With eight minutes plus stoppage time remaining and Manchester United still searching for a winner against West Ham, some jeers could be heard when Mason Greenwood’s number flashed up. It was not the first time that Old Trafford has registered its displeasure with Greenwood’s removal recently. The same happened in the defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers. This time was different, though. It was not so much about the player coming off as the one coming on.
Anthony Martial had not played a single minute under Ralf Rangnick at that point. A week earlier, he had been absent from the match day squad at Aston Villa. Rangnick suggested that he had refused the opportunity to be included, a claim Martial denied. The contradiction was put down to a misunderstanding. The two cleared the air the following day, but Rangnick did not exactly retract his allegation when given the chance. “I nominated him before the game and he was not part of the group,” he said. “You can draw your own conclusions.”
