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Mason Greenwood | Please be respectful and stay on topic

Dan_F

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In the States they're WAY more forgiving. A big Pittsburgh sports personality (Ben Roethlisberger) was accused of rape in a casino in 2008. It never did a thing to his career and he will be a first ballet Hall of Hamer and his number retired and yadda yadda. Hell, Kobe Bryant was accused of rape. Nothing happened. A player I saw frequently, named Pacman Jones, beat several partners, beat strippers, caused a near riot in a strip club with multiple people being shot point blank..and he now is a member of one of, if not the most successful sports programs in America that just got picked up by ESPN and will make millions. Michael Jordan had a severe gambling issue and has been accused of beating his then wife. Ray Lewis stabbed and murdered a man in Miami years ago. Plaxico Burress caught the Super Bowl winning touchdown then shot himself in the leg with an illegal firearm in a strip club afterwards. Adrian Peterson proudly stated he still beats his children with a switch a few years ago. Michael Irvine CUT A TEAMMATES THROAT during team haircut session and he's in the Hall of Fame and is all over American sports TV during the NFL season. Michael Vick operated a dog fighting ring and euthanized many dogs on his property. After a short prison sentence he returned to the NFL and made millions and got many more sponsorships. Lawrence Taylor got arrested just about every single off-season for drugs and beating prostitutes but he got to finish his Hall of Fame career on his terms in New York. There's so, so, so many instances of this that it's news for about 4 hours and Americans just forget about it.

It's way more uncommon for a squeaky clean athlete to thrive in America. It's almost part of their redemption story. Americans love a second chance story.
I have no doubt that America is more accepting of this stuff, but those examples, from what I know, are all at least a decade old. A lot has changed socially in that time.

You do have a very similar example to the Kobe one with Ronaldo and you can see how that went. Unfortunately the level of superstar makes a difference.
 

BluesJr

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Disagree but that's just my opinion. He was an elite talent, Garnacho is not on his level unfortunately.
Much more potential in Garnacho because he has better speed and acceleration. Key attributes in forwards, more so than ever.
 

RoadTrip

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Stating he’s innocent from the investigation makes no sense. Because, if you were always going to release him innocent or guilty, then the investigation was pointless in the first place. Obviously the only logical conclusion is that the decision has been revisited and changed due to public reaction.

Im happy with the outcome but it once again shows the ineptitude of those running the club.
 

Yorke to Cole

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Cant stand that idiot Carl Anka either. They asked him his initial thoughts about the Athletic piece when it broke the other day and he said something about just donating to a womens charity. Fair enough but the way and place he said it was like "Look at me and how good a person I am"
I heard that podcast and Berbaclass mate and it made me feel sick. Donating fair enough, but do it because you actually be,ie e in the cause. I do not want to come across as self righteous, but I have donated to various charities post pandemic and cost of living crisis. But in doing g so, I researched certain causes. I have looked into statistics and how a certain quantity of money would help with a certain project.
 

clarkydaz

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It’s a well worked PR strategy to leak a story and guage reaction before making a final decision.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the original decision was leaked purposefully to The Athletic to get an idea of how people would respond.
The leaks do not paint the club in a good light, infact it sent a tailspin of uproar how they were conducting things. Staff threatening to walk, charities labelled hostile etc
 

Carolina Red

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The wording of each of the statements is interesting and quite instructive in their own ways. They read, naturally enough, like the 5th or 6th draft worked on by several teams of lawyers. I've added bits in bold which stood out to me.
Great post here
 

TsuWave

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Carl Anka is good people’s in my book. The vitriol some caf posters have for specific journos is weird.
 

pocco

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The Athletic said the following:

“They debated whether to loan out or sell Greenwood, or attempt to cut ties with the 21-year-old altogether — though this would present legal challenges given the club do not consider, following the findings of an internal investigation, that they have grounds to terminate his contract.

https://theathletic.com/4790552/2023/08/21/greenwood-man-united-u-turn/?source=user_shared_article
Also says the club isn't ruling out a return in the future following a loan.

And that his girlfriend didn't attend an interview with the club but her mum did.
 

Tiber

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They let their UK based stooges line up to take the blame, but the Glazers were all over the attempt to bring him back. Can't sign a 3rd choice keeper without their approval nevermind bring someone like Greenwood back
 

Yorke to Cole

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I am not struck on Anka. He was a big advocate for Anthony Elanga, I don't know if that is reflection on his football knowledge as a whole?
 

Bastian

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Every media and pundit willed this to end, as well as informal surveys of supporters and whatnot. I can't think of any group that actually wanted him to somehow be given another chance here. I'm not sure this is the right decision, not least for the new family having to uproot (they'd likely want to take their parents with them, and that's logistically and financially quite difficult) but I do hope things turn out well for them and especially their newborn.
 

al tuna

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I have no doubt that America is more accepting of this stuff, but those examples, from what I know, are all at least a decade old. A lot has changed socially in that time.

You do have a very similar example to the Kobe one with Ronaldo and you can see how that went. Unfortunately the level of superstar makes a difference.
Being a Pittsburgh guy, I'm sort of hardwired to hate anything Baltimore related, but I find it disgusting that the Ravens still welcome Ray Rice to their practices and training camps.

Actually thinking about this, Greenwood and Rice share a lot of similar particulars.

Rice punched his then fiancé (they are now 'happily' married with two children...sound like Mason and his lady a bit?) in the face and dragged her out of an elevator, all captured on CCTV. The Ravens immediately cut him the next day. I believe that was 2014. Young, promising player, like Greenwood, striking his partner with clear proof. Yet both females never left, and now Mason's partner is having his child, just like with Ray Rice. But Baltimore allows him to come back to the facility and he voluntarily coaches during their offseason programs and practices.

Can't imagine what would happen if Mason rocked up a decade from now and was coaching players during the preseason.
 

redshaw

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But why pay off his contract when they could let him go for gross misconduct…?

Seems very odd to purposely and actively go out of their way to declare him innocent, when they simply could’ve stated that after conducting their investigation Utd have decided to part ways with the player.

Whole thing is just utterly bizarre, and reads like they spent 6 months investigating it, found him to be innocent (which they’ve stated), tried to bring him back and then back tracked because Adam Crafter and Rachel Riley kicked off about it.

It’s very difficult to see it as anything other than that whether you wanted him gone or back at Utd.
Saying it publicly in detail like they've done allows him and family an easier passage out for a second chance elsewhere. The spotlight is too much here but there's enough recourse in the statement for another club somewhere to take MG on and take into consideration their sponsors, profile and fan reactions to links.
 

KikiDaKats

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Important not to conflate these two things, as they're very different.

The club have said they believe he didn't commit the crime. All the CPS said was that there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.

You could disbelieve the club (i.e. think Greenwood is guilty) without in any way doubting the CPS (i.e. agree that without witness co-operation a conviction was unlikely to happen and there was little point proceeding).
I’m referencing the extremes. Also how disproportionate reactions has been throughout this saga, dependent on camp.
 

TsuWave

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Also says the club isn't ruling out a return in the future following a loan.

And that his girlfriend didn't attend an interview with the club but her mum did.
“In the end, the club confirmed on Monday that they would work with the player to continue his career elsewhere and the club say they do not expect an eventuality where a loan move leads to the player representing United again in the future."

In regards to the girlfriend - it says she chose not to attend but was aware of the process with her parents - namely her mother
 

DRJosh

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Whilst he has been cleared of all charges, there must have been enough informal evidence to suggest that Greenwood should take responsibility for what transpired. Great decision by the club. Disappointing end to his career with us - he always reminded me of RVP in his playing style.
 

11101

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The only reason? I gave you a couple.

You just want to blame everyone but the actual people responsible.
Those things are all assumptions based on the small piece we saw of what we know is a big picture. If there was even the slightest suspicion he had done what he was accused of and just got away with it in the eyes of the law, there is no way the club would have worded the statement the way they did.
 

Battery

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Guilty by public opinion and not the law.

Another guy's life potentially ruined as a result so who is the real victim.
 

pocco

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“In the end, the club confirmed on Monday that they would work with the player to continue his career elsewhere and the club say they do not expect an eventuality where a loan move leads to the player representing United again in the future."

In regards to the girlfriend - it says she chose not to attend but was aware of the process with her parents - namely her mother
Read a but further on and it seems to contradict that. I've closed the article so may have misread, but it suggested he could return.

Wonder why she didn't want to attend?
 

Cassidy

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What do you mean be forced to stand by it

By who?

All they’ve done is helped him to leave the club, saying we don’t know wouldn’t help him.
People will read “we can’t prove he’s innocent” not “we can’t prove he’s guilty”
They never said “we can’t prove hes guilty” but carry on
 

Yorke to Cole

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Like what I read with what Gary Neville just said. Should United have brought in an independent barrister to assist them with the case. That may have helped them create a stronger case for retaining his services or indeed come to a faster conclusion the other way?
 

Rampant Red Rodriguez

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What I want to know is why did the charges get withdrawn in April 2022 but the CPS drop charges in Feb 2023 and why was the delay so substantial so as to let the media frenzy brew up a massive storm and prevent his return to the club. It's utter incompetence from the club management.
 

Dan_F

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Being a Pittsburgh guy, I'm sort of hardwired to hate anything Baltimore related, but I find it disgusting that the Ravens still welcome Ray Rice to their practices and training camps.

Actually thinking about this, Greenwood and Rice share a lot of similar particulars.

Rice punched his then fiancé (they are now 'happily' married with two children...sound like Mason and his lady a bit?) in the face and dragged her out of an elevator, all captured on CCTV. The Ravens immediately cut him the next day. I believe that was 2014. Young, promising player, like Greenwood, striking his partner with clear proof. Yet both females never left, and now Mason's partner is having his child, just like with Ray Rice. But Baltimore allows him to come back to the facility and he voluntarily coaches during their offseason programs and practices.

Can't imagine what would happen if Mason rocked up a decade from now and was coaching players during the preseason.
I guess the argument is that Rice has addressed it a lot and done work for domestic abuse charities.

In all honestly, the attempted rape charge is the difference. I think a lot more people could potentially forgive someone for a one off domestic violence case, but rape is very much an added level to the crime.
 

Wing Attack Plan R

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In the States they're WAY more forgiving. A big Pittsburgh sports personality (Ben Roethlisberger) was accused of rape in a casino in 2008. It never did a thing to his career and he will be a first ballet Hall of Hamer and his number retired and yadda yadda. Hell, Kobe Bryant was accused of rape. Nothing happened. A player I saw frequently, named Pacman Jones, beat several partners, beat strippers, caused a near riot in a strip club with multiple people being shot point blank..and he now is a member of one of, if not the most successful sports programs in America that just got picked up by ESPN and will make millions. Michael Jordan had a severe gambling issue and has been accused of beating his then wife. Ray Lewis stabbed and murdered a man in Miami years ago. Plaxico Burress caught the Super Bowl winning touchdown then shot himself in the leg with an illegal firearm in a strip club afterwards. Adrian Peterson proudly stated he still beats his children with a switch a few years ago. Michael Irvine CUT A TEAMMATES THROAT during team haircut session and he's in the Hall of Fame and is all over American sports TV during the NFL season. Michael Vick operated a dog fighting ring and euthanized many dogs on his property. After a short prison sentence he returned to the NFL and made millions and got many more sponsorships. Lawrence Taylor got arrested just about every single off-season for drugs and beating prostitutes but he got to finish his Hall of Fame career on his terms in New York. There's so, so, so many instances of this that it's news for about 4 hours and Americans just forget about it.

It's way more uncommon for a squeaky clean athlete to thrive in America. It's almost part of their redemption story. Americans love a second chance story.
Some clubs are shitty but not all. Slava Voynov beat up his wife and the Kings (NHL) benched him immediately, reviewed the evidence, then released him. Without him they were a man short and didn’t make the playoffs - but they decided it was worth it to make a stand. The NFL is a cesspool. As for Kobe, I am still shocked he got away with it.
 

TsuWave

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Wonder why she didn't want to attend?
She’s recently given birth and this investigation has lasted what? 5-6 months? I’m assuming she’d have been heavily pregnant - and this is besides the stress caused by the process.

Speculation on my end of course.
 

buchansleftleg

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The Athletic said the following:

“They debated whether to loan out or sell Greenwood, or attempt to cut ties with the 21-year-old altogether — though this would present legal challenges given the club do not consider, following the findings of an internal investigation, that they have grounds to terminate his contract.

https://theathletic.com/4790552/2023/08/21/greenwood-man-united-u-turn/?source=user_shared_article
On a technicality they could have done it under "Frustration of contract".

Namely he won't be able to play because of the potential backlash and negative impact on the club.

It's rarely used but is sometimes used when someone is on remand /fighting a lengthy legal battle. Both sides then agree a settlement amount which is what i suspect happened here.
 

Hackman2210

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I have no doubt that America is more accepting of this stuff, but those examples, from what I know, are all at least a decade old. A lot has changed socially in that time.

You do have a very similar example to the Kobe one with Ronaldo and you can see how that went. Unfortunately the level of superstar makes a difference.
Deshawn Watson would beg to differ......
 

Ricardo de la Vega

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Much more potential in Garnacho because he has better speed and acceleration. Key attributes in forwards, more so than ever.
On a football level (rare in this thread) I disagree; Greenwood was a generational talent. Im not 100% sure Garnacho will be that elite level player. He is very talented and I really like him, and maybe I'm wrong, but I felt Greenwood was really a different level.