RECENT World Cup qualification games against San Marino and Albania hardly represented the sternest of tests for Gareth Southgate’s England, but one player’s performances during the latest international break will have only further cemented his position as a central figure in the manager’s plans for this summer’s Euros and beyond.
With a goal in a 45-minute outing against San Marino at Wembley and an assist in the potential-banana-skin trip to Albania three days later, Chelsea’s Mason Mount produced a pair of impressive displays in fixtures otherwise relatively unremarkable.
Mount’s back-to-back performance exhibited the adaptability, effort and technical prowess that have earned the 22-year-old a breakthrough with England and at Stamford Bridge over the last two seasons. While his positional rivals among a gifted crop of Three Lions attacking midfielders might be more eye-catching and able to call upon greater fan support in their case for a regular starting berth, Mount’s qualities are abundant and appreciated by Southgate.
Mason Mount’s goal for England! (2-0)
Excellent finish #ALBENG pic.twitter.com/izoBars4eI
— LDN (@LDNFootbalI) March 28, 2021
“He is an exceptional player,” Southgate said after the 2-0 win over Albania. “He finds space intelligently, he manipulates the ball very well, he creates chances and he can score goals. I thought his performance was excellent tonight.
“He is a great player, but I was saying this in the autumn. I suppose now that Thomas Tuchel picks him, everybody will agree. When it was Frank [Lampard], it doesn't count for some reason.”
Derided by rival fans as simply a pet project of previous Chelsea manager Lampard, there were suggestions that Mount’s skillset would not impress the incoming Tuchel upon his appointment in January.
The 47-year-old tactician has worked with some of the brightest talents in the game during spells in charge of Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain – from Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Yet Tuchel was enthralled by Mount instantly. The midfielder has started eight of the 10 Premier League matches the new boss has overseen, coming off the bench in the other two.
“I like what I see from Mason so far, from his personality that I get to know now from three days,” the German coach said in the early days of his Chelsea reign. “It’s amazing. Such a nice guy, such a competitive guy, such a lot of talent. And the most important – every game I watch so far he leaves his heart on the pitch.
“He cares for Chelsea 100 per cent. He gives the 100 per cent he has every time he plays and this is the best basis for a big development. I am very happy to have him around. I will not stop pushing him, I will not stop guiding him, I will not stop trusting him. There is absolutely nothing to worry about.”
Thomas Tuchel on handing Mason Mount the Captaincy:
“Our regular captains weren't on the pitch: Azpi, Jorgi or Thiago, so we had to pick someone new. For me leadership is not a question of age and Mason has everything that is needed to lead the team out here.” ©️ pic.twitter.com/UIvQx5ejZQ
— PurelyFootball (@PurelyFootball) March 24, 2021
Competition for a place in Southgate’s Euro squad is rife in multiple positions, and none more so than among the nation’s attacking midfielders.
In the wide areas, Raheem Sterling, Jadon Sancho and Markus Rashford offer goal threat, creativity and directness. Then the likes of Jack Grealish, James Madison and Phil Foden can all play wide or infield, and each offers a high level of technical skill, the vision to part defences and the ability to thrill with moments of inspired off-the-cuff invention.
To many, it seems, Mount is regarded as a less exciting option than any of the aforementioned stars. Yet he is trusted greatly by both Southgate and Tuchel with good reason.
Although he may not match the likes of Sterling and Rashford for direct goal threat, nor provide moments of jaw-dropping skill as regularly as Grealish and Sancho, Mount’s unique skillset is fine-tuned to the demands of high-level European and international football.
His versatility – able to play either out wide on the left, centrally as No.10 or as a No.8 – makes him an invaluable asset within a squad for major tournaments. Above all, though, it is his consistency and dependability that his bosses will most value.
According to FBref.com, Mount ranks in the 92rd percentile or higher among attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s five major leaves of the past year for pass completion, passes per 90 minutes, and progressive passes per 90, as well as for pressing actions and tackles. He is also in the 86th percentile for shot creation.
This shows that, while he might not spark the imagination in the same way as many of his international colleagues, Mount is both reliable and ambitious on the ball and committed to its recovery at the breakdown of possession.
He can score, he can create, and he is diligent and unflinching in his commitment and work ethic. He might never shake his doubters, but Tuchel and Southgate understand that Mount’s low-risk/high-reward style is a foundation on which they can build for success.
READ MORE: Ryan Baldi: After an impressive season Mason Mount can make his mark at Chelsea
