- Greenwood has made a positive start in Marseille under De Zerbi
- However, he was substituted at half-time of Sunday afternoon’s 3-0 defeat.
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Mason Greenwood has been criticized by his Marseille coach after his performance against Paris Saint Germain.
Greenwood has enjoyed a successful start in France after leaving Manchester United, apparently settling for his loan spell in Spain with Getafe last season.
It was decided that he would leave Old Trafford after being arrested in January 2022 before being charged with attempted rape, assault and controlling and coercive behaviour, although the charges were dropped.
Greenwood, who is expecting his second child with partner Harriet Robson, lined up from the start in the much-anticipated clash at the top of the division but only made it to half-time until boss Roberto De Zerbi took him off.
The former Brighton coach explained after the game why he took the former Red Devil off the field, without hesitating in his explanation.
Mason Greenwood (pictured) has been criticized by his manager Roberto De Zerbi
De Zerbi harshly criticized Greenwood for his performance after taking him off at half-time against PSG
The striker started the game but was taken off at half-time when his team was already losing 3-0.
“Because I didn’t like the way he played,” explained the Italian. ‘If we want to compete for the title we have to make an effort in every game.
“I think he was having a bad day. He gave us a lot of goals and points, but when you are at OM, if you want to fight for the championship, you have to work hard in every game.
“You cannot say that you are having a good game by scoring two goals and then going through a bad streak in the next game. It is not possible. He is a good player but I expected more from him tonight. But not only from him. I always expect more generally.”
Marseille faced off from the opening moments of the match as Joao Neves scored the first goal before Amine Harit received a straight red card for a foul on Marquinhos.
Leonardo Balerdi scored an own goal before the half-hour mark and Bradley Barcola scored the third before the break, putting the match out of reach for the 10-man hosts.
Greenwood was brought on at half-time, being replaced by fellow Englishman Jonathan Rowe, while striker Elye Wahi was also substituted, with Ismael Kone taking his place.
The match ended 3-0 and PSG extended their lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table, and are now three points ahead of Monaco in second and six ahead of Marseille in third.
Meanwhile, Greenwood has scored six goals in his first nine games for Marseille as he thrives at his new club. He is believed to be earning around £70,000 a week in Marseille after his exile in England.
The Crown Prosecution Service withdrew charges against Greenwood following the “withdrawal of key witnesses and the coming to light of new material”.
Last month, Pablo Longoria, president of Marseille, stated that coach Roberto De Zerbi’s desire was to sign Greenwood.
The Italian expressed his desire to incorporate the striker during his first conversation with the board after being appointed coach in June.
Greenwood joined the French team in the summer after leaving boyhood club Man United.
He has scored six goals in his first nine games for the club and is believed to earn around £70,000-a-week.
Greenwood had been looking for a new club after it was decided he would leave Manchester United, where he had spent years as an academy prospect before graduating to the first team.
He made 129 appearances for United, scoring 35 goals before joining Marseille for £30million in the summer.
The former England international had not played for Man United since January 2022 and spent last season on loan at Getafe, scoring 10 goals and registering six assists on his way to being named the club’s player of the season.
His potential move to France sparked a backlash from livid Marseille fans, who launched a #GreenwoodNotWelcome campaign when he was initially linked with the club.