Mason Mount | Confirmed

[Highfather_24]

The main concern for me is the note that he doesn't have that many touches/passes compared to attacking midfielders in his position and just hangs on the periphery of games. Anyone who's watched him for England will recognise that all too well which is why most fans were begging for Southgate to drop him.

That tendancy he has means it's unlikely he'll be a great fit for a proper disciplined, deep lying midfield role. The role partnering Casemiro and Bruno, absolutely everything should be going through him, he should be our main link from defence to attack. A player who doesn't take responsibility and have many touches of the ball is just not what we're looking for surely?

Now, you can argue changing his role from a more attacking role to a proper midfield role will transform him from a player who isn't heavily involved in the game to the main man who has the most touches and passes in the team. I suspect he's always going to be a periphery player though.

Exactly. The same problem VdB has even when plays in a deeper role.

They are not a naturally game controlling player like Scholes, Eriksen or Modric.

We need someone like that, in that profile.

 

[lex talionis]

There just aren't many midfielders who have the skillset of De Jong. If we could take our pick of anyone in the PL to serve in the role that ETH has in mind for FDJ, no one comes to mind. There might be an undiscovered gem somewhere -- Enzo Le Fee was bigged up a few months ago -- but I'm not sure we're prepared to go all in an undiscovered gem.

Mount has some limitations, but he is a solid footballer who works hard and, at least we hope, would be willing to take instructions from his manager.

Pogba would have been the perfect fit for this role, but surely there is no third act at OT for the mercurial French international...right?

 

[dinostar77]

The main concern for me is the note that he doesn't have that many touches/passes compared to attacking midfielders in his position and just hangs on the periphery of games. Anyone who's watched him for England will recognise that all too well which is why most fans were begging for Southgate to drop him.

That tendancy he has means it's unlikely he'll be a great fit for a proper disciplined, deep lying midfield role. The role partnering Casemiro and Bruno, absolutely everything should be going through him, he should be our main link from defence to attack. A player who doesn't take responsibility and have many touches of the ball is just not what we're looking for surely?

Now, you can argue changing his role from a more attacking role to a proper midfield role will transform him from a player who isn't heavily involved in the game to the main man who has the most touches and passes in the team. I suspect he's always going to be a periphery player though.

Its a good point, like you said we are hoping that a proper midfield role will change him into someone who takes more responsibility and wants to be more involved. Guess we'd have to trust the coaching of ETH and his staff.

As you know, some players thrive in the limelight of being a Utd players and others struggle with the additional pressure. Would be interesting to see what path Mount would take.

I do wonder who the alternative to him (similar playing style) is this summer in utds thoughts (no its not caicedo or rice). Or the deal if pretty much done bar the fee with chelsea.

 

[dinostar77]

Exactly. The same problem VdB has even when plays in a deeper role.

They are not a naturally game controlling player like Scholes, Eriksen or Modric.

We need someone like that, in that profile.

Who? Its such a difficult role to find a number 8, who can forfil the attacking aspect that mount would provide.

Bayern have just signed konrad laimer, does that mean leon Goretzka or ryan gravenbech might be available? Again both are different to mount, more in the mould of a caicedo or rice rather than a probing no 8. Gabri Veiga would be more of a Mason Mount alternative.

Its a tough spot for utd to find the player for, whos available and affordable.

 

[BAMSOLA]

He pretty much what we thought we were getting with Donny ain't he?

 

[Brophs]

He pretty much what we thought we were getting with Donny ain't he?

May god help us all.

 

[Mr Pigeon]

He pretty much what we thought we were getting with Donny ain't he?

Wasn't Donny always a "pass the ball to me and I'll hold it for a few seconds before passing it back to you" kind of player? His job was to give others time to get into better spaces, and that was pretty much it.

Granted, I'm basing that off one Tifo video...

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Agree. On paper, a duo consisting of Casemiro and Caicedo looks beastly and unbreakable, but it's too defensive and not the style Ten Hag wants to implement. Some might want it and hope it's the route we're going to go, but it's not realistic.
The ideal scenario would be to get Caicedo and have them compete with each other, and eventually Caicedo is going to replace Casemiro, but with the progress he's had this season, I can't imagine him coming here unless he has been assured he's a starter.

I just think people are underrating Caicedo's ability to contribute to phases of the game other than tackling/covering defensively. It's going to be frustrating when we fund Chelsea's move for him, and then are left in November with our arses exposed because Casemiro is out for a couple of weeks and we literally don't have a single player that can cover for him. But hey we'll have some attacking 8's I guess?

Even looking at this past season all of our metrics with and without Casemiro should have ETH waking up in cold sweats thinking about reinforcing that position.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Wasn't Donny always a "pass the ball to me and I'll hold it for a few seconds before passing it back to you" kind of player? His job was to give others time to get into better spaces, and that was pretty much it.

Granted, I'm basing that off one Tifo video...

Yeah he was essentially a shadow striker/ homeless man's Muller. Excellent instincts in and around the box but not really physical or a skilled enough passer to play as a true midfielder.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

There are matches when ball retention isn't going to be the primary need and there are others who can lift/compensate for that 'weakness'.

Mount is all about ball winning, chaos in the middle, then quick and incisive transitions into the final third. He also has good delivery from anywhere on the pitch.

In order to control midfield, you can counterpress and create controlled chaos, not just a stranglehold a la City. Mount fits a system that EtH would like to develop and be flexible.

I agree, but then I feel if we want to go with this "attacking CM's causing chaos defensively" scheme we need to be better out wide. Especially on our right side, Dalot and Antony can't be offering 0 danger if we want to win the ball quickly and strike. They have to be much better as creators themselves because that type of system will put them in in the best situations to capitalize

 

[zaafi]

I just think people are underrating Caicedo's ability to contribute to phases of the game other than tackling/covering defensively. It's going to be frustrating when we fund Chelsea's move for him, and then are left in November with our arses exposed because Casemiro is out for a couple of weeks and we literally don't have a single player that can cover for him. But hey we'll have some attacking 8's I guess?

Even looking at this past season all of our metrics with and without Casemiro should have ETH waking up in cold sweats thinking about reinforcing that position.

I think he's very capable of contributing in other phases of the game than the defensive part, but not in the style Ten Hag wishes to implement.

I really hope we sign him though, not as a partner to Casemiro, but as his replacement later on. The problem with that is that Casemiro isn't finished yet. He's still very much world class and contributes heavily to our attacking game for a defensive midfielder.

Not often we see a young player like Caicedo adapting this quickly to a new league and then adapting again to a new manager's tactics. Unfortunately, I just don't see us signing him due to the cost, but we need a backup CDM either way.

 

[OrcaFat]

Agree. On paper, a duo consisting of Casemiro and Caicedo looks beastly and unbreakable, but it's too defensive and not the style Ten Hag wants to implement. Some might want it and hope it's the route we're going to go, but it's not realistic.
The ideal scenario would be to get Caicedo and have them compete with each other, and eventually Caicedo is going to replace Casemiro, but with the progress he's had this season, I can't imagine him coming here unless he has been assured he's a starter.

He won’t be assured he is a starter. No-one will. They all have to earn their place.

I’d be fine with Caicedo coming in and competing for a place. He would often play, I am sure, sometimes as a no6, sometimes as a no8. The balance might not look quite right if he started next to Casemiro but he’s a better footballer than some are suggesting and it might actually be good in some games.

The problem would be affording him as (I think) he would be c£20m more than Mount, for example. We haven’t got the money but we should be after Mount AND Caicedo.

 

[edcunited1878]

I agree, but then I feel if we want to go with this "attacking CM's causing chaos defensively" scheme we need to be better out wide. Especially on our right side, Dalot and Antony can't be offering 0 danger if we want to win the ball quickly and strike. They have to be much better as creators themselves because that type of system will put them in in the best situations to capitalize

Antony has a lot of improvement to do and we've seen it be better in the last couple of months. I think that's why EtH has had Frimpong and/or Dumfries looked at, because they are rapid and can get into threatening positions and adequately contribute to the expected goal/assist chain (i.e., link up play).

It's not only being technically better out wide, it's understanding positional play and what your next movements are towards the box. EtH talked a lot about positional play and when/where to make runs, specifically for Marcus.

 

[BAMSOLA]

Wasn't Donny always a "pass the ball to me and I'll hold it for a few seconds before passing it back to you" kind of player? His job was to give others time to get into better spaces, and that was pretty much it.

Granted, I'm basing that off one Tifo video...

Nah Donny's game used to be a little more sophisticated than that as per video below he generally had a decent short passing game which he used to play one twos around the box much like mount and both are decent but not exceptional dribblers with an eye for goal. It's also worth noting that according to sources at Ajax he can play as both a 6 and 8 as well as a 10 but god only knows where this player went when he signed for us:


For comparison here is Mount:

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

I said this before earlier, and I’ll say it again (you are right btw), that there are two ways (in its simplest form) to play 3 in midfield. A regular triangle and an inverted triangle. Caicedo would necessitate a regular triangle, which is inherently defensive. Mount would give us an inverted triangle with two aggressive 8s and allow us to play a much more proactive forward press and sit higher up the pitch. This is clearly how ETH wants to play.

The whole Caicedo vs Mount debate isn’t just a debate on players, it’s a debate on tactics. And you have to buy the players the manager wants to implement his preferred approach. Which means it’s Mount. I think everything else becomes moot. Because Caicedo isn’t coming here to be an understudy to Casemiro, and no one should be spending 80m on a player who isn’t essentially an automatic first choice.

Saying we should sign Caicedo instead is akin to saying, not only do I think we should sign a different player, but I want the manager to play in a different way. Okay, as a theoretical debate, but utterly pointless if we prioritise plausibility over accuracy. We are in the market for an 8, and it seems most likely a forward thinking 8. Caicedo is neither of those things.

If we sign a 6, it’ll either be as an understudy to Casemiro, or it’ll be a hybrid 6/8 who can perform two roles. And I’d venture much more likely to be someone like Rabiot on a free. Caicedo is a brilliant player in many regards, but given how the manager wants to play, he’s a square peg in a round hole.

spot on

 

[OrcaFat]

I said this before earlier, and I’ll say it again (you are right btw), that there are two ways (in its simplest form) to play 3 in midfield. A regular triangle and an inverted triangle. Caicedo would necessitate a regular triangle, which is inherently defensive. Mount would give us an inverted triangle with two aggressive 8s and allow us to play a much more proactive forward press and sit higher up the pitch. This is clearly how ETH wants to play.

The whole Caicedo vs Mount debate isn’t just a debate on players, it’s a debate on tactics. And you have to buy the players the manager wants to implement his preferred approach. Which means it’s Mount. I think everything else becomes moot. Because Caicedo isn’t coming here to be an understudy to Casemiro, and no one should be spending 80m on a player who isn’t essentially an automatic first choice.

Saying we should sign Caicedo instead is akin to saying, not only do I think we should sign a different player, but I want the manager to play in a different way. Okay, as a theoretical debate, but utterly pointless if we prioritise plausibility over accuracy. We are in the market for an 8, and it seems most likely a forward thinking 8. Caicedo is neither of those things.

If we sign a 6, it’ll either be as an understudy to Casemiro, or it’ll be a hybrid 6/8 who can perform two roles. And I’d venture much more likely to be someone like Rabiot on a free. Caicedo is a brilliant player in many regards, but given how the manager wants to play, he’s a square peg in a round hole.

Very well put. I wouldn’t be against signing Caicedo as well as Mount and I think if we did he would get plenty of games (some filling in at no6 and some as a no8) with a long term view of him settling at no6.

But, of course we can’t afford both. Mount and Rabiot is the ticket.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

Exactly. The same problem VdB has even when plays in a deeper role.

They are not a naturally game controlling player like Scholes, Eriksen or Modric.

We need someone like that, in that profile.

The thing is ETH's post de jong Ajax did not have a midfielder controller type. It instead had two Bruno type players. One slightly nore conservative with passing than the other, employed as aggressive pressing 8s, who operated in the half spaces linking the fullback winger and striker together rather than controlling play. It seems he is going for the same with his interest in Mount.

 

[Dominos]

I said this before earlier, and I’ll say it again (you are right btw), that there are two ways (in its simplest form) to play 3 in midfield. A regular triangle and an inverted triangle. Caicedo would necessitate a regular triangle, which is inherently defensive. Mount would give us an inverted triangle with two aggressive 8s and allow us to play a much more proactive forward press and sit higher up the pitch. This is clearly how ETH wants to play.

The whole Caicedo vs Mount debate isn’t just a debate on players, it’s a debate on tactics. And you have to buy the players the manager wants to implement his preferred approach. Which means it’s Mount. I think everything else becomes moot. Because Caicedo isn’t coming here to be an understudy to Casemiro, and no one should be spending 80m on a player who isn’t essentially an automatic first choice.

Saying we should sign Caicedo instead is akin to saying, not only do I think we should sign a different player, but I want the manager to play in a different way. Okay, as a theoretical debate, but utterly pointless if we prioritise plausibility over accuracy. We are in the market for an 8, and it seems most likely a forward thinking 8. Caicedo is neither of those things.

If we sign a 6, it’ll either be as an understudy to Casemiro, or it’ll be a hybrid 6/8 who can perform two roles. And I’d venture much more likely to be someone like Rabiot on a free. Caicedo is a brilliant player in many regards, but given how the manager wants to play, he’s a square peg in a round hole.

Midfield shape is dictated by how the manager instructs them to play and the players following said instructions. If ETH decides Caicedo is to play as an 8 higher up the field, that's how we'd play. You can argue he wouldn't be good enough in that role, or he'd be worse than Mount in that role, but it's certainly not the case that we can't press high because Caicedo by default has to sit in front of the defence.

People are too caught up in 4231 vs 433 and forgetting the key point is your midfield 3 needs to be balanced in terms of attributes no matter which system you play.

Bruno is about as pure as an attacking midfielder as you're likely to get, whether he's playing as one of two 8s, or as a number 10. Which means the 2nd number 8 in your midfield should be someone who complements Bruno, with Bruno being a highly attacking player with fairly poor ball retention who is not very physically imposing.

The ideal number 8 to play alongside Bruno would surely be someone who is on the side of defensively responsible, physically imposing, has very good ball retention and is effectively your team's main/most frequent passer from midfield. The problem with Mount is he's spent basically his entire career playing Bruno's role himself, or even the role of a wide attacker. He has always been the most attacking player of any midfield he has played in, and we're bringing him in to play alongside one of the most pure attacking midfielders in world football in Bruno. He's also a player who doesn't touch the ball very much which is the last thing you want when you're meant to be the main link between defence and attack.

I'm not saying Caicedo is the answer, but the idea that "well we'll be playing 433 anyway so Mount is the perfect fit" I just don't buy.

 

[Robbo*]

Nah Donny's game used to be a little more sophisticated than that as per video below he generally had a decent short passing game which he used to play one twos around the box much like mount and both are decent but not exceptional dribblers with an eye for goal. It's also worth noting that according to sources at Ajax he can play as both a 6 and 8 as well as a 10 but god only knows where this player went when he signed for us:


For comparison here is Mount:

are we sure he’s done with Donny once he recovers from injury? Have a feeling the injury came so early into ETH’s time that we may have seen more of him once ETH had settled in and things were looking up…but who knows.

 

[RedRonaldo]

I said this before earlier, and I’ll say it again (you are right btw), that there are two ways (in its simplest form) to play 3 in midfield. A regular triangle and an inverted triangle. Caicedo would necessitate a regular triangle, which is inherently defensive. Mount would give us an inverted triangle with two aggressive 8s and allow us to play a much more proactive forward press and sit higher up the pitch. This is clearly how ETH wants to play.

The whole Caicedo vs Mount debate isn’t just a debate on players, it’s a debate on tactics. And you have to buy the players the manager wants to implement his preferred approach. Which means it’s Mount. I think everything else becomes moot. Because Caicedo isn’t coming here to be an understudy to Casemiro, and no one should be spending 80m on a player who isn’t essentially an automatic first choice.

Saying we should sign Caicedo instead is akin to saying, not only do I think we should sign a different player, but I want the manager to play in a different way. Okay, as a theoretical debate, but utterly pointless if we prioritise plausibility over accuracy. We are in the market for an 8, and it seems most likely a forward thinking 8. Caicedo is neither of those things.

If we sign a 6, it’ll either be as an understudy to Casemiro, or it’ll be a hybrid 6/8 who can perform two roles. And I’d venture much more likely to be someone like Rabiot on a free. Caicedo is a brilliant player in many regards, but given how the manager wants to play, he’s a square peg in a round hole.

I think this is the most sensible post here regarding whether we should buy Mount or Caicedo.

 

[BAMSOLA]

are we sure he’s done with Donny once he recovers from injury? Have a feeling the injury came so early into ETH’s time that we may have seen more of him once ETH had settled in and things were looking up…but who knows.

Not sure to be honest, but going by our clear pursuit of Mount I'd have to say it probably doesn't look good for Donnie long term here. The two are too similar IMHO to work together so if Donnie stays his time may be limited to playing second fiddle to both Mount and Bruno, unless EtH really sees Bruno as a CM partner alongside Casimero going forward in which case he'd still be back up to Mount.

 

[OrcaFat]

Midfield shape is dictated by how the manager instructs them to play and the players following said instructions. If ETH decides Caicedo is to play as an 8 higher up the field, that's how we'd play. You can argue he wouldn't be good enough in that role, or he'd be worse than Mount in that role, but it's certainly not the case that we can't press high because Caicedo by default has to sit in front of the defence.

People are too caught up in 4231 vs 433 and forgetting the key point is your midfield 3 needs to be balanced in terms of attributes no matter which system you play.

Bruno is about as pure as an attacking midfielder as you're likely to get, whether he's playing as one of two 8s, or as a number 10. Which means the 2nd number 8 in your midfield should be someone who complements Bruno, with Bruno being a highly attacking player with fairly poor ball retention who is not very physically imposing.

The ideal number 8 to play alongside Bruno would surely be someone who is on the side of defensively responsible, physically imposing, has very good ball retention and is effectively your team's main/most frequent passer from midfield. The problem with Mount is he's spent basically his entire career playing Bruno's role himself, or even the role of a wide attacker. He has always been the most attacking player of any midfield he has played in, and we're bringing him in to play alongside one of the most pure attacking midfielders in world football in Bruno. He's also a player who doesn't touch the ball very much which is the last thing you want when you're meant to be the main link between defence and attack.

I'm not saying Caicedo is the answer, but the idea that "well we'll be playing 433 anyway so Mount is the perfect fit" I just don't buy.

Two questions for you:

Do you believe we are interested in Mount?

And

Why?

Imo we want him as an 8 to play, more or less the Eriksen role. But it could be that he is wanted as a utility attacker for the no10 or LW. What’s going through EtH’s mind?

 

[Dominos]

Two questions for you:

Do you believe we are interested in Mount?

And

Why?

Imo we want him as an 8 to play, more or less the Eriksen role. But it could be that he is wanted as a utility attacker for the no10 or LW. What’s going through EtH’s mind?

I agree that's the plan. We're trying to upgrade Eriksen like you said, and Mount has some qualities that go in his favour - homegrown, PL proven, decent passer and ball retention, hard worker.

The problem is he's going to have to play a much more disciplined game than he's done previously which will raise questions about his other attributes - physicality, defensive nouse, lack of involvement in the game in terms of number of touches/passes, ability to dictate play from a deeper position.

Almost as much as the doubts around Mount, my concern is for Casemiro too. His legs aren't getting any younger and he needs support in his defensive work in covering that ground in front of the defence and his tendency to dive into challenges means he needs some discipline alongside him. In that sense I can see Rabiot being a better fit as the 2nd number 8 in this system, but Rabiot may also be lacking that elite passing/technicality/playmaking that we wanted when we were chasing De Jong.

 

[simonhch]

Midfield shape is dictated by how the manager instructs them to play and the players following said instructions. If ETH decides Caicedo is to play as an 8 higher up the field, that's how we'd play. You can argue he wouldn't be good enough in that role, or he'd be worse than Mount in that role, but it's certainly not the case that we can't press high because Caicedo by default has to sit in front of the defence.

People are too caught up in 4231 vs 433 and forgetting the key point is your midfield 3 needs to be balanced in terms of attributes no matter which system you play.

Bruno is about as pure as an attacking midfielder as you're likely to get, whether he's playing as one of two 8s, or as a number 10. Which means the 2nd number 8 in your midfield should be someone who complements Bruno, with Bruno being a highly attacking player with fairly poor ball retention who is not very physically imposing.

The ideal number 8 to play alongside Bruno would surely be someone who is on the side of defensively responsible, physically imposing, has very good ball retention and is effectively your team's main/most frequent passer from midfield. The problem with Mount is he's spent basically his entire career playing Bruno's role himself, or even the role of a wide attacker. He has always been the most attacking player of any midfield he has played in, and we're bringing him in to play alongside one of the most pure attacking midfielders in world football in Bruno. He's also a player who doesn't touch the ball very much which is the last thing you want when you're meant to be the main link between defence and attack.

I'm not saying Caicedo is the answer, but the idea that "well we'll be playing 433 anyway so Mount is the perfect fit" I just don't buy.

You somewhst contradicted yourself between your first paragraph and your third. Mount is a managers dream in that he follows instructions to the tee. I think you also missed the entire point of my post. Which is that it is buying players who fit the way the manager wants to play. You then go on to suggest essentially a change in system.

 

[Isotope]

You somewhst contradicted yourself between your first paragraph and your third. Mount is a managers dream in that he follows instructions to the tee. I think you also missed the entire point of my post. Which is that it is buying players who fit the way the manager wants to play. You then go on to suggest essentially a change in system.

EtH wanted De Jong so bad, where positioning wise is closer to Caicedo than Mount, imho. And if rumor is true, we're also after Rabiot, who is again, closer to Caicedo than Mount.

So i don't really buy that Caicedo won't fit in EtH's system. Also sometimes when this certain level of player available, we just need to grab him. Once he's with big club, especially in PL, that close to impossible to get him again.

Probably I'm just trying to justify us getting him, as I think his potential is tremendous, and we'll be set for (at least) another 5 years of WC midfielder. But then that's what I thought about Schneiderlin.

 

[zaafi]

EtH wanted De Jong so bad, where positioning wise is closer to Caicedo than Mount, imho. And if rumor is true, we're also after Rabiot, who is again, closer to Caicedo than Mount.

de Jong and Caicedo are quite different players, though, and de Jong is the player to drop deep and initiate build-up. He's also one of the best ball carrying midfielders around.
I think Ten Hag looks at Mount's abilities and thinks he can do something similar, but obviously not to the extent de Jong can. Mount actually has really good long passing, for instance, but he doesn't often get to show it playing further up the pitch. He's quick and agile and can also drive with the ball. Again, it will probably be nowhere near de Jong's level, but you never know. Ten Hag has a habit of improving players, and I think he might actually surprise a lot of people.

As for Rabiot, I think Ten Hag wants him as a backup to Casemiro and a game here and there when we need physical presence, but not partnering him next to Casemiro as a starter. It's simply not a creative enough midfield for the ideas he wishes to implement here.

 

[Isotope]

de Jong and Caicedo are quite different players, though, and de Jong is the player to drop deep and initiate build-up. He's also one of the best ball carrying midfielders around.
I think Ten Hag looks at Mount's abilities and thinks he can do something similar, but obviously not to the extent de Jong can. Mount actually has really good long passing, for instance, but he doesn't often get to show it playing further up the pitch. He's quick and agile and can also drive with the ball. Again, it will probably be nowhere near de Jong's level, but you never know. Ten Hag has a habit of improving players, and I think he might actually surprise a lot of people.

As for Rabiot, I think Ten Hag wants him as a backup to Casemiro and a game here and there when we need physical presence, but not partnering him next to Casemiro as a starter. It's simply not a creative enough midfield for the ideas he wishes to implement here.

Agreed. I see the merit of us getting Mount. But the point I argued was that EtH doesn't want Caicedo because of he doesn't fit the system.

I'd also argue that Caicedo has more potential to be our next Keane than Mount. I don't know. Mount is probably what we need now, but Caicedo has potential to take us higher. Imho. It would be such a big opportunity missed if he goes to Arsenal or Chelsea.

It's like that Napoli CB. His position is not in my top 3 priorities this season. But it just feels like big opportunity available that we need to take it.

 

[zaafi]

Agreed. I see the merit of us getting Mount. But the point I argued was that EtH doesn't want Caicedo because of he doesn't fit the system.

I'd also argue that Caicedo has more potential to be our next Keane than Mount. I don't know. Mount is probably what we need now, but Caicedo has potential to take us higher. Imho. It would be such a big opportunity missed if he goes to Arsenal or Chelsea.

It's like that Napoli CB. His position is not in my top 3 priorities this season. But it just feels like big opportunity available that we need to take it.

Absolutely. Caicedo is already so incredibly good and he's only 21. Imagine his level at 24-25. It's going to be sickening to watch him inevitably tear it up for Arsenal or Chelsea while we're stuck with an aging CDM. There's not many CDMs out there at Caicedo's level, and it's not an easy position to replace, especially not at Casemiro's level so we should absolutely go all in while we have the chance.

 

[predator]

I rate him alot as a footballer. He's so so talented and is on par with Foden in terms of technical ability as far as English players go.

Let's see how it unfolds.

 

[tenpoless]

Mount is the next Michael Essien. What a legend.

 

[NLunited]

Ideally, we need to get two midfielders: one 8 with legs and someone who can play as a 6. I‘m not sure Mount and Rabiot can play the 6 role, they are better as an 8.

Caicedo can play as 6 or 8 but will be too expensive.

 

[Care_de_Bobo]

Nah Donny's game used to be a little more sophisticated than that as per video below he generally had a decent short passing game which he used to play one twos around the box much like mount and both are decent but not exceptional dribblers with an eye for goal. It's also worth noting that according to sources at Ajax he can play as both a 6 and 8 as well as a 10 but god only knows where this player went when he signed for us:


For comparison here is Mount:

I think fans really underestimate the mental aspect for players and how much confidence does for them. There is no doubt in my mind that Donny would have shown far better performances for United if Solskjaer had just given him a run of games when he joined. He's just slowly deteriorated since then and has never recovered.

I know some will just point to him being mentally weak or whatever, but he's not a robot and the fact that he became a bit of a meme and synonymous with being an overpriced bench warmer must have affected him.

It feels like a change of scene might do Mount a lot of good as he's stagnated a little bit. Hopefully Ten Hag is the man to get his career back on track. Can't see him rotting on the bench for 4 or 5 months before he decides to give him a game anyway.

 

[NLunited]

I think fans really underestimate the mental aspect for players and how much confidence does for them. There is no doubt in my mind that Donny would have shown far better performances for United if Solskjaer had just given him a run of games when he joined. He's just slowly deteriorated since then and has never recovered.

I know some will just point to him being mentally weak or whatever, but he's not a robot and the fact that he became a bit of a meme and synonymous with being an overpriced bench warmer must have affected him.

It feels like a change of scene might do Mount a lot of good as he's stagnated a little bit. Hopefully Ten Hag is the man to get his career back on track. Can't see him rotting on the bench for 4 or 5 months before he decides to give him a game anyway.

Watching Donny play for Ajax, he seems a completely different player. We never got to see him like that here.

Playing in a team that is struggling makes a player look much worse than they are. If we do get Mount, if think he‘ll look a different player for us.

 

[BAMSOLA]

I think fans really underestimate the mental aspect for players and how much confidence does for them. There is no doubt in my mind that Donny would have shown far better performances for United if Solskjaer had just given him a run of games when he joined. He's just slowly deteriorated since then and has never recovered.

I know some will just point to him being mentally weak or whatever, but he's not a robot and the fact that he became a bit of a meme and synonymous with being an overpriced bench warmer must have affected him.

It feels like a change of scene might do Mount a lot of good as he's stagnated a little bit. Hopefully Ten Hag is the man to get his career back on track. Can't see him rotting on the bench for 4 or 5 months before he decides to give him a game anyway.

Agree with all.

 

[L1nk]

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[RuudTom83]

I believe a large part of the attraction for Mount was the understanding that he would be available for around 40 million.

I'm sure EtH would admire players like Rice/Bellingham/Caicedo as well, but you are looking at 75-85 million for those guys.

Now it remains to be seen if United continue after Mount or switch to a cheaper options now that Chelsea want closer to 70 million.

 

[OrcaFat]

I believe a large part of the attraction for Mount was the understanding that he would be available for around 40 million.

I'm sure EtH would admire players like Rice/Bellingham/Caicedo as well, but you are looking at 75-85 million for those guys.

Now it remains to be seen if United continue after Mount or switch to a cheaper options now that Chelsea want closer to 70 million.

We are close to acquiring Mount.

 

[L1nk]

I believe a large part of the attraction for Mount was the understanding that he would be available for around 40 million.

I'm sure EtH would admire players like Rice/Bellingham/Caicedo as well, but you are looking at 75-85 million for those guys.

Now it remains to be seen if United continue after Mount or switch to a cheaper options now that Chelsea want closer to 70 million.

I think the price will come down, what Chelsea are doing is just classic negotiating, start off with a high fee - they're hardly gonna just say 40 million and he's yours, they want all they can reasonably get, they have no shame if they genuinely think anyone is going to pay 70mill plus 10 addons for him, I think there will be a compromise in the middle

 

[OrcaFat]

I think fans really underestimate the mental aspect for players and how much confidence does for them. There is no doubt in my mind that Donny would have shown far better performances for United if Solskjaer had just given him a run of games when he joined. He's just slowly deteriorated since then and has never recovered.

I know some will just point to him being mentally weak or whatever, but he's not a robot and the fact that he became a bit of a meme and synonymous with being an overpriced bench warmer must have affected him.

It feels like a change of scene might do Mount a lot of good as he's stagnated a little bit. Hopefully Ten Hag is the man to get his career back on track. Can't see him rotting on the bench for 4 or 5 months before he decides to give him a game anyway.

It’s an old drum that I still beat from time to time but Ole did not really want Donny. It’s so obvious.

Having got Donny, it would have been good to give him a run of games; probably would have been at no8, but Ole didn’t trust a MF two of Donny plus one other. Understandable, perhaps, but McFred (despite appearing to be the least bad option) was so shit that Ole should have tried Donny at no8 for a concerted spell (even if Bruno had to play a bit deeper to improve the balance). A missed opportunity, maybe.

The more time passes since I last saw Donny play, the more I feel he could have been decent. That’s probably a sign of madness.

 

[duffer]

I think the price will come down, what Chelsea are doing is just classic negotiating, start off with a high fee - they're hardly gonna just say 40 million and he's yours, they want all they can reasonably get, they have no shame if they genuinely think anyone is going to pay 70mill plus 10 addons for him, I think there will be a compromise in the middle

Spot on. If Chelsea had let it be known he was up for sale at 40 million, they'd be getting bids for 25.

Obviously the danger with originally asking for a very high price is that any potential buyer just fecks off.