Erik ten Hag is right: Mason Mount shouldn't be judged on injury-ravaged debut season at Man Utd - but 2024-25 is make-or-break for ex-Chelsea man

Mount made United's starting XI for their Premier League opener at home to Wolves last August, in a 4-1-4-1 system that just did not work. Ten Hag's men limped to a 1-0 victory, but could easily have lost had Wolves been more clinical, and Mount was completely ineffective before being substituted in the 68th minute.

United then slipped to a 2-0 loss away at Tottenham in their second game, with Mount once again unable to impose himself. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and the England international had certainly blown his.

To make matters worse, Mount picked up an unspecified injury against Spurs that saw him miss the Red Devils' next five fixtures in all competitions. He returned in time for a third-round Carabao Cup tie against Crystal Palace on September 24, and notched his first assist as United ran out comfortable 3-0 winners, but the Eagles would get their revenge at Old Trafford just four days later.

Mount was little more than a passenger during a dismal 1-0 defeat that confirmed United's worst start to a Premier League season in 34 years. Ten Hag did, however, see his team bounce back with a smash-and-grab victory against Brentford the following week, in spite of Mount's alarming lack of quality on the ball, which led to calls for him to be dropped.

"His creativity is nowhere to be seen," former United striker Louis Saha said to King Casino Bonus. "I didn’t see any positive runs from him against Brentford. His timing is off, too, and he can’t make chances by playing like this. I think Mount can be a lot better, but I’d say the fee was too much. I think Chelsea were playing a game with the fee."

Ten Hag recognised that Mount was failing to perform at the required level, and demoted him to the bench for United's subsequent Premier League matches against Sheffield United, Manchester City and Luton Town, though Mount saw 50 minutes of action in the 1-0 win over the Hatters on December 11, after coming on for the injured Christian Eriksen, producing an industrious performance that hinted he might just turn a corner.

But then disaster struck. Mount was initially ruled out for a month with a calf problem, but would not play again for United until March. The Red Devils enjoyed a brief upturn in form while Mount was on the sidelines, and his struggles to build up a bond with the fans were made worse when it was reported that he had not moved to Old Trafford 'for football reasons'.

His eventual return to full fitness felt inconsequential as a result; he hadn't been missed and no one outside the club seemed to care about his situation. Still, Mount was eased back into the fold with a 15-minute cameo in United's thrilling 4-3 FA Cup quarter-final win over Liverpool, before being introduced as an 80th-minute substitute against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Deep into stoppage-time, Mount almost got his breakthrough moment. The former Chelsea man scored his first Premier League goal since December 2022, finishing calmly after being played in by Casemiro, and the away support went wild - thinking he'd sealed all three points for the Red Devils. Unfortunately, Kristoffer Ajer netted a deserved equaliser for Brentford moments later, denying Mount his hero status.

He would go on to start just one game across April and May - which just so happened to be the most humiliating of all United's 14 league defeats, a 4-0 hammering at Crystal Palace - as he was once again hampered by injuries. He finished the campaign with just two goal contributions to his name from 20 appearances across all competitions.

Mount's first 12 months at United were a massive disappointment, albeit not all that surprising. Chelsea would never have sold him to a direct rival if they didn't believe he'd already reached his ceiling, and regular injuries were also a theme of his final year at Stamford Bridge.

But the Red Devils' failure to do their proper due diligence is not Mount's fault. He's still under contract at Old Trafford until 2028, and is one of the few players in Ten Hag's squad who is not at risk of being sold this summer.

It has been reported that Mount is still being treated like a new signing, with Ten Hag in no doubt he can make a vital contribution going forward. "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," the United manager said last week. "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 peak, Mount was undoubtedly one of Chelsea's best players. He was vital to their Champions League success in 2020-21, and racked up 29 goal involvements the following season, which led John Terry to suggest he could be a future captain for club and country.

No one could have predicted how far Mount would fall in the space of two short years. But Ten Hag is ultimately spot on with his assessment; it is too early to judge him and he is versatile enough to be an asset for United in the upcoming campaign - provided his fitness troubles do not persist.

If United's first three pre-season games are anything to go by, Mount has that fire in his belly again. His high-energy display was the only real positive to come out of a 1-0 loss to Rosenborg, and he linked up well with Amad Diallo during the Red Devils' 2-0 win over Rangers.

Mount was rewarded with a seat on the plane for United's tour of the United States, which they opened with a 2-1 loss to Arsenal in a glamour friendly at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. It's always difficult to draw meaningful conclusions from friendlies, but it was more than just another fitness exercise for Mount as he carried United's attacking threat with his relentless pressing off the ball and ingenuity on it.

He created two chances, posted an impressive 88 percent pass completion rate and won five of his seven ground duels, helping United go toe-to-toe with the Gunners before Ten Hag rung the changes at the break. Many fans and pundits feel Mount is at his best in the No.10 position, and it was easy to see why on Saturday, as he looked far more comfortable in the centre and gave United a real sense of urgency in the transition.

It was a tantalising glimpse of the Mount who became one of England's most promising young talents. Mikel Arteta may also have been left wondering what might have been, given Mount was reportedly one of Arsenal's top targets before United swooped in to steal his signature.

There has never really been any question marks over Mount's ability, though. The main issue Mount is facing at United is that he is in direct competition for minutes with the man who has carried the entire squad on his back for the last four years.

That's right, Bruno Fernandes is currently blocking Mount's path, having been a fixture in that coveted No.10 role since his big-money move from Sporting CP in January 2020. The Portuguese playmaker won't be joining the squad in the U.S. because he was granted extra time off after Euro 2024, but he is expected back at Carrington this week, and will probably be the first name on Ten Hag's teamsheet when United kick-off their latest Premier League at home to Fulham on August 16.

Fernandes was one of just three players who could still hold their heads up high when the dust settled on the Red Devils' last campaign, alongside academy starlets Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho. The 29-year-old plays with his heart on his sleeve and always demands the highest standards from himself and those around him, which is why he was instantly awarded the captain's armband after Harry Maguire's demotion last summer.

He's also the one that makes the difference for United in the final third, as evidenced by his impressive haul of 28 goal involvements in the 2023-24 season. Mount will likely feature against Real Betis and Liverpool before the U.S. tour is wrapped up, and may even get the nod ahead of Fernandes for the upcoming Community Shield encounter against Manchester City. But when the skipper is back up to speed, he'll take back the spot that is rightfully his.

Ten Hag has to figure out a way to fit Mount and Fernandes into the same line up, without disrupting the balance of the team. But on the few occasions they have started together in a United shirt, Mount has either been dropped into a holding role alongside Casemiro, or deployed on the left of a midfield three, with underwhelming results.

Competition for places is only going to increase, too, with United reportedly going all out to sign Paris Saint-Germain's Manuel Ugarte in a bid to shore up their disjointed midfield. Mount could drop deep again, but it doesn't come naturally to him. Jadon Sancho is back to fight it out with Marcus Rashford for a left-wing berth, while Amad Diallo and Garnacho are likely to be the first-choice options on the opposite flank.

At the moment, United's strongest XI does not include Mount; that's the harsh reality. Changing that dynamic will be extremely difficult, too. Mount is probably going to have to embrace a utility role in the squad, and will have to really make his mark when called upon, while making sure he doesn't allow his head to drop.

It's not a position that any top player would want to be in, and we're going to see what Mount is really made of over the next few months. If he really wants to make the grade at Old Trafford, and put himself in the frame for an England recall, Mount has to stay patient and work hard to make himself indispensable.

Mount has reached a career crossroads; it's make-or-break time. This time next year, there will be no hiding place if he shirks from that challenge.