Data Analysis : Mason Mount to Manchester United
July 21, 2023
Erik ten Hag finally got his man, but why did he want him so much?
Before diving into the player, let's take a look at his future partners in crime : Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes. What do they excel in and what do they lack? These questions will frame and inform our analysis of the third man in that midfield. • Volume of passing (forward passes) : covered by both
• Progressive and key passes : covered by both
• Defensive ability (defensive actions and duel %) : covered by Casemiro alone
• Ball carrying : covered by Bruno alone, and not to the highest level
• Retention (forward pass accuracy) : lacking from both The third player in that midfield three will need to have great retention, great carrying and decent defensive ability... Looks like Mason's a match!
◆ DEFENSIVE NUMBERS
Despite playing further up the pitch, Mount posted higher defensive numbers than Eriksen & Bruno Fernandes last season (but naturally lower than Casemiro and McFred).Praised by many at Chelsea for his disciplined nature and willingness to defend, Mount doesn't hesitate to track back and get stuck in. In that aspect it would be a clear upgrade on Eriksen and a fiercer, more aggressive partner to Casemiro, able to help him track runners.
◆ RETENTION
Mason Mount's forward pass accuracy is above average, and higher than Bruno and Casemiro's. In fact it is higher than all of Manchester United's midfielders bar Eriksen and McTominay. While his numbers in that regard are good but not world-class, and may seem an insignificant upgrade, it is important to keep two things in mind :• He was playing higher up the pitch at Chelsea, leading to lower accuracy (less uncongested space to play the passes in). • He is an extremely creative player. You will have noticed that in most radars, Key Passes and Forward Pass % are negatively correlated, meaning if a player ranks high in one he will rank low in the other. Mount ranks relatively high in both. To illustrate those two points, let's compare him to Eriksen : he has a slightly lower forward pass acuracy but it comes with higher key passes. So there is no real loss of quality in the retention aspect. I would even call it a slight upgrade.
His accuracy is especially impressive in the context of how risky his passes are and how creative he is.
Showcasing this tendency again, Mount is one of the best in the Premier League at keeping possession of the ball when trying difficult passes.
All this to say that Mount's accuracy/retention, while underwhelming on paper, has the potential to be elite. I think Erik ten Hag has spotted this and believes he can get the most out of that aspect of his game, which is strong and obvious for all eyes to see.
◆ CARRYING
I believe this is the key. It is something United's midfield has severely lacked last season, being too static at times and having trouble maneuvering out of a press.Casemiro does not carry the ball at ALL and it is one area where Bruno has to improve It is also part (retention being the other main part) of Erik ten Hag's obsession with Frenkie de Jong, one of the best - if not the best - ball carriers in the world from midfield In an off season where he played higher up the pitch (meaning less space to progress), he managed more progressive runs than every single Manchester United midfielder.
While not at FDJ level yet, Mount will be a MAJOR improvement in that aspect. These are encouraging signs that Erik ten Hag will have noticed. I believe he will try coaching more of it into Mason as he transitions from an attacking midfielder to a deeper role (something Erik ten Hag seems to do a LOT) where he will naturally have more space to progress the ball in.
