The bitter truth about Mount

Two goals against Athletic Bilbao were not enough to write a redemption story. For Mason Mount, it was just a rare night in a sea of ​​injuries and disappointments that has lasted nearly two years.

Mason Mount needs to work hard to find himself again.

The Europa League semi-final second leg at Old Trafford saw a rare Mount - decisive, sharp and, crucially, in one piece. His neat turn and exquisite finish rescued Manchester United from a nightmare that was about to come true.

But remember Manchester United led 3-0 from the first leg. It wasn't until Bilbao took the lead at Old Trafford that Mount found the catalyst to wake up.

It was not the performance of a high-profile star, but the inevitable reaction of someone who has been in the shadows for too long. Over the past two seasons, Mount’s memory has been limited to the treatment room and the bench.

Around £70 million – that’s the price Manchester United paid to take Mount from Chelsea. The numbers are staggering, but even more staggering are the stats: just 25 appearances, 3 goals and 2 assists in nearly two Premier League seasons. Just 1,261 minutes of football in England’s top flight – less than some academy graduates.

Mount's time at Manchester United has been nothing short of spectacular.

Every midfielder has low periods, but Mount didn't just go low - he virtually disappeared. Six injuries, two long-term lay-offs, and countless games on the sidelines. Manchester United's No. 7 became a figure of absence.

“As soon as I knew I had the chance to wear No. 7, I didn’t hesitate,” Mount once said. But perhaps he should have hesitated more. The shirt worn by George Best, Eric Cantona, David Beckham, and Cristiano Ronaldo is not a gift, it’s a responsibility. And Mount has never once proven himself worthy of it.

This is no youthful Ronaldo, no proud Cantona, and certainly no Beckham with his trademark crosses. Mount is a technical midfielder with an intelligent pressing and movement - but he lacks the genius to attach his name to the legendary number 7.

Manchester United are stuck in a vicious cycle. They buy the wrong players, use them in the wrong positions, and then sell them off cheaply. Mount is not a sell-on, but he is a testament to the Red Devils’ blind transfer strategy.

Mason Mount's future will depend a lot on his performances in the future.

Chelsea didn’t sell Mount because they didn’t see talent. They sold because they knew Mount was entering a period of physical decline, and £70 million was an irresistible price. Manchester United, in their quest for English identity, have lost their sanity.

The Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur is not Mount’s chance to “redeem” – a term that sounds too impressive for a player who has done nothing to redeem himself beyond injury – but rather a chance to prove what value – if any – he has left amid his increasingly vulnerable body and erratic form.

Bilbao will not be the end of Mount’s story at Manchester United, nor the beginning of a new era. It is just a stop on the journey of the “Red Devils” finding their identity and Mount finding himself.

Mount is not bad, not bad. He is just an average player who has been given too much expectation in the wrong environment. Win or lose in Bilbao, Mount will have to face the bitter truth: he is no longer the young and promising Chelsea star, but an unreliable 26-year-old midfielder whose value is declining by the day.

Manchester United need more than that to get back to the top. And Mount, for all his effort and determination, will find it difficult to reverse the inevitable process: gradual oblivion at Old Trafford, where big names are constantly brought in and swallowed by the pressure.

Source: https://znews.vn/su-that-dang-ngat-ve-mount-post1554382.html