Picking your most productive striker for criticism ahead of a crucial Champions League match is not the most conventional strategy, but Roberto De Zerbi has rarely been accused of a mundane approach to management.
The head coach of Olympique de Marseille was not one to keep quiet in the face of perceived shortcomings, both his own and those of his players. He took a swipe at Mason Greenwood in a scathing assessment of his side’s 1-0 defeat in Lille on Friday.
“We played poorly and deserved to lose,” said De Zerbi, whose team faced Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise at the Stade Joseph Marien on Tuesday evening. “We didn’t string three passes together. We lost every second ball. Even with dribbling we couldn’t beat anyone.”
Roberto De Zerbi: ‘Mason Greenwood needs to shoot more’
“Defensively we were never as aggressive as usual. We were passive from the first to the last minute. One shot on goal for a player like Greenwood is not enough for him. Shooting so little is not enough.”
It is not the first time that De Zerbi has targeted the former Manchester United striker, who scored 21 goals in 34 appearances after moving to the Stade Vélodrome in July last year and has continued in similar vein this season, with 11 goals from 19 games.
Despite Greenwood’s impressive return to the Ligue 1 side, De Zerbi has consistently challenged the striker to develop his game, especially when it comes to his work off the ball. At the same time, he has also praised the 24-year-old as “a player of an extraordinary level”.
‘He helps me understand football’
For his part, Greenwood is grateful for the Italian’s flattery. “He helps me understand football a lot better, he helps me get better every day,” Greenwood said recently.
But while De Zerbi has helped the forward to flourish on the pitch despite Greenwood’s well-documented problems off it, striking a balance between carrot and stick is no easy task given the player’s importance to the team.
Opta stats show that the forward ranks first among his teammates in expected goals (8.03), total shots (48) and expected assists (3.06) this season. Greenwood’s effectiveness is clearly reflected in his actual marks for each of these categories, which are 11, 44 and four respectively, suggesting he is performing above expectations. This was evident from Greenwood’s excellent performance against Newcastle last month.
It means De Zerbi will have to act judiciously as he tries to keep Marseille’s bid for a place in the knockout stages of the play-offs on track. The club currently sit 21st in the league stage standings, four places ahead of Union Saint-Gilloise, who could surpass them with a win.
With everything to play for, Marseille need Greenwood at his best.
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