Angels or demons: Manchester United's dilemma in the issue of Mason Greenwood - voila! sport

Summary: Manchester United - Crystal Palace 1:2 (Sport1)

Manchester United would have preferred Mason Greenwood to be convicted - and that is clear as day.

When the promising striker was accused of raping and assaulting his partner in January 2022, the club ensured his immediate suspension from activity, continued to pay his salary and waited for the results of the legal process.

If Greenwood had been sent to prison, the continuation would have been very simple - the contract could have been canceled and the affair forgotten.

The crime he committed would have cut short a career that promised a lot, but the club itself was not required to get dirty.

After all, he has no minimal responsibility for what Greenwood did in his free time, and all that is required is to renounce his actions and find suitable replacements for him on the staff.

However, the business developed in a completely different way, and now the Red Devils are faced with a dilemma in which all options look bad.

Last Thursday, the prosecutor's office announced that all charges against Greenwood were dropped immediately.

The move was justified by the decision of key witnesses not to testify in the case, and by some new information that was revealed - a combination that, according to the experts, would have made it difficult to convict the striker in a court of law.

Thus, he was not even acquitted, but was declared innocent from the beginning.

However, this is mainly about the prosecution's handlessness on the one hand, and putting massive pressure on the witnesses on the part of Greenwood on the other hand.

In this context, there were many claims that he violated the restrictive conditions under which he was released from prison during the past year.

The recordings in which he physically threatened his partner, and the photos she published a year ago while she was bleeding after an assault, remain in their minds.

Greenwood's image was, therefore, irreparably damaged - even if from a legal point of view it is not possible to prove that he is a criminal and bring about the appropriate punishment.

Thus the responsibility for the continuation of his career in football was returned directly to Manchester United itself.

Instead of enjoying the fruits of the labor of others, the club will now be required to do the job themselves, and then come to a decision about Greenwood's future at the club.

During last year, the Red Devils avoided conducting independent tests, and rightly so.

Now they will be forced to do so under less favorable conditions, hoping that the witnesses who refused to cooperate with the police and the prosecution will do so when it comes to a civil proceeding on behalf of a football club.

This is not guaranteed, of course, because even in this context, Greenwood may exert - as a free person without movement restrictions - enormous pressure on his ex-partner and other parties in order to prevent them from revealing the truth.

All options are bad.

Greenwood leaves court last November (Photo: GettyImages, Cameron Smith)

The considerations for and against keeping Greenwood in the group are quite clear.

Those who believe that he should be forgiven for everything can argue that he is legally entitled, and therefore there is no reason to punish him because the club has no powers to decide fates in the criminal field.

This is a young player with a very high value in the market, estimated at at least 60 million pounds as of the moment the affair broke a year ago. In the ranking of the most talented young people in the world published at the end of 2021, Greenwood was ranked fifth after Pedri, Jude Bellingham, Jamal Musiale and Nuno Mendesh, who in the meantime have continued to develop - and the first three at least are defined as superstars. Greenwood has the potential to reach a similar level. He is a graduate of the club who joined the academy at the age of 6, is very identified with him and is also a devoted fan. If you sweep the affair under the carpet and support him, there is a chance that he will indeed materialize A significant part of the promise and will become one of the leaders of the team in the sporting aspect.

On the other hand, those who declare that Greenwood's path at the club should be ended believe that morality is more important than money and results on the field, and the damage to the image simply cannot be measured in financial terms.

Despite the cancellation of the charges, it is completely clear to the public that the striker attacked and raped his partner, even if it cannot be proven on the criminal level.

The club has the authority to act according to its moral standards, and to decide that the offense committed by Greenwood justifies his dismissal and the cancellation of his contract, which was valid until the summer of 2025.

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The brother does not know him, and the opinion of the Manchester United players is also important (Photo: Reuters)

Manchester United will find it difficult to avoid damaging their image if they continue to employ a player about whom there is a negative consensus.

Here one must take into account the many sponsors who may leave the group in order not to see Greenwood identified with them.

It is likely that the players in the women's team of the club, and the fans in general whose opinion is very important, will have something to say on the issue if it is decided to forgive Greenwood for the offense.

In addition, the Glazer family is currently planning to sell Manchester United, so they are doubly afraid of a possible damage to the value of the club.

The image damage may be higher than the cost of releasing the player, however talented he may be.

It is very important to take into account the opinion of the players themselves.

Currently, Manchester United has formed a squad that is gradually starting to reach its potential with coach Erik ten Haag, who arrived in the summer and does not know Greenwood at all.

The striker was groomed at the time by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and played a few games at the start of Ralf Rangnick's tenure, but both are history.

His entrance into the dressing room, where Marcus Rashford is starting to flourish and the Brazilian Anthony, Anthony Martial, Jadon Sancho who should come back to himself someday, and Alejandro Granacho - the wonder boy who receives a lot of credit from the Dutch boss and may become the next big thing are also present.

Professionally, a player of Greenwood's caliber wouldn't hurt here, although his fitness is unclear after more than a year away from the pitch, but his return could certainly upset the delicate balance created in the dressing room.

It is likely that not all players will look favorably on the return of the criminal, and Greenwood's own behavior is completely unexpected.

In the event that it is decided to cancel his contract due to a violation on his part, the possibility that the player will sue Manchester United must be taken into account.

He may not want to do this in order not to keep the affair on the public agenda for a long time, but even here his conduct is unpredictable.

In order to avoid legal complications, there is also the option of continuing to pay his salary as the club has done so far, without returning him to the roster - and keeping him on a suspended standard.

During this time, there is also the possibility of selling him to another group, but trying to make a profit on a criminal could also be seen as a morally wrong move.

If Greenwood is kicked out of the club at the end of the internal review, he may sign as a free agent at another club and excel there.

He will not have any limitations and is able to choose one of Manchester United's direct and most prominent rivals - provided that one of them wants to take him in, considering all the disadvantages and advantages of the move.

Theoretically, he could go to Manchester City or Liverpool, excel and march them to titles - and this scenario is not imaginary.

If this happens, and the public would prefer to forget the actions of the star in the long run, Manchester United is expected to receive criticism from the other direction as well.

In a few years, when "the winds have calmed down," her choice to oust Greenwood may be viewed in a different light.

What will be right in their eyes?

Manchester United fans (Photo: GettyImages, Michael Regan)

In addition, you should also take into account the Cristiano Ronaldo case.

The Portuguese's contract was canceled following a scandalous interview he gave to Piers Morgan in which he harshly criticized the club.

If this is grounds for a player's dismissal, it will not be easy to explain why rape and assault are less serious.

When looking at the issue from this angle, it is possible that Manchester United has no choice but to give up Greenwood - otherwise it will be accused of a complete lack of moral values.

Either way, the management really didn't want to get to this moment.

Everyone, except for Greenwood's closest friends, would have preferred to see him behind bars after what he did.

The new reality drags the club into an arena where it does not want to be, but it will be required to investigate and reach its own conclusions.

The most likely outcome will be Greenwood's dismissal, but it's still too early to predict that definitively.

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• Manchester United

• Mason Greenwood