When Frank Lampard departed Chelsea, many speculated that Mason Mount would find himself in a tricky situation. Under Lampard, Mount was a near-constant fixture in the team. The suggestion was that this may quickly change.
Upon being left on the bench in Thomas Tuchel’s first game against Wolverhampton Wanderers, it did indeed look as if the tide had turned. Little more than a handful of games later, Mason Mount‘s space in the team could hardly be any safer. In the face of criticism and even jokes, Mason Mount is quietly proving his worth week upon week.
Mason Mount Continues to Shine
The Dynamic Force in Chelsea’s Midfield
For the most part, Tuchel’s first game against Wolves was a limp affair. Chelsea enjoyed much of the ball but failed to turn it into penetration. With eight minutes remaining, Mount entered the game. Occupying the right side of the pitch, the Englishman sparked a handful of attacks in a manner that had been absent for the rest of the match. It was little more than a cameo but showed more than enough to whet the appetite.
Since then, Mount has started in all three matches. With the more timid pairing of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic behind him, he has been the spark in the Chelsea team. With a Man of the Match award against Tottenham Hotspur and a goal against Sheffield United, Mount’s impact is clear to see.
What’s more, is that Mount does not simply compare well to his teammates. He is one of only four players in the league to have created 50 or more chances. For a player whose role often shifts between being anywhere from deeper in midfield to out on the wing, Mount has shown an ability to make an impact anywhere he is deployed.
Four players have created 50+ chances in the Premier League this season:
✓ Jack Grealish
✓ Bruno Fernandes
✓ Kevin De Bruyne
✓ Mason Mount 🆕MM hits a half-century. pic.twitter.com/q7vcXKituU
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) January 31, 2021
Answering the Critics
Whilst several of his young peers have received nearly undiluted support, football fans have been less kind to Mount. First, jokes were made that he was ‘Lampard’s son’ at Derby County and Chelsea due to his constant place in the team. Soon, the same jokes were made about Gareth Southgate when Mount entered the England team. Indeed, there appeared to be a cruel hope from some that Tuchel would make a point of distancing himself from Mount.
Instead, the cycle appears to be continuing. Mount is looking to be a fixture in Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea too. Perhaps it is at this point that conversation around Mason Mount changes. If a 22-year-old is loved by three consecutive managers, then it’s probably more than some vague notion of being a ‘teacher’s pet’.
Mason Mount may simply be succeeding because he is doing everything that could be asked of him. He will play where he is asked, he will give every bit of required effort and then some. In fairness to Mount, it would be unfair to even reduce it to being solely down to effort. He is clearly fantastically talented. A weak-footed finish such as his against Sheffield United is not the type that an average player could easily produce.
Detractors of Mason Mount would be wise to try a bit harder to think of some novel criticism. He might just become your favourite manager’s favourite player next.
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