By Opta Analyst | Created at 2024-11-28 11:15:12 | Updated at 2024-11-28 13:41:46
2 hours ago
It has been a tricky year and a bit for Mason Mount at Manchester United, but with a new manager in place, the former Chelsea man could become a key figure.
When Mason Mount joined Manchester United from Chelsea last summer, fans of the former were excited with what seemed like a shrewd bit of business.
After several successful seasons at Stamford Bridge, it came as a huge surprise when Mount became available in the summer of 2023. The England international had been something of a cult hero at Chelsea in his four-season stint, transforming into one of the Blues’ top performers.
While he didn’t hit the same high notes in 2022-23, the same could be said of most Chelsea players. For Manchester United to acquire one of the most highly-rated midfielders in the Premier League, it was being touted as a potential signing of the summer.
However, things haven’t quite gone to plan.
Several injury setbacks limited Mount to only 20 appearances across all competitions in his first season at Old Trafford, registering just one goal and one assist.
This season hasn’t been much different. Injuries have hampered any possibility of progress, restricting Mount to only seven appearances (228 minutes), with no goal involvements yet.
But the arrival of new head coach Ruben Amorim has brought a renewed sense of hope that Mount can rediscover his best form – or at least start playing regularly again.
Mount returned to action in United’s final two games before the November international break, coming on as a substitute in a 2-0 victory over PAOK in the Europa League before being an unused substitute in the 3-0 Premier League win against Leicester City.
The 25-year-old then came on in the second half of Amorim’s first game in charge, the 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town on Sunday. The early signs suggest it might’ve been a springboard moment, especially after his new coach’s comments in his pre-match press conference.
“Mason Mount… I have to tell you I love that kid,” Amorim told reporters on Friday. “You can look in his eyes [and see] that he wants this so bad. And this is the most important thing for me.
“I know he was suffering from injuries, he was not on the pitch, but now he’s trying to stay fit and we hope he can continue to be fit, to show all the talent that he’s shown, for example, in Chelsea.”
Of course, amid all the talk of United players potentially needing to adapt to new positions or roles as a result of Amorim’s change of system, Mount is one of the few who looks almost ready-made.
“He played in this system [before], so it’s perfect for him,” Amorim said. “I have two positions for Mason Mount, so he should be very happy!”
Across 2020-21 and 2021-22, Mount was arguably one of the best players in the Premier League. During this period, he registered 32 goal involvements in the top flight, the most of any Chelsea player, highlighting his dual threat as both a potential goalscorer and a creator.
In fact, he ranked fifth in the Premier League over those two seasons for chances created (145), behind only Kevin De Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Son Heung-min. Similarly, he ranked eighth for total assists (15) and fourth for expected assists (13.8).
But there was more to him than just being influential in the final third, and this only further improves his chances of being a success under Amorim – if he can stay fit.
While we can only make limited conclusions from Amorim’s first game as United coach, the team set up in his preferred 3-4-3 formation, which shifted into a 3-2-5 in possession and a 5-2-3 when defending; we can expect this to more or less be the norm from now on, with the odd variation or tweak.
The wing-backs provided width, the central midfielders remained deep, and the number 10s occupied the half-spaces, frequently dropping to support the build-up.
Amorim’s Sporting CP were typically flexible, capable of deploying a low block and aggressively pressing when out of possession. For instance, they allowed opponents 10.9 passes on average before engaging with a defensive action (PPDA) in the Primeira Liga from the start of 2023-24 until his final game in charge. Further to that, Sporting averaged 9.3 high turnovers per game in that time. Both those figures put them among the top three most press-heavy teams.
Mount thrived in a not-too-dissimilar system under Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea. In 2021-22, for example, Mount largely played as one of the two No. 10s behind the striker in Tuchel’s 3-4-2-1 system. Sure, his role required him to be an attacking threat on the ball, but it was how he worked off the ball that set him apart from many others.
Mount was essential to the high press that Chelsea played (10.2 PPDA, the second most aggressive in the Premier League), ranking 21st in the league for possession regains in the attacking third (40), recording 10 more than any other Chelsea player.
United were routinely criticised for their pressing methods under Erik ten Hag, and so this is an area where significant improvements can be made. A fully fit Mount could be key to progress in that respect.
Yet, Mount managed to balance his defensive responsibilities with other aspects well. During the 2021-22 Premier League season, he received 10.5 progressive passes per 90 minutes, the most of any Chelsea player (minimum 100+ minutes). This highlights not only an ability to find space even in more congested areas, but also the technical ability to accept passes through the lines or in transition; both of these are likely to be key components of Amorim’s system in the long term.
Under Ten Hag, Mount was used in a variety of positions, featuring in numerous midfield roles, on either wing and even as a ‘false nine’ during United’s injury crisis last season.
But there was always an underlying feeling he didn’t really have a place in the team, being shoe-horned into various roles because he could be functional almost anywhere. But at his best, Mount is too good for “functional” to be his upper limit.
He was still able to show some hints of his strengths, though. After all, last term Mount ranked first among United players in the Premier League (minimum 170 minutes played) for tackles per 90 (3.9) and in the top three for possession won in the middle third (3.68) and attacking third (1.1).
There’s no doubt Mount still possesses the quality to become a regular contributor for United, and there’s potentially a future in which he becomes one of Amorim’s most-trusted lieutenants.
The new boss has opened the door to that very eventuality already – it’s just a question of whether Mount can stay fit enough to take his chance when it arrives.
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