Mason Mount puffed out his cheeks, ran up two steps, and then delivered a dime-sized corner kick directly to Casemiro’s head as he approached.
Mount flung both arms up, looked up briefly, then turned to the crowd and gave a fist pump as teammates swarmed towards the Brazilian as he scored his fourth goal of the game, making it 2-0 and taking the game away from a struggling Palace squad.
It was difficult to avoid making comparisons to his predecessors in that jersey with the No. 7 on his back. While it would be unjust to Mount to make any additional comparisons in a shirt worn by club greats like George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, and Cristiano Ronaldo, this was to be his breakthrough moment at Manchester United. The delivery was whip-like and accurate, and it was reminiscent of David Beckham’s style.
It only lasted 45 minutes, which was a sad shame for all who were present.
Ten Hag may have already had his sights set on a Saturday meeting with Palace. According to this data, the Englishman must start after Mount managed the proceedings in a more expansive No 8 role than the one he was expected to play against Wolves and Tottenham. He could be the pivotal player this midfield has been waiting for.
In the summer, Ten Hag was open about how happy he was to land Mount, his top midfield target. Other teams wanted him, including Liverpool, but Ten Hag pursued him with tenacity.
Ten Hag said, “I’m confident he will add dynamism to our game, and that was one of our analysis findings we made after last season.” “We must be more dynamic.”Therefore, it was even more perplexing when Mount was given a deeper role in a double-pivot with Casemiro for the first two games.
United lost the midfield fight both times. Mount’s effect was little to nonexistent both times.
Gary Neville was criticized by “Anonymous” on Sky.
Mount missed five weeks of play due to injury, but it may have been for the best. Both Mount and Ten Hag had time to consider the potential recipe for success for him while they were out of the firing line in a team that was spluttering on all fronts.
It was clear from the beginning that Mount and the young Hannibal Mejbri were starting as advanced No 8s with Casemiro holding, supported by Sofyan Amrabat, who was more than happy to flip inside from left back. In the end, it wasn’t going to be in a double pivot.
“[It is] the ideal match [for him to come back],” Ten Hag had already said. He is now recovering from an injury. He has a fresh start now after playing just two games this year.
The midfield three that United saw after that engaged in some of their most ferocious pressing of the season.
It’s far too early to judge whether or not United’s midfield issues are now in the past, but these three players, together with the seasoned Casemiro, demonstrated that sluggish build-up and a dearth of ideas in the middle don’t have to last for very long. This was an exhibit that was dynamic, full of ideas, creative, and energetic.Mejbri has the energy of a Duracell bunny, but he needs to temper his tenacity a bit to prevent taking too many low-cost bookings, which will always dull his edge going forward. After clipping Jordan Ayew at the beginning, he was walking a tightrope.
Amrabat played an inverted left-back position for the first 45 minutes of the game before transitioning to a more natural defensive midfield position for the opening 15 minutes of the second half. The Moroccan had 72 touches, a pass accuracy of 97 percent, won two fouls, won all four of his ground duels, and had all of the first 45 seconds of play.Ten Hag called him a “warrior” when describing him. In the press box, analysts and commentators waxed poetic about his tactical acumen and the physicality he can bring to give a little more bite.
But this evening was all about Mount.In the lead-up, he posted on Instagram, “I’m ready.” No, he wasn’t joking.His night began with a deft back heel that allowed Casemiro to roam freely. The thought process and quickness of the flick were too fast for Palace to grasp in real time, but nothing came of it.Mount kept floating into voids with a purpose and kept showing interest in the ball. Facundo Pellistri nearly had a great chance to score after a deft one-two on the edge of the box, but Chris Richards’ lunging leg beat the Uruguayan to the ball.
To score his first goal while wearing a United jersey, Mount latched onto Casemiro’s head as he ran to the corner.No player produced more chances than Mount did in the first half, and if this was a taste of things to come, Manchester United supporters are enjoying the flavor.