Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood is going through a rough patch right now.
His summer escapades with Phil Foden while on international duty made front pages news and he was also affected by the passing of former Manchester City youngster Jeremy Wisten last month.
Greenwood was electrifying last season but it’s not happening for him so far in 2020/21, the 19-year-old scoring just two goals so far.
More worrying are reports that Man United are growing concerned with Greenwood’s attitude and lifestyle. The Daily Mail claim the club are afraid he’s not getting enough sleep.
That was followed by a report in The Times that Bruno Fernandes ripped into Greenwood when he refused to run for a pass during a recent training session.
Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend urged the young Man United attacker to see a sports psychologist to help him get through his problems.
“He needs players around him like Harry Maguire, experienced players who have been through it, to put their arm around him,” Townsend said on talkSPORT, per the Daily Mail.
“He needs his manager to stay by his side, which I know Ole probably will.
“He needs family and good friends around him, and the other thing is he needs to see a sports psychologist.
“Somebody who has spoken to other players in his position and who knows what's going on from the outside to help him through it.”
It looks like Greenwood has used social media to explain what he’s going through by liking an Instagram post urging the media and fans to leave him alone as he comes to terms with Wisten’s passing.
The post reads: “‘Greenwood looks tired’ ‘Greenwood isn’t trying hard enough’ ‘Greenwood needs to fix up’.
“Mason Greenwood has just lost a close friend to suicide and has been endlessly attacked and abused by football fans and the media for months now, leave the kid alone.”
Greenwood ‘liking’ the post suggests he’s keen for fans and the media to lay off him for a while.
He's just 19 years old and has been catapulted into a world where his every move is scrutinised.
But it’s saddening to think that even at this time, with everything he’s going through, he's still being targeted with unfair abuse.