Mount emerges as Southgate’s major linkman
hversatile midfielder fired up by being dropped at Chelsea to become one of England’s key figures going into the Euros
Mason Mount is England’s man for all seasons; the man who always plays. The man who closes space up as well as finds it. Gareth Southgate said he knew the team he wants to play against Croatia in 11 weeks’ time in the opening fixture of Euro 2020 and one thing appears for sure: Mount will be in it.
We just do not know in which position. Left midfield? Right midfield? One of the attacking wide players? Or even deeper-lying as a pivot alongside his friend Declan Rice? It could be any of those roles with – on the eve of this World Cup qualifier – Mount correcting a questioner who asked him what it was like to play in three different positions for Chelsea last weekend. “I think it was five,” Mount said, smiling.
Hosting San Marino – previously England’s aggregate against the world’s lowest-ranked international side was 37-1 in just six fixtures – was always going to be like shooting fish in a barrel. What mattered was how England went about it; the shape of the team and how they followed Southgate’s instructions. It is why Mount started. It is easy to see why managers – from Frank Lampard to Southgate to Thomas Tuchel, who was quickly converted after leaving him out of his first game as Chelsea head coach – love him.
Mount gets it. He works prodigiously hard. He is energetic and technically excellent. It is a compelling combination. So the 22-year-old always starts. For club and country. He has featured in 14 of England’s last 15 games – and this was only his 14th cap. That is quite some impact.
He has also divided opinion with his passage from academy poster boy to, well, first-team poster boy having been greeted with suspicion.
He was seen as almost too cleancut. Previously Mount was also criticised because he was not Jack Grealish – absent here through injury. But Southgate can fit them both into his side, even if Phil Foden may make that more complicated.
But maybe Southgate can find a system to start all three.
Mount talked about how Tuchel had “lit a fire inside him” by dropping him at Chelsea, and it does appear that decision has spurred him on.
Once again Mount led the pressing – as he does for Chelsea – and set the tone.
Early in the game he sprinted back to dispossess San Marino’s Filippo Berardi, even though the “striker” already appeared in a panic and lost as he took the ball towards the England half. Mount was having none of it. But there was more than hustle. Here is a snapshot of his first-half contribution that showed his technical excellence and awareness.
He was stationed on the left and took the responsibility to be England’s playmaker. He delivered an inswinging cross that John Stones volleyed over, combined with Ben Chilwell to create the opening goal with a line-breaking pass, and then soon after released Raheem Sterling with another.
He then exchanged passes with Sterling with a smart flick into his path for the shot to be dragged wide.
When he set up Sterling a third time the forward did not miss. The
pass was his simplest of all, but it was also Mount who cut out the goal-kick to help create it in the first place. He quickened the pace by overlapping Chilwell, and stood up a cross that Dominic Calvert-lewin eventually volleyed over.
He led a counter-attack to release Sterling with Jesse Lingard’s shot saved. Mount was relentless as he created no fewer than eight chances in just 45 minutes.
The last player to fashion more in a European World Cup qualifier? That would be a certain Xavi Hernandez for Spain in 2008 (with nine) against Bosnia & Herzegovina. Not bad, no matter how poor the opposition were.
Mount was always scanning; always looking; always on the front foot. And, at half-time, off he came.
It was another sign of how important he has become.
Stones, Sterling, Reece James and Mount were all replaced – surely a clear hint that they will be heavily involved in England’s next two qualifiers. It would be no surprise if Mount started against both Albania and Poland.
Once Mount left the pitch England’s dominance did not dim. But there was less incision. England did not open up their opponents as easily. “I think he’s the No1 on Gareth Southgate’s team-sheet going to the Euros. He has to play,” former England left-back Ashley Cole said recently.
That may be an exaggeration – Harry Kane has that position – but Mount really does not appear too far off competing for that status.