The Mason Mount conundrum
What is his purpose?
Mount is a top player and was Chelsea’s best before moving to Old Trafford. He won their POTY twice and was influential in them winning the Champions League 2 years ago. There is reason to see why Erik ten Hag would want him at United.
This is no sleight to the midfielder. In fact, it’s kind of the opposite.
If anything, this is more on the manager. Erik ten Hag is the one who desperately wanted him as a priority signing and spent £55m on him. It’s up to Erik to put Mount in the team and deploy him in such a way so as to make him work in our side.
So far, there has been no evidence to suggest that. Yes, Mount hasn’t really lit it up in terms of his performances (nor has anyone else to be fair to him) but can one truly distinguish what his role in the team is?
I’m seriously struggling here 🤔.
The Conundrum
When we were linked to him towards the end of last season, it was a bit confusing then. Now that we have him, it’s a down right enigma.
Mason’s best position is quite high up the field as a CAM. Given his attributes and abilities, he suits that role perfectly. However, so does Bruno Fernandes. Even Christian Eriksen is more a number 10 than a number 8.
This all makes the Mount signing even more perplexing.
Before the transfer window opened, when looking at what ten Hag’s team needed, another forward-thinking midfielder was probably low on the list, if on the list at all.
Striker was number one, followed by a more defensive-minded midfielder (i.e. proper number 8), a defender and new goalkeeper. A player such as Mount is one more of a cherry on top of the cake signing.
He never really fit what was/is needed.
He and Bruno both prefer to play higher up the field occupying that number 10 spot. This means that Casemiro is left all on his lonesome deeper in midfield and as we’ve seen, he gets overrun quite comfortably by oppositions.
He needs help.
Best Position
Either Erik is telling Mount and Bruno to play higher and leave Casemiro on his own (which makes no sense) or they’re not listening to what the manager is telling them (which is even worse).
We need some defensive cover from our number 8s. Too bad we don’t have one.
Erik ten Hag said last week that Eriksen hadn’t played that deeper role before and was more of a number 10 prior to joining United. ten Hag also said that it took the Dane some time to adapt to that new role and will be the same for Mount.
“First time in his life he played in a deeper role and that was the ambition from Christian and then also the ambition from Mason. […] It will not come overnight.” — Erik ten Hag (via Stretty News)
But we don’t have that time anymore. Erik doesn’t have that time anymore. The first season always gives the new manager leeway as he is still getting to grips with everything. Second season is where the true judgement comes in.
He should’ve been able to assess his squad and see what was needed and what wasn’t over the past year as well as during pre-season. The fact that he prioritized another attacking midfielder is really puzzling.
Formation Change?
ten Hag seems adamant on playing Mount (and kind of has to given he was a priority signing and he cost £55m) and Bruno. We saw in that Spurs defeat that the manager was willing to push one of them (Bruno) out to the wing to accommodate for them both being on the pitch.
While both can play out wide, it is not their specialty. Moving Bruno out of the two made even less sense because he is completely out of the game and we miss out on a lot of what he’s brilliant at. If anyone of them needs to be pushed wide, it should be Mount. He was used to it at Chelsea having done that LW role rather well under Thomas Tuchel.
I do understand that perhaps Erik is looking to change formation from 4–2–3–1 to his preferred Ajax formation of 4–3–3 and would like to play two number 8s with one lying deeper than the other. This will allow him to play both Mount and Bruno to either side of Casemiro, which could work. But so far having all three of those in the side, hasn’t worked.
We would’ve been better off with Fred next to Casemiro instead of Mount in the opening two games tbh. One of Fred’s best ever United games was against Spurs at home last year so…
It all really seems like it’s Mount’s fault even though it’s not. He is just the sort of ‘scapegoat’ for a lot of the things that is wrong in our side. Erik ten Hag has to take a lot of the blame for these sub-par performances from Mount and the team.
Looking at Mount’s first two official games for United, his numbers indicate that he might as well have stayed at home and watched the matches instead.
Against Wolves:
- 0 shots
- 0 big chances created
- 0 through balls
- 17/21 passes completed
- 6 forward passes
- 30 total touches
Against Spurs:
- 0 shots
- 2 chances created
- 0 big chances created
- 1 through ball
- 15/18 passes completed
- 6 forward passes
- 27 total touches
He was also subbed off in both games.
All of these things make ten Hag look all the more silly with this signing, so far.
New Midfielders
On top of it all, we are in the market for a new midfielder. Yes, even with Mount coming in, Erik still wants to sign another midfielder. This profile of player is one more suited to the number 8 role than any of our current crop.
The names Sofyan Amrabat and Ryan Gravenberch (both of whom worked with Erik previously) have been mentioned as potential signings.
If they were to come in at United, where would this leave Mason?
Casemiro has to play. He’s one of our most important players and our only CDM. The new signing will be next to Casemrio as that is their position and where we are weakest in midfield so the only other best option for Mount is the CAM spot.
But that belongs to Bruno. He is our best No 10, he’s our most creative player and he is now our captain. He can’t be dropped either.
Perhaps the manager will be looking to play Mount out wide but that won’t work too. On both wings, he has important players. Now that Rasmus Hojlund should be fit enough to play, he will be our striker meaning that Rashford will have to move to his preferred LW after having filled in as the number 9 these past two games. Antony is ten Hag’s guy on the right and so far, the manager seems reluctant to drop him.
There is no space in the side for Mason Mount looking at the side in those ways.
Injury
And just when things couldn’t get worse for him, news came out yesterday that Mason has picked up an injury in that defeat to Tottenham. He will be out for the next two games (Forest and Arsenal) meaning that he won’t be back until AFTER the international break.
Talk about kicking a man when he’s down 😬.
But could his injury be a good thing?
He has been in the limelight quite a lot since joining the club, for all the wrong reasons. Perhaps some time away (even if inadvertently) could do him some good?
Plus that number 8 position has been our biggest issue in midfield so with Mount being out, Erik will have to go back to Eriksen which worked well for us in the main last season.
I’m hoping that it will cause the club to panic buy and go and get one of Amrabat or Gravenberch. That would be something I could get behind.
It could also be a negative thing for Mason. If a new midfielder comes, it could mean he loses his place. Nottingham Forest at home is the ideal opponent for Mount to showcase his best abilities. Now that he’s out, that won’t be the case. These are the sort of games that we could’ve used him knowing how Forest may set up allowing us to see exactly why ten Hag brought him to the club.
There’s nothing we can do about him now.
Final Thoughts
I’m still confused about this signing. Having looked at the player performances, how we lineup and the potential for new midfielders, Mason Mount to Man Utd asks more questions than it answers.
I do feel a little sorry for him. It all seems his fault that things aren’t working and while him being in the side has brought imbalance, it is on the manager to set the team up.
The best thing would be for Mount to play unbelievably well to the point where the manager cannot drop him no matter what. However, with the way he’s performed since signing for United and in the past year, that seems highly unlikely at this moment.
Erik giving him the number 7 shirt was a big call as well. That is our most iconic number adding a lot more pressure on the player considering all the responsibility that comes with that number. It has also caused a lot of bewilderment around the fan base.
I don’t agree with that call from the manager either.
With that being said, I do trust the manager and feel that Mount will come good in time. The issue is that we’re impatient and don’t actually have much time to spare when looking at where we are as a club.
Is the Mason Mount signing confusing to you as well? Do you think he will come good in time?
#MASONMOUNT #BRUNOFERNANDES #CASEMIRO #ERIKTENHAG #MUFC #GGMU #GLAZERSOUT
