In Focus: Pressure Mounting on Mason after slow start at United

Mason Mount has struggled to make an impact at Manchester United.

The 24-year-old made his sixth league appearance for the Red Devils in last Sunday's Manchester derby defeat — but he was largely anonymous having come off the bench at half-time.

In less than ideal circumstances, Mount has found it difficult to settle following his summer move from Chelsea.

Ahead of tonight's Carabao Cup clash with Newcastle, we take a look at how he can kick-start his United career.

Slow start

There was plenty of excitement when Mount moved to Old Trafford in a £60million deal.

His final season with Chelsea had been disappointing but the England international remained one of his team's top performers.

However, Mount's 2023-24 campaign was immediately disrupted by an injury, which kept him out for over a month.

And United's No7 has been unable to establish himself in Erik ten Hag's starting XI since returning to action following a number of underwhelming cameos from the bench.

In a disjointed team struggling for form and self-belief, few individuals have impressed this season.

Patience may therefore be required with Mount as he looks to make his mark at a club with myriad problems to solve.

Low impact

Mount was given an opportunity to impress against Manchester City after being introduced at the start of the second half with his side 1-0 down.

But he could do nothing to change the tide of the game — he touched the ball just 15 times as United let in two more goals and fell to another ignominious derby defeat.

With just five completed passes at an accuracy rate of only 55.56%, Mount did little to make a case for more regular starts.

His ineffective display contrasted with Ten Hag's pre-match comments regarding the midfielder.

He said: "I think in every game, our game would benefit from Mason Mount.

"I don't have any concern to line him up. He did come on in a lot of games, he started in a lot of games.

"When you have Mount on the bench, you can expect creativity."

Carabao chance

Creativity and dynamism were both lacking at Old Trafford on Sunday.

At his best, Mount played with drive and intensity in Chelsea's midfield — but such traits have yet to emerge at United.

The Carabao Cup could be a chance for the Portsmouth native to boost his confidence, however.

Arguably his best performance for United came in the 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the previous round.

Mount played only 45 minutes but got his first and only assist of the season to date, whipping in an accurate corner for Casemiro to head home.

He appeared to play with more freedom in midfield alongside Casemiro, suggesting the Brazilian's return from injury could be the key to unlocking Mount's potential for the Red Devils.

For now, he must focus on building some momentum and regaining the confidence that allowed him to play with a swagger at Stamford Bridge.

Tonight's cup clash with the Magpies could be the ideal opportunity to do just that.