'We hurt!' - Mason Mount opens up on pain of Man Utd's difficult start to the season and reveals how players showed 'togetherness' to help debutant Senne Lammens

Mount, who gave United an eighth-minute lead against Sunderland which was the team's earliest goal since Amorim's first game in charge of the club last November, explained that the team were feeling down after their 3-1 defeat at Brentford last week.

"It's difficult sometimes when you have only one game a week as there's a lot of time to think after a game like Brentford. We hurt, you know, as a team, as a staff, because we know we can do better," he told reporters. "It really hurts us, obviously, as a club as well. And it feels like a long time going into the next game, but when that game does come around, you're prepared, you're ready to really start sharp and that was our goal from from the beginning. Because we know if we start sharp and we're on the front foot, especially at home, then it can definitely go our way."

Mount was recalled to the starting line-up at the expense of Matheus Cunha. Amorim has previously raved about Mount and expressed regret about his unfortunate run with injuries since joining the club from Chelsea in 2023. Mount said he got on well with Amorim and feels that his previous experience of playing in a 3-4-3 under Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea explains why he has an important role in the Portuguese's side.

He explained: "I have a good relationship with the manager. I don't think that it's any better than all the other lads. I think I have the experience of playing a similar formation to what he likes as I have made it before in the past. So knowing the roles and what he wants out of the team resonates with me, because I've done it before. So I think that's something that I obviously understand. I think all the players understand it now, but I think at the beginning, especially, was something that maybe he could lean on me, because I know the positions.

"I see myself as bringing a lot of energy into the team and setting off the press, at times, being a bit of a catalyst going forward. So yeah, that's always something that I focus on helping the people around me and really bringing the energy. And yeah, to get the goal was, was obviously massive for me, getting the first goal of the season at home in the Premier League, important. So yeah, I really enjoyed that."

Amorim said a day before the game that his biggest fear was his players beginning to doubt his formation and methods amid the relentless media scrutiny. But Mount said there was no chance of that happening, reiterating that the team is fully behind the coach.

"No for us it is just focusing on what the manager wants, and that's in training, and then when it comes to the games, doing exactly what he asked for," he added. "And I think, as you see today, we stuck to the job in hand. everyone did their roles and responsibilities. And it was good performance. I think in the second half, it got a bit cagey, and there was at times where we had to defend, we had to put the body on the line. The defenders were amazing. So that was that was really important for everyone. I mean, say for Ben [Sesko], scoring his goal was so important. I'm absolutely over the moon for him."

Mount also praised new goalkeeper Senne Lammes and explained how the other goalkeepers Tom Heaton and Altay Bayindir helped him prepare for his first game. He continued: "Obviously Senne coming in as well, it was a solid performance. Any danger when Sunderland were pressing, he puts it into Ben, and we work off that. I think he kind of released the pressure a lot today, and everyone was around him. Altay was around him. Tom was around him before the game, and that shows the togetherness we have. We obviously, even in this season, we've gone through up and downs, but we're together, and we'll continue to be together with the manager, with the staff to continue moving forward."

United have a two week break due to the international fixtures and then they face champions and arch rivals Liverpool at Anfield. Mount praised the team's character for their response against Sunderland but emphasised the need for them to build some momentum. He said: "I think it was massive to really start sharp today, big for our character to step up after a difficult game, and we did that. So now we've got to push on. We obviously have a bit of a break now for the next game, but we need to take positives from this game and take them into the next one."