Solskjaer Hits Out at Oriol Romeu’s Shocking Tackle on Mason Greenwood

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he is thankful for Mason Greenwood’s strong ankles after the Manchester United starlet was on the receiving end of an appalling tackle during their draw with Southampton.

United blew their chance to climb to third in the Premier League as the Saints hit back late on to seal a 2-2 tie at Old Trafford.

And they were fortunate they didn’t suffer another serious blow in an injury to in-form Greenwood when he was scythed down by Oriol Romeu in the first half.

Somehow, the Southampton midfielder’s reckless challenge went unpunished, even after a VAR review, after he flew in on the Man United youngster and stamped down on his ankle with his studs, leaving Greenwood on the floor.

Solskjaer says the 18-year-old striker is lucky he didn’t suffer a serious injury, and that it was the kind of challenge that would have had any other player, him included, on the sidelines for a month.

Fortunately for him, though, Greenwood is obviously a tough cookie.

“My ankle would have been gone and I would be out for a month, but he has got strong ankles,” said Solskjaer after the game,

“It’s up to the referees to make the decisions and I don’t think anyone would be surprised if it would’ve been a different outcome.

“I mentioned it to the fourth official, to be fair, just subtly.”

Solskjaer’s side need to quickly dust themselves down with a trip to Crystal Palace coming up on Thursday before they return to the capital for Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea.

Luke Shaw is a doubt for those games after being forced off with an ankle complaint, while United ended the match a man down after his replacement Brandon Williams was also involved in a nasty-looking clash of heads.

And Solskjaer hopes his players have learned a ‘hard lesson’ after they were thwarted by Saints substitute Michael Obafemi’s late strike.

“Well, we have been on a great run,” the United boss said.

“It’s not going to be like turning up and being given three points. They’re going be tough games, the next three as well.

“We didn’t expect anything else than what we got here today from Southampton. We knew they were going to be positive, they were going to go for it.

“It was a good game of football that unfortunately ended in a conceded goal at the end for us.

“I have to say the mentality of the boys has been brilliant. We’ve had a few setbacks over the season, of course, and this is another challenge for us.

“I am very confident in the mentality of them. Very disappointed, of course, but we have to take the disappointments as well as the positives when you win games.

“Conceding with one of the last kicks and lose two points, that’s just part of football.

“We’ve learned a hard lesson today hopefully, so we’ll make it right, we’ll put it right. I trust the boys in that respect.”

 

 

 

FROM  talksport.com/football/732033/solskjaer-romeu-greenwood-tackle-man-united-southampton