0 Shots on Target, 0 Dribbles, 0 Key Passes – United’s Star Struggles to Find His Groove
The announcement that Mason Mount, the blue-eyed boy of Chelsea fans, would be Manchester United’s first acquisition of the summer transfer window was met with elation among the club’s supporters.
The club was not accustomed to acquiring such a player during the Ed Woodward era, but this player fit the manager’s approach and was brought in for a specific reason.
Christian Eriksen was unable to handle the volume of games and the intensity of certain matches, and Fred was deemed unfit for the club, leaving a glaring hole in the midfield.
Mount underwhelmed at Old Trafford
Due to his early arrival, the England international has been able to rack up a significant amount of preseason minutes, featuring in every game and lasting the entire 90 minutes against RC Lens on Saturday.
Erik ten Hag will almost certainly debut the 24-year-old against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the opening match of the Premier League season.
While it would be unfair to criticize a player who has just joined the club and is still adjusting to the manager’s methods, Mount underperformed against the Ligue 1 team.
His pressing off the ball and tireless work will be appreciated by the Old Trafford faithful and his new manager, but what the club needs is a creative presence capable of scoring crucial goals at crucial moments, as he did at Chelsea.
Mount missed a golden opportunity against Lens despite having a wide-open goal at his disposal after Alejandro Garancho found him.
He has missed opportunities in other games, but the manager will be pleased that he is going into dangerous areas.
However, scoring goals has been a concern for the team, and Mount needs to improve quickly in this regard.
Mount will be expected to deliver more by Erik ten Hag
Mount at times played as if he were a No. 10, but he rarely received the ball in hazardous areas, as the manager desires a more offensive approach from his players.
He completed the game with only 38 touches of the ball and a passing percentage of 86 percent. None of his crosses or long balls were successful, and he also failed to make a vital pass.
Sofascore awarded him the joint third-lowest match rating, and the lowest among midfielders, as he finished the game without a shot on goal or a completed dribble.
He was victorious in three of five ground duels, but lost possession eight times. This was by no means an alarming performance, but the midfielder needs to start producing once the season begins.
0 Shots on Target, 0 Dribbles, 0 Key Passes – United’s Star Struggles to Find His Groove
