"He’s not hit the ground running" - Pundit weighs in on Mason Mount's start to life at Manchester United
Former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre has admitted that Mason Mount's time at Old Trafford has not begun well. However, he believes the midfielder will be back to his best once he is given some time to settle.
The Red Devils signed Mount from Chelsea this summer for a fee of around £60 million and handed him the famous No. 7 shirt. While few would complain that the shirt has weighed on him, the Englishman has clearly not gotten off to a great start at his new club.
Mount is yet to score a goal in six appearances for United, though he recorded an assist in their 3-0 Carabao Cup third-round win over Crystal Palace. He has also missed five games across competitions already due to a thigh injury.
Silvestre feels the injury hasn't helped Mount's case, but believes he needs to be afforded time to return to his best self. The former defender, who played 361 times for United between 1999 and 2008 and won 11 titles with them, told gaming and eSports network GGRecon:
“When I first heard that Manchester United were signing Mason Mount, I was very pleased with this move because he’s been playing in the Premier League for quite some time with Chelsea and he did a very good job for them.
“Unfortunately for him, his final few months at Stamford Bridge wouldn’t have gone the way he would have liked them to, but he’s still young and he’s an international player for England, so ultimately I believe he will be a good fit for Manchester United in the long run.”
Mount notably started only 26 matches across competitions for Chelsea last term, missing multiple matches due to a pelvic injury.
Silvestre concluded:
“In his first few months at Old Trafford, he’s not hit the ground running and he’s had to miss a couple of games through injury too. In football, you always have the opportunity to bounce back and he will be given the time he needs to settle in, improve, and get back to his very best.”
Overall, Mount made 195 appearances for Chelsea after breaking into their first team in 2019. He recorded 33 goals and 37 assists, helping his boyhood club win the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League as well as the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag praised Mason Mount earlier this month
Mason Mount hasn't been the only Manchester United player to struggle this term. The team, including last season's hero Casemiro and Mount's fellow summer arrival Andre Onana, has looked disjointed.
This has led to them winning just four of their first eight Premier League matches. They have also lost both their UEFA Champions League group-stage games against Bayern Munich and Galatasaray.
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, however, threw his weight behind Mount in an interview earlier this month. The Dutchman said on October 2 (as quoted by the Daily Mail):
"He can be a big part [of what we are creating here]. He can play in that game by supplying, making the connections, making the link-ups for those in the front line.
"He has abilities to give that [energy] and to supply our front players by combinations. Also in his moments of defence transition, in defending and pressing he can be and he is already a great player for us because he puts a lot of effort in."
Mount will hope to get his first goal contribution in the league for United when they visit Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Saturday, October 21.