Solskjaer’s praise of Mason Greenwood is more terrific man-management

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Manchester United hit Southampton for nine in midweek in an improbable scoreline thanks to an unrelenting attacking performance.

Perhaps the only surprise was that Mason Greenwood was not the scoresheet as United won 9-0.

But this kind of sums up Greenwood’s season. He has scored four goals in four separate competitions, with just the one in the Premier League.

So it would be easy for Greenwood to be a little despondent after failing to get in on all the fun and add to his goal tally.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made a point of praising Greenwood’s performance.

Solskjaer told the club website: “I thought Mason’s performance was excellent, even though he didn’t score. So the two of them[with Aaron Wan-Bissaka] can form a very good right side.”

Important to get backing

These comments will give Greenwood a bit of extra confidence, and it should be a message that for now, the right wing spot is his.

Greenwood has been in and out of the side all season and it sounds like Solskjaer might be ready to give him a run of games there.

He scored in the FA Cup win over Liverpool playing in the role, and his prolific run at the end of last season came when he was given a stretch of consecutive starts.

Solskjaer’s comments underline his terrific man management skills which have helped him get the best out of players like Luke Shaw, Fred, Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba.

Greenwood did play very well too. He provided the assist for Marcus Rashford’s goal, and WhoScored.com rated him as United’s second best player on the night behind only Bruno Fernandes.

He will have to hold off an emerging threat from Amad Diallo for the right wing spot, and this may spur him on in the same way extra competition has inspired Luke Shaw to raise his game.

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