flameinthesun
Full Member
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.