For those associated with Manchester United, it was another deflating (and concerning) night at Old Trafford that resulted in Ruben Amorim's side sharing the spoils with 18th-placed West Ham United. Head coach Amorim has faced grief for his poor substitutions and not bringing on Kobbie Mainoo, but Roy Keane, in his post-match analysis of the match, took aim at one player in particular.
Looking to build momentum after their 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, it was Diogo Dalot – left unmarked in West Ham's danger area – who drew first blood just shy of the hour mark. With Matheus Cunha looking ineffective on his return and Bryan Mbeumo not at the races, a second goal looked highly unlikely and, therefore, it was the visitors who struck next.
Senne Lammens' goal remained relatively untouched for the majority of the match as the Belgian was forced into making one save, but Soungoutou Magassa equalised seven minutes from time after Noussair Mazraoui's goal line clearance landed at the feet of the Frenchman, who then notched his first Hammers goal. But who, in the eyes of Keane, 'looked like a schoolboy' against West Ham?
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Diogo Dalot and Joshua Zirkzee aside, there were very few memorable moments from those in red, and they certainly lacked any real sort of impetus to put another one away with the score finely poised at 1-0. Amorim made a total of five substitutions – Leny Yoro, Patrick Dorgu, Manuel Ugarte, Mason Mount and Lisandro Martinez – but, as you can see, only one was an attacking change.
That was Mount, who earns £250,000-per-week at the Theatre of Dreams, and he struggled to settle in after replacing Cunha. Most would suggest that he didn't play long enough to make a meaningful contribution – but Keane, widely regarded as one of the best captains in Premier League history, is of a different opinion.
The former central midfielder accused Amorim’s substitutions of ‘bringing the levels down’ before turning to Mount's contributions, or lack thereof. Speaking to Sky Sports in the aftermath of the Old Trafford stalemate, Keane said: "When you look at the squad, considering the money that has been spent, they lack strength in depth. Particularly in the attacking areas.
"When you are trying to see a game off, I look at Mason Mount when he came on, some players take longer to get up to speed but he was like a schoolboy out there.
mason mount man utd
"You’re looking for players to come on with a presence," Keane continued before adding that Amorim's quintet of changes – and not only Mount – failed to make a difference when they came on. He said: "If anything, they brought the levels down at United. That seemed to be the case tonight."
Signed from Chelsea in the summer of 2023 for around £55 million plus £5 million in add-ons, Mount has spent much of his Old Trafford spell queuing for the treatment table – and that begs the question of why United didn't wait until he was available on a free in 2024. So far, he's scored six goals and notched two further assists in 58 outings for the club.
Watch Keane's assessment of Mount after Man Utd 1-1 West Ham (7:41 onwards) below:
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Mason Mount in action for Manchester United
Injuries may have slowed down Mount's promising career, but he's every manager's favourite for a reason. Able to precisely carry out instructions to perfection, he's yet to be called up to the England set-up under the stewardship of Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel, who managed the United midfielder on 87 occasions between 2020 and 2023.
Tuchel is familiar with the Portsmouth-born ace given they spent time together at Stamford Bridge. Mount played a starring role in that Champions League final victory over Manchester City in 2021, and he even provided the assist for Kai Havertz. The German tactician, of all the managers he's played under, knows how to get the best of Mount.
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If Mount is to earn further admiration from Tuchel, it'll rely on him becoming more of a regular under Amorim at club level. In 2025/26, he's completed 90 minutes on just one occasion – in his side's 2-1 win over Palace – and the competition for places is high with Cunha, Mbeumo and skipper Bruno Fernandes all operating in similar positions.