Manchester United were due to make a decision over Mason Greenwood’s future before the start of the Premier League season.
At the time of writing, that deadline is seven hours away, or seven hours and three days if you were to consider The Red Devils’ clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers to be the true start oof the campaign.
Whichever way you slice it, however, the result is the same, according to Jamie Jackson of The Guardian. That is because Man United have decided to kick the can down the road once more.
Worse still is the excuse for doing so. According to Jackson, the club are pointing to the participation of five of their female players in the latter stages of the Women’s World Cup.
Mary Earps, Ella Toone and Katie Zelem of England will be part of tomorrow’s action in the Quarter finals.
The line is that United want these players to be part of the decision-making process that will determine the ultimate outcome regarding Mason Greenwood’s future.
But it certainly leaves a sour taste in the mouth the blame members of the Women’s team for delays over resolving their investigation into a man whose past actions will see a banner with the following text unfurled on Monday:
“Female Fans Demand No Greenwood Return – End Violence Against Women.”
Following his arrest in January 2022 for charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, the club have supposedly been conducting an internal investigation into the matter.
While it is fair enough for the club executives to favour “making the correct decision” over an “arbitrary deadline,” the suggestion that there was no opportunity to consult the women’s team between February – when charges were dropped – and late July, when the World Cup began, is ludicrous.
If the club executives did not think to approach the women’s team during that five-month period, it seems highly unlikely that they will afford much weight to their opinions either.
It appears an utterly classless move from the club, and one that will win them little love from its own fanbase.