Scholes explains why £55m Man Utd star ‘upsets the balance’ for Ten Hag

Paul Scholes says it’s too early to judge Mason Mount, but can’t see a way of getting the summer signing into the Manchester United team.

Mount joined United from Chelsea for £55m over the summer, but has struggled for game time since his move to Old Trafford, and is yet to notch a goal or an assist this season.

Erik ten Hag initially played Mount alongside Bruno Fernandes in midfield, but it left United very open to the counter-attack, and the 24-year-old has more recently had to come from the bench.

Mount isn’t alone in struggling at United this season, but Scholes says it’s hard to “make a case” for him playing as we’ve not seen enough of him to judge, which of course we won’t if he’s not playing.

The United legend believes Ten Hag is reticent to play Mount and Bruno, which was evidently his plan, as it “leaves them open” in midfield.

He told the Webby and O’Neill YouTube channel: “It upsets the balance of the team. It upsets the legs he has in midfield. I really think he wanted to play him with Bruno Fernandes but the two of them playing in the team, it just doesn’t seem to be working now.

“It’s difficult to make a case for Mason because he’s not played enough games, so trying to come on here and say ‘he should be playing’, I don’t know, because he hasn’t played. If he has a run of five, six, seven, eight games you can judge that a little bit more.

“You have to get the balance of the team right, that’s the big struggle. I think Ten Hag wants to play as many attackers as he can on the football pitch, which would mean one holding player and the rest attacking players, and Mason Mount would come into that. But it takes away the legs of the midfield, it really leaves them open.

“To bring someone like Mason Mount into the team you almost need two holding midfielders with him to get the balance of the team right.”

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