Ten Hag makes his feelings clear on Mason Mount and 7 others

Ten Hag makes his feelings clear on Mason Mount and 7 others

The glass-half-empty members of the Manchester United fanbase may tell you that Erik ten Hag’s side are going into Saturday’s Community Shield in a worse shape than they did May’s FA Cup final and , OK, they may have some semblance of a point.

 

Raphael Varane has gone. That, coupled with the injury doubts hanging over Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw, leaves the Red Devils’ backline looking threadbare already.

 

And that’s without even mentioning the three-month lay-off facing Manchester United’s new £52 million signing Leny Yoro.

 

Casemiro also remains United’s most senior ‘number six’. Rasmus Hojlund is unavailable too.

 

But, looking at things from a more positive perspective, it’s not all doom and gloom. Far from it. Ten Hag confirmed last week that Joshua Zirkzee – the £35 million striker and potentially the catalyst for a transformation of United’s often misfiring attack – could make his debut at Wembley.

 

Amad Diallo, for the first time, begins a season as a proven first-team player. He took his dazzling form at the end of last term into pre-season; scoring ‘explosive’ goals against Rangers and Real Betis.

 

The returns of Jadon Sancho and Mason Mount, meanwhile, are almost like new signings themselves, even if such a phrase tends to incur a bit of eye-rolling.

 

Mason Mount #7 of Manchester United stands in position during a match between Manchester United and Liverpool FC at Williams-Brice Stadium on Augus…

 

Mason Mount ready to make Manchester United comeback

 

For very different reasons, Sancho and Mount proved unavailable to Ten Hag for the majority of 2023/24. Sancho, back after a spell at Borussia Dortmund, has looked sharp over in the USA as a ‘false nine’.

 

Optimism is growing that this could be Mount’s belated breakout season as Man United’s number seven, meanwhile.

 

 

“We know he’s a high class player,” Ten Hag tells the Manchester Evening News at his pre-Wembley press conference.

 

 

“Last season, he had a very bad season. A very tough season for him because of all injuries.”

 

You can say that again.

 

Mount started only five Premier League matches, scoring once. But on the rare occasions he has been fully fit, the £55 million signing from Chelsea has added a dexterity, an energy and a thrust to a Man United midfield that frequently lacked all three of those attributes when Mount was unavailable.

 

“Now, we are very pleased he had a good pre-season,” Ten Hag adds, Mount featuring regularly over the summer. “And I’m sure, from this point on, he will contribute to the team if he stays fit.

 

“It counts for every player.”

 

Erik ten Hag gives his backing ahead of Wembley return

It remains to be seen how a midfield trio of Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount fits together, if indeed that is the direction Ten Hag wants to go in.

 

There is still an acceptance that the Red Devils need a mobile, physical operator to sit deep and provide a platform for Mount and co to push on, problems in that Manuel Ugarte deal encouraging United to run the rule over Burnley’s Sander Berge amongst others.

 

“We know what we can do as a group and I think we showed it at the end of last season,” 36-time England international Mount told Manchester United’s official website, chomping at the bit and desperate to make up for lost time.

 

“We definitely have a group that can win trophies and that’s the most important thing. We’ll keep trying to do that and stay focused on that goal because this is Manchester United and we need to set the bar as high as we can and we know how high the bar is.

 

“Now, it’s time for us to perform. We’re ready for it, (to win) as many trophies as we can get, win as many games as we can.

 

“That’s our focus throughout the whole group. We’re definitely on the same page.”

 

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