True at this rate I’d expect him to become Robbie Fowler for us at the very least. But it’s really hard to tell how good or bad a teenager could turn out, admittedly I was wrong countless times in the past too (with Januzaj, Anderson who look set to have bright future but fail big time, Rooney who look set to become best in the world, but never quite reach that height)
Where do you rank Mason Greenwood as a talent?
- Thread starter Paxi
- Start date
True at this rate I’d expect him to become Robbie Fowler for us at the very least. But it’s really hard to tell how good or bad a teenager could turn out, admittedly I was wrong countless times in the past too (with Januzaj, Anderson who look set to have bright future but fail big time, Rooney who look set to become best in the world, but never quite reach that height)
Just on injuries. Greenwood is not exceptionally quick or explosive compared to some elite attackers. Good athlete no doubt, but it is the control in his game which is striking at such a young age. You expect young players to be rash, selfish, a bit daft. Greenwood plays in such an intelligent manner, knows his strengths, meshes well with other, easy guy to fit in as you do not have to change the way you play to accommodate him.
If he fulfils his potential then we have a new Alan Shearer
City will have Laporte back and will react to losing the title by spending big. Its completely within their ability to get 95+ pts. Liverpool may suffer from the difficulty of the "repeat" so I can see them slowing down but wouldnt bet on it
I don’t think I’ve seen anyone come through our academy that’s excited me so much since Giggs and if he progresses as he could and is managed well we realistically have a world class forward that could lead our frontline for over a decade.
I know the comparisons with RVP are easy to make but it’s so bang on it’s untrue and he’s a lot better at 18 than RVP was at that age, everything from Greenwood’s running style to his finishing just screams RVP to me.
It’s clear he’s going to be a central striker within the next year or so and I think he’ll become an even better and more dangerous player once he does due to his ability to go either way and finish just as well with either foot, he’ll be a nightmare for centre backs especially if as becomes naturally stronger.
Someome made a thread the other day about how little our frontline has cost us with Rashford and Greenwood coming through our academy and Martial costing £36 million which is madness in today’s game, I can’t think of anyone outside of the Messi/Villa/Pedro frontline that cost so little yet produced so much and our trio are much younger.
If we go on to sign Sancho then I can’t think of anyone in Europe having such an exciting array of options with Rashford, Martial, Sancho, Greenwood, Fernandes, Pogba, Ighalo and James. It really is exciting times here again and Greenwood is central to it all, I really think he will become a world class forward.
I know the comparisons with RVP are easy to make but it’s so bang on it’s untrue and he’s a lot better at 18 than RVP was at that age, everything from Greenwood’s running style to his finishing just screams RVP to me.
It’s clear he’s going to be a central striker within the next year or so and I think he’ll become an even better and more dangerous player once he does due to his ability to go either way and finish just as well with either foot, he’ll be a nightmare for centre backs especially if as becomes naturally stronger.
Someome made a thread the other day about how little our frontline has cost us with Rashford and Greenwood coming through our academy and Martial costing £36 million which is madness in today’s game, I can’t think of anyone outside of the Messi/Villa/Pedro frontline that cost so little yet produced so much and our trio are much younger.
If we go on to sign Sancho then I can’t think of anyone in Europe having such an exciting array of options with Rashford, Martial, Sancho, Greenwood, Fernandes, Pogba, Ighalo and James. It really is exciting times here again and Greenwood is central to it all, I really think he will become a world class forward.
Have you actually watched him play or .. ? Did you not see the part he played in the team goal against Brighton, he was lightning quick up that wing, maybe the way he plays he doesn't rely on his pace but he has it in his locker.
One of the rarer aspects of Mason's talent is that defenders afford him more space because they don't really know how to optimally defend him, since he is lethal with either foot but can also pick a pass. The fact that they can't defend one shooting foot makes life very hard.
Having threats like Martial, Rashford and Bruno to worry about helps create space as they naturally back off, as does the fact that he can be lightning quick and therefore unpredictable, but as I watch defenders against him, it hits home how good he is and can potentially be.
Having threats like Martial, Rashford and Bruno to worry about helps create space as they naturally back off, as does the fact that he can be lightning quick and therefore unpredictable, but as I watch defenders against him, it hits home how good he is and can potentially be.
His balance , his two-footedness, is ability to find the right place at the right time, especially in and around the box and his apparent footballing maturity, at such a young age means I rate him as the next new player to eventually emulate Giggs, Best, Charlton, etc. he could be in such vaunted company... but there is a long way to go yet. The club has to look after this kid!
He's one of our own.
Mason Greenwood, he's one of our own.
Marcus Rashford he's one of our own.
Paul Pogba he's one of our own.
Scott McTominay he's one of our own.
Brandon Williams he's one of our own.
I love my club.
Mason Greenwood, he's one of our own.
Marcus Rashford he's one of our own.
Paul Pogba he's one of our own.
Scott McTominay he's one of our own.
Brandon Williams he's one of our own.
I love my club.
How about poutin?Le Have would still like to have a word.
His finishing reminds me of Shearer
Greenwood would be to finishing what Beckham is to dead balls and crossing
He is not slow by any means, his top speed is excellent, probably as good as any at Utd, but acceleration wise he is a bit behind some of the others.
Not sure what the stats say, and different running style/gaits can fool the eye, so highly possible I am wrong of course.
He was only at Le Harve for 2 years, they have even less claim than we doLe Have would still like to have a word.
Future Ballon D'or winner. I'm not throwing out that comment on a whim either. Wouldn't replace him with any player in the world.
That would be Utd specific because I think Owen and Fowler have scored more.
I love how he just wants to hit the bottom corners. At that age all I wanted to do was smash in spectacular, sexy top corner worldies. Needless to say the success rate was not high, Greenwood just hits those angles, and it looks so repeatable and reliable.
Why do the people who make youtube football comps have such universally shit taste in music?
Rights issues?
Ok, music in these vids was a problem long before copyright infringement started to be enforced stringently online.
Continuing tradition?
Very hard to compare players...particularly when they are in different eras, playing positions, different team context, different managers.
It's almost impossible.
The challenge for young talent when breaking through into the first team is 'doing enough' to show that you are taking the opportunity. Loads of kids have come through who showed talent at youth level but couldn't TAKE the opportunity when it came.
Players like Marcus Rashford are a good example. He got an unexpected break and took his chance. He's turning into a really good footballer.
Others like Januzaj, Wilson, O'Kane, Curtis...and going further back players like Peter Coyne. All brilliant at 16-18 but couldn't push on.
It's also easier to get excited by attacking players but the likes of Pogba, Butt, Gary Neville were exceptional at that age. People forget Nicky Butt was a really exciting tenacious midfield talent who broke through at 18. He held his place in a very competitive midfield. It's just hard to get excited about midfielders in the same way as attackers but boy he could play which is why Ferguson sold Ince in 1995.
Others were late developers. I know loads of coaches were incredibly excited by Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher, Jesse Lingard and others but at 18 they were not ready.
In terms of talent at 18 Mason is certainly up there with the best I've seen at United.
My top 10 talents that I've seen reach the first team and really excited me would be:
1. Norman Whiteside - an amazing player. A man at 16. Injury curtailed his pace otherwise he would have been world class.
2. Ryan Giggs - one of the few players I'd pay extra money to watch and the closest to Best. What a career.
3. Ravel Morrison - the things this kid could do with the ball sent me dizzy. We all know he didn't push on.
4. Mark Hughes - his aggression amongst men was eye-opening. 24 goals in his first full season. People forget how good he was.
5. Mason Greenwood - he could easily turn out the best on this list. The most two-footed I've ever seen.
6. Guiseppe Rossi - his goalscoring record and range of goals were breathtaking. Injuries and perhaps size held him back in England.
7. Wes Brown - a Rolls Royce defender who loved to defend. Classy and hard as nails. But for injury he could have been Englands CH for years.
8. Andy Ritchie - ten league goals in 16 starts...two hat-tricks...played all his 32 games as a teenager. Should have kept him instead of buying Birtles!
9. Sammy McIlroy - scored on his debut v city. Four goals in eight starts. Car crash really affected his development in 1973.
10. Mark Robins - ten goals in 17 games in his first full season in 1989/90 helping us reach the FA Cup Final. That famous goal v Forest.
Other players I've missed out would include Danny Welbeck, Kieran Richardson, Will Keane, Adnan Januzaj and Keith Gillespie.
I've not include Rooney or Ronaldo because I didn't see them at youth level so there wasn't any real expectation. Rooney was amazing and many people do him a disservice. He was always in the game...always looking to make a difference. I would rate him higher than Mason at the same age.
It's almost impossible.
The challenge for young talent when breaking through into the first team is 'doing enough' to show that you are taking the opportunity. Loads of kids have come through who showed talent at youth level but couldn't TAKE the opportunity when it came.
Players like Marcus Rashford are a good example. He got an unexpected break and took his chance. He's turning into a really good footballer.
Others like Januzaj, Wilson, O'Kane, Curtis...and going further back players like Peter Coyne. All brilliant at 16-18 but couldn't push on.
It's also easier to get excited by attacking players but the likes of Pogba, Butt, Gary Neville were exceptional at that age. People forget Nicky Butt was a really exciting tenacious midfield talent who broke through at 18. He held his place in a very competitive midfield. It's just hard to get excited about midfielders in the same way as attackers but boy he could play which is why Ferguson sold Ince in 1995.
Others were late developers. I know loads of coaches were incredibly excited by Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher, Jesse Lingard and others but at 18 they were not ready.
In terms of talent at 18 Mason is certainly up there with the best I've seen at United.
My top 10 talents that I've seen reach the first team and really excited me would be:
1. Norman Whiteside - an amazing player. A man at 16. Injury curtailed his pace otherwise he would have been world class.
2. Ryan Giggs - one of the few players I'd pay extra money to watch and the closest to Best. What a career.
3. Ravel Morrison - the things this kid could do with the ball sent me dizzy. We all know he didn't push on.
4. Mark Hughes - his aggression amongst men was eye-opening. 24 goals in his first full season. People forget how good he was.
5. Mason Greenwood - he could easily turn out the best on this list. The most two-footed I've ever seen.
6. Guiseppe Rossi - his goalscoring record and range of goals were breathtaking. Injuries and perhaps size held him back in England.
7. Wes Brown - a Rolls Royce defender who loved to defend. Classy and hard as nails. But for injury he could have been Englands CH for years.
8. Andy Ritchie - ten league goals in 16 starts...two hat-tricks...played all his 32 games as a teenager. Should have kept him instead of buying Birtles!
9. Sammy McIlroy - scored on his debut v city. Four goals in eight starts. Car crash really affected his development in 1973.
10. Mark Robins - ten goals in 17 games in his first full season in 1989/90 helping us reach the FA Cup Final. That famous goal v Forest.
Other players I've missed out would include Danny Welbeck, Kieran Richardson, Will Keane, Adnan Januzaj and Keith Gillespie.
I've not include Rooney or Ronaldo because I didn't see them at youth level so there wasn't any real expectation. Rooney was amazing and many people do him a disservice. He was always in the game...always looking to make a difference. I would rate him higher than Mason at the same age.
I'm surprised that so many on here don't have Greenwood pegged as a particularly fast player.
This is from an interview with Richard Senior, who coached Greenwood at our academy:
"His style means his pace is deceptive because he is absolutely rapid. I think he turned up at a Great Britain under-13 100m sprint race and broke the Great Britain record. All the athletics people were after him at one point. Athletically he’s unbelievable.”
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/man-utd-mason-greenwood-psg-15936458
Greenwood also recorded the fastest speed of any Manchester United player pre-lockdown (I can't find any stats for post-lockdown but would assume that his record still stands given the publicity that breaking the record receives):
https://www.manchestereveningnews.c...ster-united-fastest-players-rashford-17959577
I would say that the misconceptions about his pace are simply testament to his positioning and intelligence, as he does not have to rely on lung-bursting sprints as often as other players.
This is from an interview with Richard Senior, who coached Greenwood at our academy:
"His style means his pace is deceptive because he is absolutely rapid. I think he turned up at a Great Britain under-13 100m sprint race and broke the Great Britain record. All the athletics people were after him at one point. Athletically he’s unbelievable.”
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/man-utd-mason-greenwood-psg-15936458
Greenwood also recorded the fastest speed of any Manchester United player pre-lockdown (I can't find any stats for post-lockdown but would assume that his record still stands given the publicity that breaking the record receives):
https://www.manchestereveningnews.c...ster-united-fastest-players-rashford-17959577
I would say that the misconceptions about his pace are simply testament to his positioning and intelligence, as he does not have to rely on lung-bursting sprints as often as other players.
Man Utd vs Young Boys - 8 December 2021
As great of a talent as I’ve seen coming through at United.
There may be youngsters more technical, or exciting, or mature, or polished or whatever. But Greenwood has a unique talent for putting the ball in the back of the net, which is one of the rarest and most valuable attributes in the game. I'd be hesitant to swap him for many players of the same or similar age.
Not sure there are many better in those first categories either tbh. Mercurial talent who doesn’t get the respect he deserves on here.
Been saying this for ages… top in the world for his age group in his position. We’re not very appreciative of how much ability and potential he has…
One year younger than Vinicius Jr, Haaland, Foden, Davies, over a year older than Pedri, Bellingham, Fati. He's a top prospect but by no means the best in his age category, let's see how he kicks on.
Not bad for 20yrs old…will be frightening when he’s 25/26 prob earlier…just needs consistency in his performances
I’d take him over any of them bar Haaland for sure and probably Pedri (completely different player though). He’s better than foden for me and would show that in that insane city team.
He's scarily good, just waiting for him to explode and then he'll be in the team week in, week out. He should be studying Ronaldo and harassing him for advice.
I'd have Haaland, Bellingham and Foden over him.
I think you'd be one of many on this forum, not so much for the neutrals. Still great to have him, and as Ive watched him coming through the ranks I wouldnt switch him for anyone bar Haaland either. Haaland, Foden, Vinicius are easily better for me, and Bellingham/Pedri probably around the same level or just a bit better too.
I’m not so sure Greenwood has the natural finishing ability with both feet and that gives him insane potential so while Foden is better now I wouldn’t swap.
Obviously Haaland is better but that guy is in a different league
Same as Rashford.
pretty good.
Over-hyped though.
**Puts tin hat on**
pretty good.
Over-hyped though.
**Puts tin hat on**
He’s miles better than Rashford as a talent. What can you possibly base that on?
Greenwood is a year younger than Foden and has made nearly as many league appearances to date, comfortably outshining Foden in his first season as a senior player. Foden was quality last season but nothing I've seen tells me he's "easily" better than Greenwood.
Same goes for Vinicius - obviously a quality player who's hit another gear this season, but again, he's a year older than Greenwood with vastly more senior experience, and Greenwood outperformed him two seasons in a row before this one.
Pedri and Bellingham are obviously quality and Haaland is a complete freak, but as far as forwards in Greenwood's age bracket go, he's up there with anyone. Rashford was a great talent in his own right but Greenwood is simply another level - he's a miles better player than Rashford at the same age (half this forum will tell you he's already a better player overall).
Same goes for Vinicius - obviously a quality player who's hit another gear this season, but again, he's a year older than Greenwood with vastly more senior experience, and Greenwood outperformed him two seasons in a row before this one.
Pedri and Bellingham are obviously quality and Haaland is a complete freak, but as far as forwards in Greenwood's age bracket go, he's up there with anyone. Rashford was a great talent in his own right but Greenwood is simply another level - he's a miles better player than Rashford at the same age (half this forum will tell you he's already a better player overall).
So nothing then. Greenwood performed miles better in the academy and was always considered the superior talent. Greenwood has outperformed and outscored Rashford at a comparable age. Basically what you are doing is comparing a 24 year old Rashford with a 20 year old Greenwood. If Greenwood isn’t better than Rashford at age 24 something seriously wrong will have happened!
No, I’m not.
I’ve been asked an opinion on Greenwod and for me, he’s the same as Rashford.
He’s clearly talented but the pedestals our players get put on are absolutely ridiculous.
The comparison with Rashford was made solely because Rashford was put on the same level of pedestal as Greenwood is on now at the same age. He hasn’t kicked on to any great level either.
The best players in these age groups are consistent starters for their club and country. Greenwood doesn’t even get in the England squad
Or, for the highlighted bit, he just isn’t as good as some people think he is