Solskjaer praises Greenwood as 'different class' as he hails improvement

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer devoted time in his press conference to praise the performance of Mason Greenwood against Everton.

The disappointment of the late equaliser dominated the post-match reaction at the weekend, and meant Greenwood’s strong display was not as big a talking point as it should have been.

Solskjaer told the club website on Monday that he was very impressed with Greenwood’s contribution, and his efforts in the previous game against Southampton.

FBL-ENG-PR-MAN UTD-EVERTON — Photo by ALEX PANTLING/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

The United manager said: “Ah, Mason was different class. I thought he was the standout performer on the pitch. He just didn’t get the goal that his performance deserved.

“I think the last few games, if you look at him closely – yeah, I know we scored nine against Southampton – but if you look at his performance, I thought his performance was top. He’s learning off them, and it’s exciting to see that he’s come over his blip and is playing really well.”

Goals are not flowing for Greenwood yet, but he has balanced them out well. He is one of only two players to score in four different competitions this season, the Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Champions League, along with Marcus Rashford.

Greenwood also has four assists, double his output from last season where he finished on two.

He has a long way to go to catch last season’s goal tally of 17, but as Solskjaer points out, Greenwood’s improving performance level suggests a glut of goals may not be too far off.

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If he can finish the season strongly as he did in 2019/20, he could still end up with very high figures for the campaign.

United fans praised Greenwood’s efforts despite the draw at the weekend, and while the result dampened the mood at Old Trafford, he was a clear positive from the game and Solskjaer probably ended up wishing he had not taken him off in the 92nd minute.

Manchester United v Manchester City - Carabao Cup Semi Final — Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images

Mason Greenwood’s career 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 became 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, and has now netted in a European semi-final.
The 30 goal barrier
Greenwood scored his 30th Manchester United goal in August 2021. At just 19, he became one of just three teenagers to do so for the club, along with Whiteside and George Best.

Mason Greenwood

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Solskjaer praises Greenwood as ‘different class’ as he hails improvement