Tim Sherwood urges Mason Greenwood to “focus on his football”, for some reason

Despite Solskjaer denying stories about Greenwood's professionalism, Sherwood believes the youngster needs to focus

Tim Sherwood has said Manchester United's Mason Greenwood needs to focus on his football, despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's insistence that there is no problem with his professionalism. Greenwood has missed United's last two games against Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain through a minor injury, but reports surfaced during the week suggesting the forward had been warned by the club over his discipline, with timekeeping a particular concern. Speaking ahead of the weekend game with Chelsea, Solskjaer was quick to dismiss there were any concerns over the 19-year-old - claiming the media had targeted him after he was sent home from the England camp after breaking Covid-19 protocol in September.

"Mason made a mistake this summer with England and suddenly the whole English press go after him," Solskjaer said.

"I have to disappoint you, he is never late for training. He is never a problem when he is on the training ground. He is always on time. I have seen the stories and some ex-United players talking about him and they don't know what they are talking about.

"We have photographers outside the training ground every day, they can see he is on time every day. I don't know where these stories have come from.

"He has a good family behind him. He has had a good background in the academy. He is a good trainer. He trains really well. I cannot believe all these stories about him not being professional."

Despite the United manager's defence of Greenwood, Sherwood, speaking on Sky Sports, claimed he needs to keep his focus.

"He needs to be a footballer first and foremost. It's just the start of his career. We know what a talent he is. And he needs to listen to the manager and the coaching team and hopefully some senior players in the dressing room, they can help him out."

After citing the influence of Luther Blissett at Watford when he was coming through as a young player, Sherwood continued:

"Mason needs to get his head down... We know he's capable of going a very long way. He's an international already. He's got so much already and kids get so much and the finances they get as well - they get it too soon in my opinion but that's the way the game's gone.

"But he needs to be able to control it. All he's got to do is look at his mate, Marcus Rashford, and how responsible he is. Hopefully someone will get his arm around him and it can't always be the manager. It has to be from within that dressing room."

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