We still have six days to go until Manchester United commence their 20/21 season, kicking it off against Crystal Palace. It’s still very quiet on the transfer front, so today we’ll cover some MUFC news items that encompass a wide array of different topics, instead of transfer market talk.
We’ll start in with Mason Greenwood, who once again is seeing his lifestyle habits putting him in situations where he receives a heavy amount of public criticism. This time the youngster is being called out for a video showing him inhaling gas from a balloon.
The video, which was shot several weeks ago, but only emerged via Snapchat this weekend, shows Greenwood intaking what is believed to be nitrous oxide, or laughing gas.
It was also just this past week that Greenwood and Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden were sent home from international duty as they brought girls to the England team hotel, thereby violating covid prevention procotols.
Once he again he is apologizing for this incident, just like he apologized for the hotel room episode.
“I have now been made aware of the health risks associated with this practice and accept that even trying it, as shown in these historical pictures, was poor judgement on my part,” Greenwood was quoted, in relation to the balloon incident, via a club statement.
“I strongly urge others not to follow my example. As an 18-year-old I am learning all the time, however, this week I have also learned that I will be judged to a higher standard because of my career as a footballer and I must respect that in future.”
Elsewhere, United lost a preseason friendly to Aston Villa this weekend, 1-0, but after the match United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer singled two players out for praise- new arrival and Donny van De Beek was one; goalkeeper Dean Henderson the other.
“Donny was maybe the biggest plus in the outfield,” Solskjaer said to the club’s official web channel.
“He’s such a finder of space and he creates time for himself with his timing and movement. I was very happy with his performance.”
Van de Beek is the club’s only signing this summer, but it does appear that they’re moving again on trying to get Jadon Sancho.
“I thought Deano showed his authority back there and he played like a proper Man United goalkeeper,” Solskjaer said of Henderson, who spent the last two years out on loan with Sheffield United.
He has recently committed his future to the club, by extending his contract, but he’s made it clear that he wants to the be the No. 1 this year. He’s set to become the club’s goalkeeper of the future, the question is just when that will be.
Henderson made it clear that he wants to get regular first team football this season, be it an United or elsewhere.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly contributes to WGN TV, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Now and SB Nation.
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