A Mountain Of Doubt - Wegryn Enterprises

One of Chelsea’s mainstays of the past few years is leaving the club with mixed results. Mason Mount burst onto the scene under Frank Lampard and promised to be the heir to the Chelsea icon.

Now, he leaves the club with his reputation in question.

Mount’s time at Derby was a taste of the potential he would show in his early Chelsea days. At one point, he rivaled Phil Foden as the next big thing for England.

Under Lampard, glimpses of elite talent were there. Whether it was his silky dribbling or mind-bending ability to pick out teammates, there was a reason he was vital to Chelsea’s successes. However, as Chelsea began to struggle, so did Mount, as he was essentially frozen out with all the new additions to the squad.

Chelsea spent an insane amount on a variety of players over the past year, leaving Mount with no clear path. It was no surprise that he would want to leave to develop some more at a club that would blame him. United and Ten Hag may provide a better atmosphere for Mount, but was it the right club?

A few years ago, Mount was a key piece to a Champions League-winning side with the world at his feet. Now, he is on the move to try to resurrect the promise that he often displayed.

Looking back at the 2020-21 season, it seemed like Foden and Mount were meant to be the next generation of English stars that would dominate the Prem. Both players have faltered in their own way, but only Mount has been forced out by his club.

Like many other Chelsea academy products, Mount spent his early years on loan, joining the ranks of Chelsea’s formidable loan army. Vitesse provided him a chance to experience first-division football, hoping to mold him into a professional. Mount would exceed every expectation and become one of the best players in the Dutch league by the end of his first season.

Lampard, a childhood idol of Mount, would find a way to tap into Mount’s creativity in the Championship, as the two would help push Derby to playoff contention. By the end of his only season in the second flight, it was clear that he could be the creative focal point for most Prem sides. Once Lampard would be hired as Chelsea’s gaffer, he would hand Mount the chance to be Chelsea’s playmaker.

Although Lampard would get canned halfway through his second season, Mount was still vital to Chelsea and was slowly becoming integrated into the national team. Tuchel would continue to keep the Englishman as a key cog in his machine, even if his numbers suffered. His second season in the Prem would end in Champions League glory and being awarded Chelsea’s Player of the Year.

Like so many other of his teammates, the next two seasons would be a mixture of regression and struggle. By the time the Boehly administration came in, it was clear that Mount was no longer in the American’s plans. Boehly broke the bank on so many players who played in the same role as Mount, and none of the managers could get the 2020-21 form out of Mount.

Something is to be said about the Chelsea academy prospect’s rise and fall. It was both a beautiful rise to see, given Chelsea’s reputation with young players, and devastating for the same reason.

Although it has yet to be fully confirmed, Mount seems to have his bags packed for Manchester. The Red Devils bounced back from a horrific start to be one of the more consistent sides in the Prem down the stretch.

United aren’t in the same position as Chelsea. First of all, they will be playing in Europe next season, but they are also closer to title contention. They are clearly one or two players away from being a true title contender, but will Mount be that player?

With ten Hag, United play a 4-2-3-1 with Bruno Fernandes in that central spot behind the striker. On the wings, it’ll likely be Rashford and Sancho/Antony. This really only leaves one of the two more defensive-minded roles in the center available.

Unfortunately for Mount, it’s hard to envision where he will fit into this team. Naturally, a center attacking mid, it’s hard to see him dislodging Bruno.

Still only 24, he could change his game and either try to play deeper alongside Casemiro as a true number 8. It’s much more likely ten Hag would try to put him on the wing as Pep has done with Grealish. This would let him still be key to the offense, but Mount is not a true threat to score, which hurts the team if he can’t cut in and scare backlines.

This just leads back to the question of whether United is the correct club for him. Honestly, it may have been better for Mount to move abroad and try to find a club that would let him play his role. A club like Dortmund could have helped his development while offering him a larger role than United.

It’s important to keep in mind that he still hasn’t hit his prime, so he could fulfill some of the promise he showed. The real issue is more about which club would let him become the player he was meant to be.