- Greenwood has had a positive start at Marseille under De Zerbi
- However, he was subbed off at half-time in the 3-0 defeat on Sunday afternoon
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Mason Greenwood has come under fire from his Marseille manager following his performance against Paris Saint Germain.
Greenwood has had a successful start in France after leaving Manchester United, apparently following a loan spell in Spain with Getafe last season.
It was decided he would leave Old Trafford after being arrested in January 2022 before being charged with attempted rape, assault and controlling and coercive behaviour, although the charges were dropped.
Greenwood, who is expecting his second child with partner Harriet Robson, was at the top of the division from the start in the much-anticipated showdown but only made it to half-time until he was taken off by boss Roberto De Zerbi.
The former Brighton manager explained after the match why he took the former Red Devil off the pitch without any hesitation.
Mason Greenwood (photo) is under fire from his manager Roberto De Zerbi
De Zerbi berated Greenwood for his performance after subduing him at half-time of his side’s final match
The forward started the match but was withdrawn during the break with his team already trailing 3-0
“Because I didn’t like the way he played,” the Italian explained. ‘If we want to compete for the title, we have to push every match.
‘I think he was having a bad day. He has given us a lot of goals and points, but when you are at OM you have to push every game if you want to fight for the championship.
‘You can’t say you’re doing a good job by scoring two goals and then have a bad spell the next game. It’s not possible. He’s a good player, but I expected more from him tonight. But not just from him. In general, I always expect more.’
Marseille were at it from the opening moments of the match as Joao Neves scored the opener before Amine Harit was shown a straight red card for a foul on Marquinhos.
Leonardo Balerdi scored an own goal before the half-hour mark and Bradley Barcola had scored three before half-time, putting the match out of reach for the ten-man hosts.
Greenwood was hooked on the break, with compatriot Jonathan Rowe replacing him, while striker Elye Wahi was also sent off, with Ismael Kone taking his place.
The match finished 3–0 as PSG extended their lead at the top of Ligue 1 and are now three points ahead of Monaco in second place and six points ahead of Marseille in third.
Greenwood, meanwhile, has scored six goals in his first nine games for Marseille as he thrives at his new club. It is believed that after his exile in England he earned around £70,000 a week in Marseilles.
The charges against Greenwood were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service following the ‘withdrawal of key witnesses and the coming to light of new material’.
Last month, Marseille president Pablo Longoria claimed it was manager Roberto De Zerbi’s wish to sign Greenwood.
The Italian revealed his desire to emerge as a striker during his first meeting with the board after being appointed manager in June.
Greenwood joined the French squad in the summer after leaving boyhood club Manchester United
He scored six goals in his first nine games for the club and was expected to earn around £70,000 per week.
Greenwood was on the hunt for a new club after it was decided he would leave Manchester United, where he had spent years as an academy prospect before graduating to the first team.
He made 129 appearances for United and scored 35 goals before joining Marseille for £30 million in the summer.
The former England international had not played for Man United since January 2022 and was loaned out to Getafe last season. He scored ten goals and registered six assists on his way to winning the club’s player of the season title.
His possible move to France sparked a backlash from angry Marseille fans, who launched a #GreenwoodNotWelcome campaign when he was initially linked with the club.
