Mason Mount: Can Manchester United’s pre-season revelation be a big part of Michael Carrick’s midfield overhaul? | Football News

“Why go out searching for a midfielder when you’ve got Mason Mount at home?”

…A perhaps uncomfortable conversation for most Manchester United supporters to have, but that’s the question Mount is forcing Michael Carrick and the Carrington training staff to consider.

The 27-year-old has started every game in pre-season for United and has been among their standout performers against Wrexham, Rosenborg and Atletico Madrid.

“It’s only pre-season” will be a valid rebuttal for anyone looking to jump on the Mount hype train. Preparations ahead of the new season can often provide a false representation of reality given differences in fitness and the lack of any real competitive edge. Most United fans will be familiar with this testing assessment of performances during this period.

Andreas Pereira, now plying his trade in Brazil, was once dubbed the “pre-season Pirlo” for his assured performances ahead of new seasons. Those same performances failed to emerge come the beginning of the regular campaign.

Putting that to one side, though, what pre-season does offer is an insight into a manager’s thinking. And as United fans wait eagerly to discover what Carrick’s side will look like ahead of his first full season in charge, Mount’s role could be telling.

The former Chelsea man has slotted seamlessly into a deeper role. His composure on the ball and industry as a No 8 is exactly what United will be looking for in the market. United prioritised a midfield overhaul this summer following the departure of Casemiro and two signings have already been made in that area.

Andrey Santos from Chelsea has already made an impression on fans and United await to see what impact Youri Tielemans can have. However, fully fit ahead of the new campaign, pre-season has provided Mount with an opportunity to pin down a role and it’s one he’s very much taking.

While he appears a revelation, Mount’s deployment deep in a midfield two isn’t new under Carrick. Nor is it new for Mount, having played roughly 4,500 mins as a No 8 or No 6 and 7,000 behind the front man.

Mount started United’s final game of last season, a win at Brighton, in that very role alongside Kobbie Mainoo. While there was no obvious defensive-minded midfielder between the two, the pair’s technical ability allowed them to dominate Brighton’s midfield in a comprehensive display.

The Brighton game was United’s first taste of life post-Casemiro, and Carrick’s immediate solution was to play Mount. However, another occasion Carrick chose Mainoo and Mount behind Bruno Fernandes was during a 0-0 draw against Sunderland towards the back end of the season, which was less successful. United were lucky to escape the Stadium of Light with a point.

While Casemiro represented a more combative option that United now lack, Carrick has expressed his admiration for Paris Saint-Germain’s midfield dynamic in the past and could be eyeing the chance to replicate those relationships at Old Trafford.

At Parc des Princes, on-the-ball mastery is king over industry and tough tackling and it’s a core that’s been game-changing for the back-to-back Champions League winners. Mount, whose attitude has seemingly allowed him to adapt to many sides, seems prime for that evolution.

Throughout his career, Mount has always emerged as a managerial favourite. It happened under Frank Lampard on loan at Derby County and back at Chelsea. Thomas Tuchel also found a place for Mount in his teams, while Erik ten Hag was eager to bring him to Old Trafford in a deal worth up to £60m and hand him the famed No 7.

That decision still mystifies most onlookers, as, at times, has the transfer in general. However, before even a ball was kicked under Ruben Amorim following Ten Hag’s sacking, he was quick to express his “love” for Mount.

Mount seems to have it all going for him, with coaching staff and team-mates alike evidently willing him on to find success as he enters his third season at United. But anyone familiar with Mount will know the issue doesn’t solely lie with his role or ability. Mount’s issue has been his fitness, and it’s plagued him throughout his Old Trafford career.

Since joining United, Mount has missed around 70 matches with injury and has spent 394 days sidelined. But without hoping to tempt fate, there are signs that he can establish himself as a useful tool in United’s squad.

With a return to Champions League football awaiting Carrick’s side and a desire to avoid the domestic cup disasters of last season, there will be ample chance for Mount to be deployed. Three years on, United may just be getting the midfielder they hoped they’d signed.

Is he like a new signing? Not really, but United do have Mount at home.