Last season was the beginning of a transitional phase for the Red Devils. With Ole’s first full season in charge many changes were made in the squad and tactics. A lot of young players were integrated into the squad and many had big developments. One of them was Mason Greenwood. With his good performances one after the other he earned his place in the first team despite being a teenager. A lot was expected of him this season and in this article we are going to analyse Greenwood’s 2020/21 season for Manchester United.
Season First Half:-
Greenwood would have never thought that the start of the new season will be so disastrous. He got entangled in an incident with call girls along with fellow England teammate Phil Foden. The English media as usual tore into him and it had a detrimental effect on his mental health. As the Premier League began the impact of it could be clearly seen. He looked completely out of touch in the first 3-4 games. Just after that he suffered a knock against Newcastle and was out for one game. Ole had then backed Greenwood when reports surfaced that he was punished for coming late to training. Ole said that he was a dedicated lad and he had no issues with him. Greenwood scored his career’s first UCL goal against RB Leipzig. It was another milestone for him and it boosted his confidence. A couple of games later he suffered another knock which kept him out for 18 days. As he was returning from illness, Ole backed him again and said that he had full confidence in him. Greenwood came on as a sub in a lot of games as he slowly regained his form. After a long dry spell Greenwood scored against Liverpool in the FA Cup. Signs of improvement had started to show in his game and now he was playing more confidently.
Season Second Half:-
Although he didn’t score, Mason was now concentrating more on improving his overall gameplay. Come April, and Mason was finally back to his best. He scored in three games consecutively in the Premier League against Brighton,Spurs and Burnley. Not only goalscoring,but now his movement on the pitch was better, his touches were better and he had improved his vision and decision making too. It was great to see someone who had such a bad start to the season finally getting on his feet. He complemented an attack consisting of Rashford and Cavani in most of the games and did it very well. He looks like an established figure in the team now and will only improve further.
Best Position:-
A question many united fans have had in mind is, which is Mason’s best position? Is it RW or CF? Well the answer to that is Mason should continue playing RW until he enhances his skills in order to become a CF. When asked about his position, Greenwood said this in a presser back in February, “ I don’t mind [where I play]. I could play anywhere across the front three. I can play on the right, up front and even sometimes on the left. For me, it’s just about adapting into any position I go in. If it’s up front or on the right, I don’t really mind, really. I’ll take it as they come.” As for what Ole had to say,” Mason was a bit shy there because he can play No.10, as well as a shadow striker,” he clarified. “He can play right, centre forward, 10 and, at a stretch, maybe on the left. We just have to give him time to find his final position.” We think that Mason will play RW until he develops his physique and awareness to play as a CF. Perhaps he can follow the footsteps of Robin Van Persie who became a CF at the age of 24 after playing as RW till then. Greenwood’s agility,dribbling and quick feet are perfectly suited for that RW position at the moment. It depends on how he improves his overall gameplay in the future whether he can play as a CF later or not.
Next Season Expectations:-
There are more challenges ahead next season, as Greenwood will feel under pressure to keep up the momentum and outscore this season. But we know Greenwood and his ability to step up and deliver whenever he is asked to. The big concern is one of fatigue and over exposure amid a condensed fixture list. This is one of the reasons United need to help him out and not over play him at this age and therefore Amad Diallo’s development will help in this matter.
Career Highlights So Far-
- 17 first team goals in his debut season
Greenwood tied a record set by George Best and Wayne Rooney on their first campaigns for the club.
- Five Europa League goals in his first season
Greenwood’s goals in the Europa League saw him become the club’s youngest ever scorer in European competition.
- 10 Premier League goals
Greenwood had become the first teenager since 1997/98 to score 10 Premier League goals or more in a season.
- Absolutely prolific at youth level
Greenwood scored 31 goals in 30 under-18 games, plus five in five UEFA Youth League matches. He scored three in three FA Youth Cup games, and four in seven under-23 matches, before being fast-tracked to the first team.
- Already a Champions League scorer
Greenwood scored his first Champions League goal for Manchester United against RB Leipzig. It came with his first ever shot in the competition.
- The 20 goal mark
Greenwood scored his 20th United goal in December 2020. He became the youngest United player to do so since Norman Whiteside in 1987.
- Double figures again
Greenwood reached double figures for the second successive season in the win over Roma. He became the second United player to score in five separate competitions in the 2020/21 season.
Strengths and Weaknesses :-
We have plotted a pizza chart of Mason Greenwood showing his percentile stats. The first one includes stats for the 20-21 season across all comps and the second one includes stats for the 19-20 season in EPL only. There’s a clear indication of his overall game improvement this season. He has been better on the ball and is more confident going forward. Finishing is his strongest attribute as is evident although it has dipped a bit this season. Mason plays as an inside forward in United’s system and he has integrated into that role perfectly. He needs to improve his awareness and work on the things he is lacking in such as movement off the ball, strength and decision making . For now he will play RW and build his game from that position. More game time will increase his chances of developing further and being consistent in a team which has lacked a good RW for ages.
