[Abraxas]

Erik ten Hag expects evolution for Mason Mount
The Manchester United manager wants his new midfielder to play in a deeper role

Interesting. Maybe the way Mount is hovering high up the pitch so often is not the actual intention behind his current role. Seems strange because that is quite an obvious thing that should be relatively easy to get across the player and you wouldn't think it would take all of preseason and a competitive game to work that out.

But then again, he's played as an attacking midfielder his whole life and maybe he is a bit slower to adapt than some players. It seems like common sense to me, if you're playing as a 8 you need to support your team mate in deeper areas, but maybe Bruno and Mount are not getting the communication and balance right over who is doing what and when.

Either way, Casemiro needs help. He is 31. He'll feel like 37 by the time this season is over if it continues like the Wolves game!

 

[sglowrider]

Interesting. Maybe the way Mount is hovering high up the pitch so often is not the actual intention behind his current role. Seems strange because that is quite an obvious thing that should be relatively easy to get across the player and you wouldn't think it would take all of preseason and a competitive game to work that out.

But then again, he's played as an attacking midfielder his whole life and maybe he is a bit slower to adapt than some players. It seems like common sense to me, if you're playing as a 8 you need to support your team mate in deeper areas, but maybe Bruno and Mount are not getting the communication and balance right over who is doing what and when.

Either way, Casemiro needs help. He is 31. He'll feel like 37 by the time this season is over if it continues like the Wolves game!

That's why is just crazy to judge Mount based on one game. It used to be a season bedding in period, now its less than a week.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

When we were linked with Mount, I was slightly confused because really, he's a number 10 like Bruno. Therefore, i assumed, ten Hag had plans to play Bruno deeper as he did so last season, and put in some fantastic displays. As it is, ten Hag obviously has a vision for Mount to play that more reserved 8 role, but I would like to see him and Bruino switch roles.

 

[croadyman]

When we were linked with Mount, I was slightly confused because really, he's a number 10 like Bruno. Therefore, i assumed, ten Hag had plans to play Bruno deeper as he did so last season, and put in some fantastic displays. As it is, ten Hag obviously has a vision for Mount to play that more reserved 8 role, but I would like to see him and Bruino switch roles.

Needs to try them both in the position and see which one of them suits the role better

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Needs to try them both in the position and see which one of them suits the role better

Maybe, but if you look at the skillset of both players, you'd imagine Bruno is much more suited to the deeper role. For example, one of Bruno's best attribute is his range of passing. Mount, on the other hand, excels when he's getting on the end of things, i.e. Lampard.

If you look at the video below, this shows Bruno playing in the deeper role, and something I believe we were really missing against Wolves.

 

[criticalanalysis]

Maybe, but if you look at the skillset of both players, you'd imagine Bruno is much more suited to the deeper role. For example, one of Bruno's best attribute is his range of passing. Mount, on the other hand, excels when he's getting on the end of things, i.e. Lampard.

If you look at the video below, this shows Bruno playing in the deeper role, and something I believe we were really missing against Wolves.

Yes when Bruno wants to, he's a very capable midfielder. He has underrated composure, skill and first touch to control when pressed. It's just a shame that he plays so instinctively.

 

[tenpoless]

I'm preemptively saying what a shit performance against Spurs

 

[croadyman]

Maybe, but if you look at the skillset of both players, you'd imagine Bruno is much more suited to the deeper role. For example, one of Bruno's best attribute is his range of passing. Mount, on the other hand, excels when he's getting on the end of things, i.e. Lampard.

If you look at the video below, this shows Bruno playing in the deeper role, and something I believe we were really missing against Wolves.

Yeah I would say he suits the role better

 

[giggs-beckham]

So we're ditching the 433 to go back to last seasons 4231? I thought we were changing to a point back 433

 

[TGod]

So we're ditching the 433 to go back to last seasons 4231? I thought we were changing to a point back 433

Where did you see that?

 

[giggs-beckham]

Where did you see that?

We've been playing with 2 attacking midfielder in a double 8. But saying Mount can go back next to Casemiro looks like a change back in formation/system

 

[NLunited]

We've been playing with 2 attacking midfielder in a double 8. But saying Mount can go back next to Casemiro looks like a change back in formation/system

I believe he is talking more about how to tweak Mount‘s performance (and Cas+Bruno) rather than a change in system. He wants Mount to be everywhere.

 

[IrishRedDevil]

He wants Mount to play deeper, but average positions from the Wolves game had Mount and Bruno standing on top of eachother.

 

[Hoof the ball]

We've been playing with 2 attacking midfielder in a double 8. But saying Mount can go back next to Casemiro looks like a change back in formation/system

That would mean Mount would be playing in a double pivot and I'm skeptical that was what EtH was indicating. Last season Gundogan played the floating 8 but he often came closer to Rodri to receive the ball. I suspect this is EtH's intent with Mount.

 

[Hoof the ball]

He wants Mount to play deeper, but average positions from the Wolves game had Mount and Bruno standing on top of eachother.

That's a problem with Mount and Bruno not understanding that there's two half spaces in the opposition half. If they're in the same place then they're not occupying their own respective half spaces. If EtH can get them both to keep their tactical heads on then that should change.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

He wants Mount to play deeper, but average positions from the Wolves game had Mount and Bruno standing on top of eachother.

Yeah it's really weird because I can't say Ten Hag comes across as dishonest, I can't imagine he's not extremely clear at giving instructions and it's pretty well known that one of the reasons coaches love Mount is that he follows the tactical instructions to a tee.

 

[Giggsyking]

Well.

 

[RonaldoVII]

Doesn't really look a CM does he? Effort is there but we're looking clueless. Who's decision was it to bring him as the only apparent midfielder?

 

[izec]

Makes the team worse. He looked better in the first half, however the balance is not right. And he goes missing for large parts of the game. How many shots and chances created? 0? Just not good enough

 

[Erics_Collar]

31 completed passes in 2 games.

 

[edgecutter]

Just an expensive mctominay. Goes missing

 

[Ekeke]

Early days, but has been about as effective as DVB was. Certainly looks a mile away from a player we should have spent our main efforts on signing this summer

 

[Abraxas]

Invisible sadly. Hard to pick the bones out of that and find anything good. Needs to be braver.

 

[spiriticon]

To succeed here, he needs to NOT play like Mason Mount.

Now there's a challenge for you.

 

[The Kag]

To be fair to Mount, the amount of times he was open in the middle and Bruno/fullbacks elected to launch the ball into the next dimension, or our wingers and Rashford dribbled into Nowhereland and lost possession was staggering.

 

[mu4c_20le]

He works hard. He's going to be our Player of the Season too at this rate.

 

[acnumber9]

We’ve signed Van de Beek twice. His signing has created a problem rather than solving one.

 

[FromTheBench]

Buy another 10 and try to make him a 8.

Works well everytime.

 

[Godfather]

We’ve signed Van de Beek twice. His signing has created a problem rather than solving one.

Exactly.

 

[avgp_1]

He looked well up for it in the 1st half with some neat plays but 2nd half again just disappeared like the Wolves game.

 

[Bobski]

He is an upgraded Donny/Sabitzer with a bit more adapability but many of the same issues. Absolutely isn't a CM behind a 10 which makes the signing very odd unless we are looking to move Bruno on.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

The "what does he do" question.

All long standing critics of him have always asked this question.

Early days, but it's hard not to fear we're never going to get that answer

 

[flappyjay]

Won't hold him responsible. I saw him have good games for Chelsea as an offensive midfielder and saw him have average to poor games at cm in the few occasions he played there for Chelsea. Nothing we are seeing here should be a surprise. Hopefully he turns it around some how.

 

[fps]

This signing baffled me at the time, and still does. So far feels a bit like when Sterling left City for Chelsea and faffed about as if he was on a personal journey to find himself on the pitch. He needs to be at the races and work out what he’s about, and do so bloody quickly.

 

[klayton88]

He works hard. He's going to be our Player of the Season too at this rate.

Ah the old Lingard defence

 

[Yagami]

Typical Mount performance. Basically, the exact same thing he did for Chelsea and England so this is what ten Hag was legitimately happy to spend over £50m on.

 

[the hea]

Thought he was on par with the rest of the team, played well in the first half followed by a poor second half.

 

[lilcurt]

Think he is a good player but absolutely not what we needed. With a limited budget I cannot understand at all who thought he was a good investment.

 

[mancan92]

A nothing player. We are better with eriksen cm

 

[criticalanalysis]

I still think he can demand the ball more but this is not the game to criticise him. Individually he did well, the bigger issue is everyone around him and the tactics/game plan from ETH.

People need to get off his back and that's coming from me where I massively questioned his transfer. I mean I still do but we can only judge him on what he does not we expect he should be doing.