Rio Ferdinand has criticised Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s decision to play Anthony Martial ahead of Mason Greenwood as the main striker in the draw with Southampton.
Greenwood impressed as the spearhead of Manchester United’s attack in the 5-1 win over Leeds United during the opening weekend of the new Premier League campaign.
But for United’s trip to St Mary’s, Solskjaer chose to play Solskjaer on the right wing and deployed Martial in the central role.
But, United registered a disjointed performance and dropped their first points of the season as they could only secure a 1-1 draw against Southampton.
Greenwood scored United’s equaliser but Ferdinand was unhappy with Solskjaer’s decision to change his position.
‘Mason Greenwood has been arguably our best player since we came back, in one of the pre-season games I saw and the two games in the league,’ Ferdinand said on Vibe with FIVE.
‘The guy has just come back stronger, fitter, better. Coming back growing into a man from a boy – so why shift him from centre forward to out wide to bring Anthony Martial in?
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‘I don’t understand it. He’s a goal-getter, if Cavani’s not fit put Greenwood as a No.9. I think he’s good enough to do that. ‘To play him out wide again… that was the one baffling one for me.’
Speaking about his decision to return Greenwood back on the right flank, Solskjaer said: ‘We wanted to get Antho going, to have call it two more forwards, Anthony to drift into the left and Mason coming inside from the right.
‘Mason scores a very good goal, he didn’t have one of his best days, but he still contributes.
‘When Jadon came on, I thought he looked really sharp for the first 10 or 15 mins, but then the whole team fell away, and in the last 15 mins we didn’t play particularly well.’
