Online Reporter
Of more consequence than their draw with Paris Saint Germain in Gothenburg was another injury to Mason Mount, removed after 20 minutes. Mount had shown promise in his competitive and non-competitive starts in central midfield under Michael Carrick. The trouble is Mount can never stay fit for long enough.
The 27-year-old jogged off, watched Bryan Mbeumo swipe the ball at goal and was in dialogue with three members of the United medical staff. Then Mount turned and headed towards the tunnel.
Mount was moving relatively freely and had got on the ball while Tyler Fletcher waited to replace him. Perhaps the withdrawal was precautionary. But United’s corner-cutting measures in midfield cannot continue. Despite the attempted rebrand, Mount is not an out-and-out central midfielder. He has managed 72 games in three years, an average of 24 per season.
Youri Tielemans emerged for his maiden United appearance, but their midfield remains in an alarming state with no available defensive midfielder. United are already asking too much of the raw Andrey Santos.
Kobbie Mainoo will at least be back in the fold for the Dublin training camp that began yesterday. Tielemans’ nous will help, as he demonstrated with a canny through ball that Bruno Fernandes fluffed.
As admirable and overdue as United’s sensible spending is, they are leaving it late with three more key players needed and the window open for three more weeks.
In the current market, sizeable sums have to be paid for quality reinforcements and United are reluctant to fork out top dollar. It should not take a Mount injury to spur them into action.
Then there is the questionable preparation in defence. United’s and PSG’s starting XIs were far from full strength but the gulf in class was evident in the second minute.
United were undone by one pass from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia down their right-hand side and 18-year-olds Dro Fernandez and Liverpool transfer target Ibrahim Mbaye combined for the latter to score. arrick had seemed to be gearing up for the start of the season with the right-footed-left-footed combination of Harry Maguire and Ayden Heaven. Both were found wanting for Mbaye’s tap-in. For the second game running, Maguire was off the pace. Heaven, often at the scene of the crime, was ball-watching.
Leny Yoro started at right back in the first three friendlies but was dropped as Carrick favoured the seniority of Maguire, captain throughout pre-season, and the returning Noussair Mazraoui.
Yoro’s arrival at United pre-dates Heaven’s by seven months. Heaven’s defensive lapse was compounded by an errant pass, a reckless foul on Kvaratskhelia and a booking.
At 19, such mistakes are inevitable from a centre half. Carrick would be wise to depend on Yoro’s vast experience.
Tellingly, Carrick hooked Heaven and introduced Yoro at the interval. Mazraoui was replaced by Diogo Dalot at the same time as competition was introduced at right back and centre back. — Sun.
