Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Mason Mount rediscovering his form in defensive midfield is the story of the pre-season so far, but he’s not alone on this “new position” path.
So good has Mason Mount been that he’s forcing a change to Man Utd’s transfer plans, with the club no longer urgently looking for a third midfield signing.
Pre-season is the time to experiment, and Michael Carrick’s gamble with Mount has paid off handsomely.
However, that is not the only tactical quirk of this pre-season, as Carrick’s experiment with another player will also help the club immensely.
Leny Yoro with the ball against Rosenborg
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Mason Mount win rate comparison
Mason Mount win rate comparison
Leny Yoro’s right-back stint under Michael Carrick
Through three pre-season games, Mount’s defensive midfield role is accompanied by Leny Yoro familiarising himself in a new position.
Yoro has played as the right-back in every game and has improved his level with each one.
The Frenchman has made no secret of the fact that he’s playing there only because both Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot are absent.
He remains a centre-back, but there is a reason why Carrick chose Yoro for that position, even if it’s in a makeshift capacity.
Yoro has the agility and technical prowess to flourish in both boxes, and he showed as much, especially in the recent game against Atletico.
He overlapped with purpose, not looking like a centre-back out of position. Instead, he was calm and confident in possession, and his jumps to start the press helped United suffocate Atletico.
Yoro impressing at right-back is not really a huge surprise. The true benefit of this makeshift stint will be visible when he shifts back inside.
Man Utd will improve with this Leny Yoro
All of the things noted above made Yoro a good option for right-back, but that stint has also allowed him to work on his weakness.
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Much has been made of Yoro’s channel defending improving while playing as a full-back, but that’s not all.
One of Yoro’s worst games for Man Utd came against Southampton in his debut season when Kamaldeen Sulemana had him on skates.
Yoro struggles to contain 1v1s against tricky wingers, and doesn’t really like to defend running towards his own goal.
As it turns out, those two skill sets are exactly what are tested the most in a full-back, and Yoro was improving in every game on those parameters.
He has always been elite at last-ditch tackles, but he’s now better at staying with his opponents, guiding them into a corner, and then taking the ball away.
He is happy to defend larger spaces in straight duels, or take the smart option by delaying the attack with his positioning, allowing help to arrive.
These skills, gained by playing at right-back, will make him a more complete centre-back, and Man Utd will benefit immensely from it.