Olympique Marseille boss, Roberto de Zerbi, has given reasons for dropping forward, Mason Greenwood, from the starting line-up in their Ligue 1 fixture against RC Lens.
The former Manchester United ace was a surprise omission from the Marseille XI in their defeat to Lens, with the coaching staff reportedly unimpressed with his recent attitude and below-par work rate.
Although he did come off the bench at half-time during the 1-0 defeat, his omission from the starting XI raised eyebrows, with reports claiming there has been some frustration towards the former United academy graduate’s recent efforts.
According to RMC Sport, there has been rising tensions within the Marseille coaching team regarding Greenwood’s nonchalance, attitude and lack of effort behind the scenes, while hinting that the decision to bench him was to motivate him to elevate his performance levels.
De Zerbi recently voiced his expectations of Greenwood last week. He said: “I wanted him here, I said it over and over again. He was the first player I contacted, even before I signed for OM. I had already spoken to his father. No one can have more respect for him than I do. But that doesn’t change anything: I expect more from him.”
The former Brighton boss added, “He has to do more, because what he is currently showing is not enough. If he wants to achieve his ambition of becoming a champion, he has to be more consistent, sacrifice more and be more determined.”
Greenwood is the second-highest scorer in Ligue 1 this term, having registered 16 goals so far.