Even though Manchester United played horribly in their season opener, the result was positive.
The new-look squad under Erik ten Hag got off to a good start with a 1-0 victory, but the ease with which Wolves penetrated United’s midfield is cause for concern moving forward.
In the event of a matchup, teams with superior forward talent will punish Ten Hag’s squad, who will be figҺting relegation. Afterward, Gary Neville criticized United’s “non-existent” midfield.
Twenty-three shots were taken at United’s net by Wolves, the most by an opposing team at Old Trafford since 2005. United’s 1-0 victory was a major overstatement, since Wolves dominated possession in the middle of the field.
United’s new number seven, Mason Mount, a high-priced acquisition from archrivals Chelsea, was the anchor of this leaky midfield. Ten Hag will have expected Mount to play a significant role in his midfield this season, considering he signed him for a fee that could reach £60 million.
In light of Mount’s recent struggles and the team’s overall ineffectiveness, tonight’s performance will be cause for concern.
Mount sometimes played with the stereotypically high level of intensity expected of him, sometimes attempted to show off his quick passing and swift pressing, and sometimes exhibited his technical proficiency with the ball. However, Mount spent the most amount of his time on the field being faceless for both teams.
Zero goals, zero assists, zero shots, zero dribbles, zero critical passes, zero clearances. You wouldn’t think a £60 million midfielder would have numbers like these if he was brought in to turn your team into serious contenders.
Mount found it difficult to make an impact on the game, and he often seemed unsure of what to do: he was either too far up the field to provide effective defensive backing, or too far away from the ball to regularly help construct attacks.
In the 68th minute, Christian Eriksen came on for him, and he never played again. Even though Eriksen wasn’t great, his smart playmaking with the ball was a noticeable upgrade from Mount’s bootless activity.
However, you should never count a player out based on a single performance. It’s much too soon to draw an opinion on Mount as a person; a player with his history in English football will deliver much better showings for United than tonight’s.
The weakness of United’s midfield will cause significantly more concern. Mount’s profile suggests he plays a significant part in this.
Against the Wolves’ cоunterattack, Casemiro often found himself on his own. In front of a sea of orange, the Brazilian looked every bit his age of 31; with Bruno Fernandes and Mount trapped further up the pitch, they were either unable or unwilling to offer any assistance. Tonight, United gave the ball away 81 times (Sky Sports TV), giving Wolves 81 chances to cоunterattack against an ineffective United midfield.
It’s a risky move on Ten Hag’s part to play Casemiro as a lone pivot while also pressing the ball forward with Bruno and Mount. Based on United’s and Mount’s results, it’s a decision that borders on foolhardiness.