Solskjaer says he is so pleased with Mason Greenwood’s progress

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Mason Greenwood’s 2020/21 season hasn’t started how he’d have liked it to.

Aside from that early departure from September’s England squad, he has had injury and illness to contend with.

The 19-year-old needs support from the fans and manager alike, and that’s what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer offered him at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

Solskjaer was asked – streamed on the official United app at 1:30pm – about Greenwood and his absence from the side.

Solskjaer said: “You have to take a step back sometimes. The boy’s only 19, he’s had a fantastic year.

“If we go a year back I left him out of the Carabao Cup against Chelsea. Mason stayed back and played against Doncaster in the Checkatrade Trophy to get game time, that’s how far he’s come.

“Now he’s got 19 goals, made his England debut, scored in his first Under-21s game. Everyone’s allowed to not be well, if you’re not well you can’t train.

“He’s been away eight or nine days from training, we’re just building him up again and I have no doubts about him. He has a very good head on him and the talent is there for all to see.”

Greenwood is an outstanding young talent and some of the media treatment he has been subjected to has not been fair.

In Solskjaer, Greenwood has a manager who will have his back and knows how good he can become.

Sir Alex Ferguson was a master of defending his own players, creating that siege mentality and Solskjaer will likely look to do the same with Greenwood.

Some patience is needed and whenever fans are allowed back into Old Trafford, it’s more than likely United supporters will show their backing to Greenwood.

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