"I love that guy," Ruben Amorim said on his inauguration at Manchester United. It is not difficult to predict that it is not a praise for Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, or even Andre Onana, Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Hojlund.
But Amorim seems to have friends who are in the same opinion. Thomas Tuchel was in love with Mason Mount and Frank Lampard. Gareth Southgate also highly appreciated him.
Erik ten Hag even loved Mount to the point of spending £55 million to recruit him, and Amorim was no exception.
Mount seems to be a favorite student model in the football world. Not all fans share that affection like coaches, especially when the 26-year-old midfielder became the focus of criticism in Man United's transfer policy. However, there were still moments reminiscent of Mount's class.
Perhaps Man United's two best matches of the season have been their first two against Burnley and Sunderland. Mount has been an indispensable factor in both matches, although it should also be noted that his opponents are all clubs that competed in the Championship last season.
Mount scored against Sunderland, and it was worth mentioning that it was only his first Premier League goal at Old Trafford in his third season at the "Red Devils".
However, Mount has a rare value in Amorim's inherited squad: he has played excellently in the 3-4-3 formation. Although he had to drop deep at one point, even becoming a left-back in the match against Brentford when Amorim was determined not to change the formation, Mount was truly a pure attacking midfielder. He is in good shape at number 10 on the left - a role he played against Sunderland.
"I think Mason Mount can give us more than just a midfielder, rather than a winger or a striker. He defends very well, is very smart, and is also extremely disadvantaged when attacking" - Amorim commented.
His position as a bridge in the playing style makes Mount a player especially loved by coaches. His ball handling also shows that. "I felt like I was giving the team a lot of energy, sometimes creating pressure and becoming a catalyst for the next attacks" - the England international shared.
One of the most surprising changes was the exclusion of Matheus Cunha from the starting lineup of Man United against Sunderland to make way for Mount. However, Amorim's bold decision was proven after only 8 minutes of play.
Mount's delicate touch and accurate finish, coming from Bryan Mbeumo's assist, helped M.U take the lead. It was Man United's earliest Premier League goal since Amorim's debut, when Marcus Rashford opened the scoring just 80 seconds against Ipswich Town. At the same time, this is also considered the most beautiful goal of the "Red Devils" since the beginning of the season.
Mount is a player that Amorim has especially trusted, so having him in the starting lineup for the first time since August, in a highly tense match, should not have surprised many people.
However, Man United's heavy spending on an attack worth more than 200 million pounds has caused Mount to have few regular playing opportunities, and he has recently been pushed down to take on the role of left wing-back as a reserve.
"Today's victory must be the beginning of something. We thought everything would start after defeating Chelsea, but then we had to get a disappointing result at Brentford.
Everything has to start today, and we will work hard throughout the break. Man United's goal is to win two consecutive victories, then three, to focus on breaking into the top 4" - the former Chelsea midfielder said.
