Roberto De Zerbi 'annoyed' by Mason Greenwood as Marseille boss airs frustrations
Mason Greenwood has impressed since joining Marseille from Manchester United over the summer but manager Roberto De Zerbi has still found room for improvement for the forward
Marseille manager Roberto De Zerbi has seen Mason Greenwood hit the ground running in France, but the manager remains annoyed by the forward's corners.
Greenwood joined Marseille over the summer after impressing last season on loan at Getafe. The forward has scored 13 goals in Ligue 1, and 14 in all competitions, with L'OM second in the table behind Paris Saint-Germain.
De Zerbi's team have won their last two league games, with Greenwood on target in a 3-2 victory over Lyon. Adrien Rabiot and Neal Maupay were the scorers last time out, with Angers the opponents.
Next up for the high-flyers is a league game against Saint-Etienne. Greenwood was among the scorers in a Coupe de France win against the same opponents in December, but the manager has fired a warning.
READ MORE: Mason Greenwood bans one topic during first sit-down interview since Man Utd exitREAD MORE: Steve McClaren's comments on Mason Greenwood speak volumes after ditching England plans"Greenwood is not a specialist on corners," De Zerbi said, as reported by the MEN. "He could become one, but he is focused on the goal. When he goes to take a corner, he goes a bit like... And that annoys me."
De Zerbi had more praise for ex-Arsenal midfielder Ismael Bennacer, who made his debut against Angers after joining on loan from AC Milan. "I'm very happy with what Bennacer did. It was as if he'd been playing with us for two or three years, even though it's only been three days. That's really good," the boss said.
"[Amine] Gouiri also had a very good game. He's a very strong player and even he doesn't realise his potential. He's a complete player. We mustn't forget [Amir] Dedić too. He came on very well. Apart from these individual performances, it was really a great match from the whole team in terms of patience, control, the fact that they never got discouraged and never rushed as well."
Greenwood has not played in England since being charged with attempted rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and controlling and coercive behaviour in 2022. The forward denied the charges, which were all dropped the following year, and is said to have insisted on discussing professional matters only when recently giving a rare interview to Telefoot.
"Stay here for many years? Of course," he said when asked in the interview about remaining at Marseille. "It's something I'd like to do, I want to win trophies here and play in the Champions League. It's a big ambition to be here, so yes. I had goosebumps during my first match at the Velodrome. It's exceptional.
The 23-year-old won one senior cap for England, back in 2020, when he was still a United player. However, he is now in the process of switching allegiances to Jamaica.
"I’ve heard a lot of publicity about and always around Mason Greenwood,” Jamaica boss and former United coach Steve McClaren told media in 2024. “I am constantly in touch with Mason, the message is always the same, ‘when the time is right'.
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