Erik ten Hag urges Man Utd fans not to 'judge' £60m flop

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has urged fans not to "judge" Mason Mount following a disappointing debut season at Old Trafford.

Mount moved from Chelsea last summer in a deal worth up to £60m but made a limited impact for his new club, largely due to injury problems. In 20 appearances, he managed one goal and one assist.

The 25-year-old had already seen his final season with Chelsea curtailed by a pubic bone issue that required surgery to fix. He picked up a fresh injury just two games into his United career, while a long-term calf injury later forced him to miss around four months of the campaign.

"You can't judge his season, because he was injured. Don't judge him. But when he is fit he will be a very good player for us and we can use him, versatile," Ten Hag insisted.

"You need certain types in the squad, team players, multifunctional players. Definitely, he is one of the players who can play in several positions, he will help the team."

At his best, Mount is a dependable and creative goalscoring midfielder. His 2021/22 season is proof of that, contributing 29 combined goals and assists in 53 appearances across all competitions.

Having been unable to play for England since the 2022 World Cup because of fitness issues, Mount has had the benefit of a full pre-season this summer. He was among the first group of players to report for duty at Carrington when training began early this month.

Ten Hag alluded to Mount's ability to perform different roles in the team. As a 'number 10', he can provide competition or cover for Bruno Fernandes, while either can drop deeper into the '8' role should United be tasked with breaking the lines of a stubborn opponent. Mount has also been known to operate from the flanks, or even as a 'false 9'.