Manchester United have had an up and down season to say the least, but when the highs have come it’s usually coincided with some stellar performances from the younger players. Forward Mason Greenwood is one of those kids who has taken a star turn, at times, when called upon this term.
That’s crucial because United entered the season depleted in the final third. The team sold off Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan, which was good for both parties, but they didn’t replace him and when Anthony Martial was hurt for an extended period of time, you saw just how thin the attacking position group was. Luckily, Greenwood, 18, has stepped up and contributed when he’s been given the opportunities.
He’s only started once in the Premier League this term, but he’s made 12 substitute appearances, and he rescued the match against Everton on Sunday by scoring the equalizer and salvaging a point.
Solskjaer maintains that it’s becoming hard for him to leave Greenwood out of the team. The rebuild at United will be long and deep, but it hinges on the development of youth and the blossoming of Greenwood is a positive sign.
“He’s making it hard for me to leave him out,” Solskjaer said ahead of tomorrow’s League Cup clash versus League Two side Colchester United.
“I remember when I came to the club and I kept scoring a few goals and even though I felt I could have performed better, the manager’s comments were ‘it’s hard to keep players who score out of the team.’ “It’s very, very difficult now to put a team out there without having Mason in my mind.”
It was a nice touch there- the Norwegian harkening back to his playing days, when he was known as “the baby-faced assassin.”
Manchester United vs Colchester United League Cup Quarterfinal FYIs
Manchester United starting XI prediction, team news: go to this link
Kickoff: Wed. Dec 18, 8pm, Old Trafford
Referee: David Coote
Form Guide: Manchester United- DWWWD Colchester United- DWLDW
TV: no live coverage
Odds : Manchester United win 1/7, Draw 28/1, Colchester United win 9/1
Prediction: Manchester United 1, Oxford United 0
United have just not made things easy for themselves, at all, when playing smaller sides at home this year, across all competitions. Bottom table top flight, Championship, League One, whatever the tier of the massive underdog, they’ve all come into the Theatre of Dreams and made Red Devils supporters anxious.
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 appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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