Manchester United star Mason Mount was criticised by Roy Keane for his display against West Ham, but he hit back immediately with his performance against Wolves the following match
Mason Mount shrugged off criticism to shine in Manchester United's 4-1 win at Wolves
Mason Mount shrugged off criticism to shine in Manchester United's 4-1 win at Wolves
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Mason Mount hit back at Roy Keane with his performance for Manchester United against Wolves, just a few days on from the former midfielder slamming his display against West Ham as "schoolboy". It comes as the 26-year-old was named back in Ruben Amorim's starting XI at Molineux.
United were off the back of two disappointing results in their last three, with defeat to 10-player Everton and a draw with West Ham overshadowing the win over Crystal Palace in between them. The latest of those, the 1-1 stalemate with the Hammers, drew some criticism as the team failed to capitalise on a one-goal lead in the match.
Among those to receive some of that criticism was Mount, who made a substitute appearance in the match at Old Trafford. Keane was particularly scathing in his assessment of the former Chelsea man when speaking to Sky Sports after the match.
He 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.
"You're looking for players to come on with presence. If anything they brought the levels down at United. That seemed to be the case tonight."
Mount, who scored the winner for Man United against Crystal Palace just days prior, managed to hit back in the best way possible. The forward did all the talking on the pitch, starting as one of the two number tens within Amorim's system in the clash away at Wolves on Monday night.
He was classy in his display, showing attacking intent with every action on the ball, knitting things together neatly for the side. Mount also got on the scoresheet once again, combining with Bruno Fernandes to give United an advantage in the game, one they ended up winning comfortably 4-1.
Mount scored in the Wolves win just days after Roy Keane called him out
Mount scored in the Wolves win just days after Roy Keane called him out
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While there will be tougher challenges than Wolves up ahead, it was another display of where this team could be going when at their best. They need to hope it isn't a false dawn, with the second-half performance showing more of what the team are capable of compared to the end of the first.
Mount spoke about the dressing room chat at half-time, where he revealed to Sky Sports: "It was an important win for us, obviously, first half, we let them back in it before halftime, and we go into the change room frustrated and disappointed with that, the end to the first half.
“Yeah, the manager had a few things to say, and we came out there, and it was down to us to really attack with a purpose and finish these chances that we were creating. So yeah, I think we’re happy with the second half. I thought in parts the first half as well. So yeah, overall, very happy with that.”
Mount is starting to prove he can hold down a place in the side, after plenty of fitness issues at the start of his United career so far. With AFCON coming up, the side are set to lose some big players, but he is showing he can take over with some consistent performances for the month ahead.
"He can defend, he can attack, the quality when he touches the ball is really good, so it's not a surprise for me," Amorim said, glowing in praise for Mount after the game. "He's a different type of leader. It's not like Licha [Lisandro Martínez], for example. It's a guy that leads by the example.
"It doesn't matter the situation, Mason Mount is always the same thing -- training, talking, dealing with people around Carrington. That is not easy, so he's a very, very good player."
The win saw United move up to sixth in the Premier League, just one point behind Crystal Palace in the Champions League places. Next up is a trip to Bournemouth next Monday, where another important three points are up for grabs.