British media are ramping up the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag, with multiple outlets reporting variations of the same story — that a majority of the squad are unhappy with the Dutchman.

While some were said to be against the training methods, a few were also not too impressed with the manager’s handling of the Jadon Sancho saga.

Recruitment issues

Samuel Luckhurst of The Manchester Evening News has gone one step further and reported that the players are unhappy with the recruitment done since the former Ajax coach took over.

The names of Antony, Mason Mount, and Wout Weghorst were mentioned as disappointing signings while surprisingly, the list also included the name of the newest recruit Rasmus Hojlund.

“Some time-served players are startled by the calibre of Ten Hag’s signings. One is believed to be particularly perplexed by the addition of the callow Rasmus Hojlund, a £72 million signing from Atalanta who is yet to score in the Premier League.

“Antony, Wout Weghorst, who managed two goals in 31 appearances, and Mason Mount are among the other signings who have been questioned by players.”

Antony has not started his second season well, with 0 goals and assists so far while Weghorst was forced upon the manager due to the lack of funds in the January window last season.

As for Mount, he has been predominantly injured so the jury is still out. As for Hojlund, he is the top scorer in the Champions League. If not for his goals, United would have been embarrassed in Europe.

The writer of the article is a serial offender, and he has often written along the same lines regarding previous managers as well. No wonder he has been banned by Erik ten Hag from attending the Chelsea pre-match press conference.

Player power needs to end

Concerningly, the report also mentions, “Anthony Martial has been identified as one of the prime players who is not invested enough in helping United to succeed while there are growing issues over Marcus Rashford.”

These overpaid prima donnas need to be ousted from their positions of power and the manager must restore order in a chaotic dressing room full of over-inflated egos with no substantial achievements to back it up.

For too long player power has run rampant at Old Trafford, aided by the Glazers’ lecherous handling of the club. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s entry cannot come soon enough.

Just like behind-the-scene personnel changes, players should also be shown the door who are unwilling to work and come out of this current predicament.

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The victory came courtesy of a couple of blinding displays from United’s academy products with Alejandro Garnacho scoring potentially the goal of the season, courtesy of an acrobatic overhead kick.

The Argentine rightfully claimed all the plaudits but it was Kobbie Mainoo who shone the brightest, producing a midfield masterclass from the defensive midfield position.

Mainoo, the new midfield star

Manager Erik ten Hag and skipper Bruno Fernandes were full of praise for the 18-year-old who covered every blade of grass and showcased excellent positional awareness.

It was clear from pre-season that the United manager had plans for the academy midfielder and now after returning from injury, we might see him play in more and more games, especially in the absence of Casemiro.

As per The Independent, the England U-19 international is considered as the perfect alternative to Frenkie de Jong, a midfielder Ten Hag has always wanted to bring to Old Trafford and one he had worked with and achieved great success with at Ajax.

While the Barcelona star might not be coming any time soon, the United boss seems to be delighted with the progress shown by the FA Youth Cup winner and there are plans to pair him with new recruit Mason Mount.

The former Chelsea man has struggled to adjust to his new surroundings but there is hope that with the pace and power of Mainoo alongside him, the Englishman can justify his immense price tag.

“The Dutch coach believes that Kobbie Mainoo greatly helps. There’s even a suspicion that his impact can end up being even more impressive and important than what it has been seen so far.

“Ten Hag is hopeful that Mainoo can be the Frenkie de Jong-style midfielder that he has been lacking since joining the club, and wants to see how a pairing with Mason Mount works.”

Mainoo-Mount, ETH’s dream combo

When paired with Casemiro, Mount ended up playing in advanced areas, thus leaving space for the opposition to counter which the Brazilian could not contain due to him losing a yard of pace.

But the United youngster is full of pace and power and can cover more efficiently, thereby allowing the England midfielder to do what he does best.

Ten Hag has faced criticism, especially in his second season with the team playing a more conservative way and he has been often urged to play in a more attacking style, like he had done with great success back at Ajax.

This combo will be quite an attacking lineup but it could bring success, especially in home games where the opposition are likely to sit deep and try and hold on for dear life.

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A recent report covered by The Peoples Person revealed that Mount sustained an injury ahead of United’s clash against Everton.

The Red Devils are set to travel to Goodison Park to take on the Toffees on Sunday.

During his presser, Ten Hag provided an update on the availability of a number of stars.

The Dutchman explained that Luke Shaw is in contention to start after a number of weeks on the sidelines. Andre Onana and Marcus Rashford are also expected to feature.

Ten Hag further noted that while Rasmus Hojlund trained with his teammates, a late decision will be made regarding whether the Danish striker will play a part against Sean Dyche’s men.

It was relayed that Mount could have picked up a calf injury that could rule him out of action vs. Everton and perhaps for some time.

But Ten Hag spoke to club media and said about the 24-year-old midfielder, “Mason picked up an issue so we have to assess if he’s available for the game or not.”

The manager’s comments could possibly be indicative of the fact that Mount’s injury is not very serious and he may not be out for too long.

Nevertheless, fans will be waiting with bated breath to find out the exact nature and extent of the England international’s setback.

If he is indeed ruled out, Mount will join a good chunk of his teammates who are also recovering.

Some of these players include Lisandro Martinez, Jonny Evans, Tyrell Malacia, Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Amad Diallo.

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Mount who joined United in the summer from Chelsea saw his start to life at Old Trafford hindered just two games into the Premier League campaign when he sustained a hamstring injury during his side’s 2-0 loss at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur.

The Englishman had to endure a period on the sidelines while recovering and missed a number of crucial games for the Red Devils.

He made his return during United’s Carabao Cup clash against Crystal Palace on September 26th and even registered an assist for Casemiro’s girl.

However, since then, Mount has struggled to break into Ten Hag’s starting XI, with the manager preferring a midfield trio of Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay in a slightly advanced role.

During United’s clash against Luton Town just before the November international break, Mount came in for the injured Eriksen and produced a masterclass in the middle of the park that he would have hoped put him in Ten Hag’s thinking for a starting berth.

According to Romano, it’s now unlikely that the 24-year-old will get a chance to make an impact as he is now injured.

The Italian journalist reports, “Mason Mount picked up an injury as tests took place today in order to understand for how long he won’t be available.”

“Mount, determined to work hard and return as soon as possible after unfortunate beginning of the season.”

Mason Mount picked up an injury as tests took place today in order to understand for how long he won’t be available.

Mount, determined to work hard and return as soon as possible after unfortunate beginning of the season. pic.twitter.com/yhfSZvwkVy

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 24, 2023

As per Insider United, an X account user who has proven to be credible with respect to physical setbacks suffered by United players, Mount has a calf injury.

Mount out for a month! Calf.

— INSIDER UNITED (@INSIDERUTD1) November 24, 2023

If true, Mount will become the latest addition to an extensive list of absentees currently consisting of the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Jonny Evans, Tyrell Malacia, Amad Diallo, Christian Eriksen and Casemiro.

There are also doubts about whether Rasmus Hojlund will be fit enough to feature against Everton on Sunday.

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Mount is still searching for his first goal for the club, extending his goalless streak to 25 appearances across Chelsea and United in a challenging year that also saw him lose his spot in the England squad.

His struggles aren’t confined to scoring; injuries and a lack of a consistent role in a fluctuating lineup have further hampered his performance. Contrary to the notion of pressure affecting him, insiders close to Mount reveal his frustration lies more with the erratic nature of his tenure at United.

Despite this, his affection for playing in front of large audiences remains undiminished, and his attachment to Chelsea, his boyhood club, seems less significant than expected.

His challenges this season are largely attributed to on-field events.

Those who have worked with Mount praise his professionalism, work ethic, and football intelligence. Jody Morris, former Chelsea Under-18s coach, highlighted Mount’s standout qualities in an interview with FourFourTwo magazine.

At United, Mount’s attitude and diligence have impressed the staff, earning their sympathy for his difficult start.

The belief is that Mount’s integration has been affected not just by his injury, but also by the team’s overall poor performance.

Erik ten Hag’s vision for United has been complicated by an injury crisis and inconsistent results, leading to tactical adjustments.

Mount faces a demanding schedule ahead, including challenging matches against Everton, Galatasaray, Newcastle United, and a reunion with Chelsea at Old Trafford.

This sequence of games is unlikely to offer much respite for Mount, who, like his teammates, must capitalize on any opportunity presented. The problem lies in the scarcity of such opportunities in a team still finding its identity.

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Most often this season, the team has looked lost, almost like they have not played together and it has been most evident in midfield where the Dutchman still does not know his strongest combination.

Casemiro’s underwhelming campaign thus far has been a major source of consternation for the former Ajax coach while zeroing in on his ideal midfield partner has also proven to be a tough ask.

The season started with the Brazilian midfield general being accompanied by new £55 million signing Mason Mount but the combination lacked balance with the former Chelsea man playing way too advanced, thus leaving a lot of gaps for the opposition to exploit.

Mount has struggled to get integrated

The England international’s versatility means he can play all across the midfield and his relentless pressing and passing attributes were on show when he was played further forward against Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup.

But when playing in a more withdrawn role, Mount’s lack of physicality and his tendency to drift into advanced areas has hindered the team and has led to a lack of balance.

His underwhelming start to his United career was followed by an injury-enforced absence and while he has shown glimpses of his talent since coming back, the 24-year-old is struggling for game time.

The Champions League winner is yet to record a goal or assist in the Premier League or Champions League and has started only four times in the league and once in Europe.

As per journalist Steve Bates, who writes in Givemesport, there is a genuine concern at the club regarding what the future holds for Mount, with many even comparing his situation with that of Donny van de Beek.

The Dutch midfielder had arrived as a world-beater but former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer just could not find the right role for him and now the midfielder is desperately trying to end his Old Trafford nightmare.

“Erik ten Hag’s mind will no doubt be whirring with a handful of dilemmas during the international break. And it’s odds on that high on that list is Mason Mount.

“Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, manager when the Dutch midfielder signed from Ajax, never successfully integrated van de Beek into the team, struggling to find the right position for the Netherlands international.

Can ETH solve Mount puzzle?

“And it’s clear Ten Hag has also yet to solve the puzzle of where to play Mount with Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay all in the team ahead of him. Yet another example of why United’s transfer policy often appears flawed.”

The comparison seems apt as both are versatile stars, too versatile, in fact, for their own good and cannot shine in one specified role especially due to the presence of players who are better suited to a certain role.

Mount cannot play as a defensive midfielder and he does not possess the same passing attributes as Christian Eriksen. As the attacking midfielder, Bruno Fernandes remains ahead of the Englishman. Same went for Donny.

It will be interesting to see how Ten Hag goes on to solve this dilemma. Once Sir Jim Ratcliffe arrives, he will take a good look into United’s flawed transfer policy and such deals might not happen with such alarming regularity under the INEOS chairman.

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Mount arrived at United in the summer from Chelsea in a £60m deal.

He was Erik ten Hag’s number one midfield target and after weeks of negotiation and haggling with Chelsea, an agreement was struck.

Mount has had a slow start to life at Old Trafford.

The 24-year-old suffered an injury early into the season that kept him sidelined for a prolonged period. He has since been unable to earn a regular starting berth.

Recently, Mount has produced a number of impressive performances from the bench and is undoubtedly knocking at the door to be restored into the starting XI.

Against Luton Town, he came on for the injured Christian Eriksen and did a fantastic job during the time he was on the pitch.

Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Lineker who has been part of Match of the Day since 1999, discussed the issue of his succession.

He told his co-hosts, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, “Kasper Schmeichel, as a goalkeeper, very good. His dad’s done lots of punditry, that’s not a bad shout.”

“Can you remember, Alan, when we did the World Cup in Moscow and there were three young footballers?”

“It was Mason Mount, Phil Foden and Ryan Sessegnon. They came to watch us do the TV show.”

Lineker added, “And Mason Mount sat in my chair and was doing a few things to [the] camera, and he wasn’t too bad. Who knows, maybe Mason Mount, we’ll see.”

However, it will be a long time before Mount would even consider such an opportunity. N doubt that at the moment, the player is primarily concerned with improving his form for United and making an impact at the club.

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Varane has seemingly lost his place in the starting XI, going by Ten Hag’s continued preference for a centre-back partnership of Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans.

The United boss has on more than one occasion, explained that Varane’s exclusion from the team is due to “tactical reasons.”

It was expected that with Evans injured, Varane would be given the nod to slot alongside Maguire during the Red Devils’ clash against Luton Town.

Instead, Ten Hag went for Victor Lindelof who went on to score the all-important match-winning goal.

A recent report covered by The Peoples Person revealed that Varane has apparently accepted that he is currently a bench player but remains fully focused on getting back a guaranteed starting berth.

Saha spoke about Varane’s situation and said, “It could be a breakdown in the relationship between player and manager. I know he’s been injured often, but he needs to be given the chance to get back to his best after a spell out. It’s true that everybody needs competition but you can’t fiddle with the defence too much because that department provides you with a solid foundation.”

I don’t understand why Raphaël’s been dropped, so maybe something’s been said behind closed doors. It’s as if he’s being scapegoated in some way and I don’t like it. I would understand the decision to drop him if there was another defender playing outstandingly well, but that’s not the case. Nobody’s really stood out. I respect the decision of the manager because you need to make changes when your team isn’t playing well.”

Saha added, “However, the defence is one area that you don’t mess with because it can put stress on the goalkeeper, especially André Onana who’s new to the Premier League. I don’t understand what’s happened with Raphaël in the last couple of weeks to justify the reasoning for him being dropped.”

Another player Saha spoke at great length about was Mason Mount.

The 45-year-old questioned why there isn’t enough criticism being directed at Mount in comparison to the likes of his underperforming teammates such as Antony and Marcus Rashford.

Saha slammed the press for protecting Mount while targeting other United stars who have also not been up to the level this season.

As per Saha, Mount was signed by Ten Hag for the sole purpose of having an important role in the team but at the moment, the English midfielder is not coming up with the goods.

The Frenchman suggested that Mount’s struggles at Old Trafford could be down to him being played in the wrong position – deeper in the midfielder as opposed to higher up the pitch where he can be more effective and impactful.

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United secured the victory courtesy of a second-half goal from Victor Lindelof.

Marcus Rashford – who played on the right with Antony on the bench – put in a good cross inside the box. The ball hit an unaware Luton player and found its way to a lurking Lindelof.

The Swede made no mistake as he buried his effort past Thomas Kaminski.

The major negative in United’s win was that Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Hojlund suffered injuries.

Fans will be waiting with bated breath to find out the extent of the setbacks suffered by both Denmark internationals who had to be taken off.

Eriksen was replaced by Mount, who during the time he was on the pitch, showed everyone including Erik ten Hag, why he should be a regular starter going forward.

Mount completed 100% of the dribbles he embarked on.

The England international managed a pass accuracy of 81% from completing 21 of the 29 passes he attempted. He also had 33 touches of the ball.

In an incredible show of just what he can contribute going forward, Mount successfully delivered nine of the 10 passes he tried to put into the final third of the pitch. One of these was a key pass.

The 24-year-old won six of the seven ground duels he delved into – such was the level of his defensive work rate.

Mount also made six ball recoveries. He put in four tackles and came out on top on each occasion.

Mason Mount in 50 minutes vs. Luton:

100% dribbles completed
81% pass accuracy
33 touches
17/21 passes completed
9/10 final third passes completed
6/7 ground duels won
6 ball recoveries
4/4 tackles won
1 key pass

Great performance. pic.twitter.com/AUPOe5xaPj

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) November 11, 2023

Ten Hag’s consistent exclusion of Mount from the starting XI in recent games has been a cause for speculation with a section of supporters calling for the player to be given more game time.

He certainly gave his manager something to think about with his performance against Luton.

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Mason Mount’s start to his Manchester United adventure has had as much colour as a typical Manchester November morning. For anyone who is not familiar with the city’s weather, that is not a lot.

The English midfielder has struggled to make any impact whatsoever and this has led to many fans questoning why on earth Erik ten Hag decided to splurge an initial £55m on the player, especially in the context that the club had a somewhat limited budget to spend in the summer due to the ongoing takeover drama.

The English midfielder had become disillusioned with life at Chelsea and wanted a new challenge. The Red Devils were not the only club who desired the England international’s signature. Liverpool and Arsenal were also seen as tough competition for the ex-Chelsea academy graduate. Luckily for Ten Hag, Mount opted for Old Trafford.

That is where the luck has ended so far. Mount arrived to the club on the back of a poor campaign at Chelsea but who didn’t struggle at The Blues last season? The West London based club finished an horrific 12th in the table with a paltry goal difference of -9. Not really a conducive environment for Mount to show off his talent.

We football fans also tend to suffer from short memories. The Englishman was instrumental in Chelsea’s Champions League win in 2021 and even finished 19th on the 2021 Ballon d’Or list, ahead of Bruno Fernandes.

Therefore, one could argue, the transfer made sense. But it hasn’t. The Dutch coach who brought him to the club seems completely clueless about where he wants to play him. The Englishman has already played as a number 8, number 10 and off the right.

Despite a positive start to pre-season for Mount, once the games got serious, he has looked short of confidence. The midfielder had positive scoring and assisting numbers for Chelsea, finding the back of the net 33 times for the London club. So, many United fans felt finally Bruno Fernandes had some help in that department but the two have looked incredibly incompatible when they have played together.

This is a problem for the man from Portsmouth, because Bruno always plays. The former Sporting Lisbon midfielder played more football than anyone in Europe’s top five leagues last season. Therefore, if the England international is to find success at the Red Devils he will need to find a way to play productively in the same team as the Portuguese club captain.

Pundits have also called out Mount for his passiveness and inability to get involved in the play. Former United striker, Louis Saha, lambasted Mount’s “shocking” side-stepping of responsibility on the pitch.

This can be seen in Mount’s statistics. In 10 games he has the record of 0 goals and 1 assist in the Carabao Cup. A “needs to do better” report card would be an understatement.

Although the former Chelsea player, like any new signing, requires time. The Champions League winner has been unlucky on two accounts. The first is, in only his second game, he suffered an injury that kept him out a few weeks at the start of the season. Getting injured is always misfortunate for players but especially in the context of being a new arrival looking to make their mark on a new team.

The second, is Mount probably thought he was leaving a toxic situation at Chelsea and finding a stable environment at a club on the up at Manchester United. The 2022/23 season would have suggested as much. Unfortunately for anyone connected with the club, this has not been the case.

Overall, the midfielder has had a terrible start, some of it on him, some of it on circumstances. It doesn’t look great but it would be premature to give up on a player after 10 games. Let’s make a judgement at the end of the season and hopefully there will be a few more things to get excited about in the spring weather.

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