This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Speaking to GQ, former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has delivered a word of caution on Mason Greenwood.
What did he say?
The 18-year-old has enjoyed an impressive rise to the top in the past year or so, featuring in the Red Devils’ dramatic triumph over PSG in the Champions League last season. After scoring against the likes of Inter and Leeds on the club’s pre-season tour earlier in the summer, Greenwood has under-lined his first-team credentials with goals against Partizan Belgrade, FC Astana and Rochdale.
Despite his fine showings, Saha moved to temper expectations on the starlet, and bemoaned the fact he currently only has Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford as his two ‘mentors’.
He said: “Maybe he has arrived six months or one year early and that’s not fair for him. He can’t be the only threat for Martial and Rashford at a big club like United. I had to compete with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Cristiano (Ronaldo) and Wayne Rooney. Greenwood is learning from two youngsters rather than two experienced players.”
Guidance
When you’re 18 like Greenwood and trying to break through into the team on a consistent basis, you invariably want to look for role models to follow amongst your teammates. Unfortunately for him, as Saha alludes to, Martial and Rashford are barely any older than him, at just 23 and 22 respectively.
The duo are still learning the tricks of the trade themselves, and are hardly the wizened professionals that could offer someone like Greenwood some much-needed career and life advice. And with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s struggling for goals in general this season – they have scored just 16 goals in 12 Premier League games – the teenager is playing in an environment that is arguably not the most conducive to his development. Signing a more experienced forward could be the key to unlocking the 18-year-old’s full potential.