Ferdinand questions Solskjaer's 'baffling' position for Greenwood

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s decision to play Mason Greenwood out wide in draw against Southampton was BAFFLING, says Rio Ferdinand, with Manchester United icon claiming youngster is more effective as a centre forward

  • Rio Ferdinand has questioned Solskjaer’s decision to put Greenwood out wide
  • The teenager has enjoyed a strong start to the season with two goals in two
  • Having scored in the 5-1 win over Leeds, Greenwood netted again against Saints
  • However, Solskjaer decided to move Greenwood to the left for Sunday’s 1-1 draw
  • Ferdinand believes Greenwood is best suited as a centre forward for United 

Rio Ferdinand has labelled Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s decision to shift Mason Greenwood out wide for Manchester United’s draw with Southampton as ‘baffling’ with the former defender insisting he is much better deployed as a No 9.

Greenwood has enjoyed a fine start to the campaign in the absence of Edinson Cavani and has two goals in United’s opening two games, having struck in the 5-1 demolition job of Leeds before rescuing a point for the Red Devils in their 1-1 draw at St Mary’s.

Ferdinand lauded Greenwood for his ‘joke’ performance in the season’s opener against arch-rival Leeds but was left bemused why the teenager was shifted out wide the following week.


Rio Ferdinand has questioned Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s (right) decision to play Mason Greenwood (left) out wide for Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Southampton

United icon Ferdinand believes Greenwood is best suited as a centre forward

Ferdinand insists Greenwood is better suited as a centre forward, leaving him confused with the decision to play him out on the left wing on Sunday.

‘Mason Greenwood has arguably been our best player since we’ve come back,’ the former defender said on his YouTube channel FIVE. 

‘In one of the pre-season games I saw, I think against Everton, and the two games we’ve played in the league, he’s been [unbelieavble].

The teenager has enjoyed a strong start to the season with two goals in two games 

‘The guy has come back stronger, fitter, better, he’s growing into a man from a boy – so why shift him from centre forward to out wide to bring Anthony Martial in? I don’t understand it. 

‘He’s the goal-getter – [Edinson] Cavani’s not fit, Greenwood put him as a No 9 I think he’s good enough to do that.

‘So to play him out wide again, that was the one baffling thing for me.’

While Greenwood was United’s hero against the Saints with his goal cancelling out Fred’s first-half own goal, the England international admitted he felt disappointed that they didn’t walk away with all three points.

The United forward scored a second-half equaliser to salvage a point at St Mary’s on Sunday

Greenwood’s goal means he now has 31 goals to his name for United having not yet turned 20

‘It was a difficult game,’ Greenwood told Sky Sports. ‘Southampton defended well but in my eyes we dropped two points.

‘When we got the equaliser we should have gone for the throats, the time went away and we did not get the winner towards the end.

‘Paul Pogba is an excellent player and he helped with the goal, he is a clever player and we are glad to have him here.

‘It is a good squad and excellent for players to be fighting for their place.’




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