's of his generation in my opinion.

I'd rather not see him play for us again personally, though sure many will disagree.
 
(i.e. until he was clearly disgusted by the material made public and visibly upset about the company he had been keeping and investing in).

I don't remember, how did that happen? How did Cavani display his disgust with MG?
 
Heard he has decided to stay there permanently. But I'd doubt if Getafe could afford him. Unless we would let him leave on a free or cheap.
saw an article as well saying that he's enjoying spain and the league so he would be open to making the move permanent. i'm sure United will extend his option year so Getafe would have to put up a big fun in order to purchase him

i'm of the mind that he needs to return and be our right wing with hojlund and rashford or garnacho on the left
 
Rashford - Hojlund - Greenwood

Would be an outstanding front 3 on a technical level, drama aside. Who knows if he'll ever come back here though.

I do feel his ability has been a bit downplayed since his absence. He was on track to be one of the best #9's of his generation in my opinion
.

I'd rather not see him play for us again personally, though sure many will disagree.

How can that be when he wasn't even playing as a number 9.
 
How can that be when he wasn't even playing as a number 9.
He was a number 9 throughout his academy years and played some games there in the first team. That win vs Leeds (first game back with a full stadium) is one that always springs to mind for me, as his link up play stood out that day.
 
How can that be when he wasn't even playing as a number 9.
He was shoehorned in on the right to fill a space in the squad. He was always going to be best as a #9 in my opinion in the long term.
 
Rashford - Hojlund - Greenwood

Would be an outstanding front 3 on a technical level, drama aside. Who knows if he'll ever come back here though.

I do feel his ability has been a bit downplayed since his absence. He was on track to be one of the best #9's of his generation in my opinion.

I'd rather not see him play for us again personally, though sure many will disagree.
I think the balance of that is horrible to be honest. None are creators, none are players who hold width well, rashford and Greenwood do their best work by runs in behind to get shots off and score goals. Hojlund is a traditional 9 not a false 9 so you don't want to crowd him out. You need width and creators on either flank like Bayern had with Lewandowski central. Can have a wide forward on one side but you want a proper winger on the other side. Garnacho might work long term if you want balance Greenwood, but if it's Rashford on the left then the closest we have to a functioning partner on the opposite side would be Antony. But he's meh. Amad is more a guy who drifts inside and is a playmaker, closer to mata.. So ideally I think we still need someone like Neto maybe. But the Greenwood hypothetical doesn't mesh with our team beyond being a backup to hojlund. I don't even think his potential as a wide player was ever that high anyway, where he once had elite potential was IMO up top, but who knows where that is now.
 
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