An England international, one who plays as an attacking midfielder and made a big-money transfer this summer, was among the best players on the pitch as Tottenham Hotspur claimed a 2-0 win over Manchester United on Saturday. It wasn’t Mason Mount, though. It was James Maddison.
Maddison was a constant threat for Ange Postecoglou’s side, dribbling and driving the ball forward into pockets of space where United struggled to pick him up. His performance was in stark contrast to that of Mount’s, who was once again anonymous for his new team. It was easy to miss he was even on the pitch.
Mount touched the ball just 26 times before being withdrawn in the 84th minute. Not one of those touches was in the opposition box, although three of them did lead to shots by teammates. Manchester United have started the season slowly and this is encapsulated by the underwhelming first impression made by their £60m summer signing from Chelsea.
Not every United fan was happy to see Mount arrive at Old Trafford. The 24-year-old is a divisive figure and many believed the club could have found better value elsewhere in the market. Erik Ten Hag, however, pushed for the signing of Mount. Most presumed the Dutch coach had a plan in mind for his new addition.
Erik ten Hag: “And so he [Mason Mount] wants to be more multifunctional. That’s the way I see football, but as I say, it will not come overnight. There’s a process we have to go through, but he’s very game-intelligent.” [mu] #mufc pic.twitter.com/NfgE8xS6Sf
— The United Stand (@UnitedStandMUFC) August 19, 2023
The plan is still to be revealed. Mount has been utilised in a deeper position than was the case at Chelsea, but has yet to prove he can offer enough on the ball. Ten Hag has to pick between Bruno Fernandes and Mount to play higher up the pitch and the Dutch coach has so far favoured the former for this position.
It seems the idea was for Mount to replace Christian Eriksen in Manchester United’s first-choice midfield. Eriksen became an important figure for the Old Trafford outfit last season with the Dane’s composure on the ball giving United a degree of control. Now 31 years old, though, Eriksen is fading as a physical force. Mount, at 24, is significantly younger.
Reports also claimed Ten Hag targeted Mount for his off-the-ball ability. Last season’s FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City highlighted how desperately needed a midfielder who could get closer to opposition players. Ten Hag thought Mount would be that player, pressing from a mid-block.
“I think he can [play deeper],” Ten Hag said. “Already, we have seen it in pre-season, but it’s what I’ve said, definitely we have to work on many facets of our game but also that facet about midfield and the co-operation, how we have to set it. I’m sure we will get it [right], but it’s not coming overnight and [if] it was easier then everyone could do it.”
It’s certainly true that Mount deserves more time to settle into his new surroundings. Manchester United are only two games into the season and the results and performances against Wolves and Tottenham have been an improvement on the first two games of last season, when Ten Hag started life at his new club with back-to-back defeats.
Nonetheless, Saturday’s defeat to Tottenham highlighted how Manchester United are a team without a framework right now. Nobody expected Ten Hag’s team to challenge for the Premier League title this season, but progression was predicted and that doesn’t appear to have happened.
There is no doubting Mount’s talent. At 24, he is proven at the elite level of English and European football and in Ten Hag he has a new manager who believes in his ability. For £60m, though, Manchester United needed a midfield difference-maker and Mount might not fit the bill in that regard.
