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FA and Gareth Southgate FURIOUS on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s claims that Manchester United told them NOT to call Mason Greenwood and that he should have been ‘protected’
- The FA and Gareth Southgate are furious at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s recent claims
- The Manchester United manager said they told England not to call Mason Greenwood
- The FA strongly denies the claims and says they had no problems with the call.
- Solksjaer said they should have protected the striker amid the Iceland hotel controversy
England manager Gareth Southgate and the FA are furious at Manchester United’s claim that Mason Greenwood was called up for his senior debut and exposed to the gaze of the media against the club’s wishes.
Greenwood was sent home in disgrace from Iceland along with Manchester City’s Phil Foden earlier this month after they were caught inviting girls to the England team’s hotel in Reykjavik.
Coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said Friday that United had asked that Greenwood be removed from the team so he could rest after his great season at Old Trafford. Solskjaer is also annoyed that Greenwood was immediately put in front of the media by the FA even though United have been careful to keep the 18-year-old out of the spotlight due to his age.
The FA and England manager Gareth Southgate are furious at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s recent claims that Manchester United asked them not to call Mason Greenwood to the senior team.
United manager says striker needs to ‘coach’ and wanted Greenwood out of the team
“The club secretary submitted an application to the FA,” Solskjaer said. Maybe I should have gotten Gareth’s number.
He hasn’t called me after, either, so next time I talk to him we’ll discuss it.
‘He is an 18-year-old who needs to be managed. The boy had a fantastic season and we specifically asked him that he should have rested. You need it mentally and physically.
‘The first thing that happens is, one, they call it and, two, it’s there in the press. Okay, you call it, but you don’t have to put it in front of the world’s cameras. We have done everything possible to protect it. We had a plan with him throughout the season and it worked really well. This is where it feels like home. ‘
When asked if the FA should take a closer look at how they handle young players, Solskjaer added: ‘One hundred percent. I’m not saying that (the hotel incident) is their fault.
Solskjaer claimed the 18-year-old should have been out of the spotlight due to his age
“I’m saying that sometimes you have to take a step back and look at what is best for the players and I tried.
“Of course, he has made some mistakes, but it is us adults who have to make decisions that benefit him.”
Solskjaer’s comments were met with surprise and anger at the FA. Sources say the question of leaving Greenwood out was discussed as part of the regular dialogue between the club and the country about a player’s well-being, but they saw no problem in having him on the team.
The teenager was sent home from England due to embarrassment after he and Phil Foden broke strict coronavirus protocols to invite Icelandic girls to their hotel after their senior debut.
They also claimed that United was informed courtesy of the intention to put Greenwood in for an interview and no objections were raised at the time, while the FA is shocked that Solskjaer does not have Southgate’s number.
The England manager is also unhappy at the allegations, particularly after he struggled to defend United captain Harry Maguire following his arrest in Mykonos last month.
Southgate picked Maguire to his squad for the games against Iceland and Denmark on the day of his trial in Greece because he wanted to show his support, before being forced to leave the player when he was found guilty.
Maguire’s conviction was later overturned pending a new trial.
