- Mason Greenwood scored a brace in Marseille 5-1 thrashing of Montpellier
- Forward’s return to form comes after his attitude and work rate were questioned
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Marseille manager Roberto De Zerbi has revealed some of the secrets behind star striker Mason Greenwood’s recent return to form.
Greenwood scored twice as Marseille thrashed Montpellier 5-1 at the Stade Velodrome on Saturday to strengthen their Champions League hopes.
The forward’s brace comes after he was the subject of several damning reports that have raised questions over his attitude and work rate – which has also been a source of frustration for De Zerbi.
Fuming Marseille fans then unfurled a banner in the north end of the Orange Velodrome, which called out Greenwood and team-mate Luis Henrique.
The banner read: ‘Greenwood, Henrique, get moving!!!’
And after the former Manchester United star responded to the flak in the best way possible, De Zerbi opened up on how he has been working to restore the players’ confidence.
Marseille striker Mason Greenwood’s return to form has been revealed by Roberto De Zerbi
Greenwood scored twice as Marseille thrashed Montpellier 5-1 at the Stade Velodrome
Marseille fans held up a banner aimed at Greenwood which read: ‘Greenwood, Henrique, get moving!!!’
‘First of all, it’s not something I work on in the moment, during a time when it’s more complicated. I work all season to help the players,’ the ex-Brighton boss said.
‘You also have to realize that for two years of his career, Mason didn’t play. He’s very young (23 years old), and being out of action for two years is complicated.
‘Last year he played for a club – Getafe – that was fighting for survival.’
De Zerbi also revealed he has been working alongside Greenwood’s father to aid his development – but insisted the forward still ‘wastes a little of his potential’.
‘He is an introverted person, a little closed, but he has a wonderful family around him, an extraordinary father with whom I worked a lot, he helped me a lot to manage him , with the help also of Mehdi Benatia.
‘It is true that sometimes he gives us the impression that he can score three or four goals per game, and sometimes also that he wastes a little of his potential and his value.
‘So how can we help him? Well sometimes by cuddling him, by taking care of him and sometimes also by being harder so that he continues his progression.
‘This is the main objective that I have with all my players, beyond all those that we can have with the club, because if I make my players progress we can achieve the club’s objectives faster.”
Greenwood scored an early opener when he converted a penalty on eight minutes
Against Montpellier, Greenwood scored an early opener when he converted a penalty on eight minutes.
The 23-year-old then netted his second in the 67th minute, taking his tally in Ligue 1 to 18 goals for the season. Only PSG’s Ousmane Dembele has managed more (21).
After emerging as one of Man United’s brightest young talents, Greenwood left the club officially last summer after he was arrested in January 2022 before being charged with attempted rape, assault and controlling and coercive behaviour.
Charges against Greenwood were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service following the ‘withdrawal of key witnesses and new material coming to light’.
He has since formally applied to switch his international allegiance from England, for whom he made one outing, to Steve McClaren’s Jamaica.
