'Very angry' - Roberto De Zerbi rages at 'insufficient' Mason Greenwood and Marseille stars after defeat to Lille

After enjoying a fine debut campaign in Ligue 1 in the 2024-25 season, where he scored 21 league goals in 34 matches, Greenwood has picked up from where he left off in the current campaign. The forward has already scored 10 Ligue 1 goals in 14 appearances and provided three assists.

The clash against Lille, however, proved to be a rare off day for the ex-United winger. Marseille players hardly turned up in the match and looked scrappy as Ethan Mbappe's 10th-minute goal was enough to secure three points for Lille. Marseille wasted an opportunity to go above reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain as they now sit third in the Ligue 1 table behind Lens and PSG.

De Zerbi was understandably furious with his team's lacklustre performance as he told reporters after the match: "We played badly and we deserved to lose. We didn't string three passes together. We lost every second ball. Even with dribbling, we couldn't beat anyone. Defensively, we were never as aggressive as we usually are. We were passive from the first minute to the last. One shot on target for a player like Greenwood isn't enough for him. Shooting so infrequently isn't sufficient."

He added: "Yes, it's true, I'm very angry, I didn't expect us to play like that. Bad, bad. I take it personally, but everyone has to take it personally. When you play for OM, you can't play like that. I have no other explanation."

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Greenwood, who was banished from United in 2023, has thrived in France with Marseille and established himself as a key piece for De Zerbi.

The 24-year-old recently credited his manager De Zerbi for hepling him shine in France, as he told Telefoot: "I’m in a really good place thanks to the coach and my teammates. I feel good and I hope to improve, to win more awards this season. Roberto De Zerbi? He’s the brains of the team, the architect of our game. He helps me understand football much better, he helps me improve every day."

After reviving his career in Ligue 1, Greenwood is reportedly considering a return to the England national team, despite being blacklisted by the FA and manager Tuchel, according to the Daily Mail. 

Former Watford forward Troy Deeney has also backed the ex-Red Devils star to make his return to the Three Lions side as he wrote in The Sun: "Football cannot be a place where people are written off after mistakes, alleged or not, in their younger years. This is not to dismiss the seriousness of those allegations. Greenwood will live with them forever. In truth, he does not owe an explanation to football supporters. It is his friends and family he must prove himself to. But, if he wants an England return, he must address it in public – prove he is worthy of wearing the England shirt, show he can be trusted. Rebuilding trust is the only way this can ever happen and it is an incredibly hard thing to achieve. It would be taxing on Greenwood himself having to face such justified scrutiny. If Greenwood can face that and come through it. He deserves a second chance with England. If there were to be no way back whatsoever, the game is setting a dangerous precedent. Sending a message that any mistake in your personal life rules you out for good."