Erik ten Hag reportedly still believes that a series of injuries to one Manchester United player led to his sacking from his post at Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag’s tenure at Manchester United was a turbulent one. The Dutchman joined as the club’s new manager in the summer of 2022, bringing in a host of fresh faces such as Casemiro, Antony, and Lisandro Martínez.
The club had a very successful season, securing the Carabao Cup trophy—their first silverware in six years—and finishing third in the Premier League, which qualified them for the Champions League.
However, the second campaign under Ten Hag saw United crash out of Europe in the group stage of the competition and finish eighth in the Premier League table. Still, a 2-1 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final was deemed enough for the 55-year-old to keep his job at the time.
But, not too long after, he found himself under pressure once again and was sacked at the end of October 2024 after a 2-1 loss against West Ham. The Dutchman was then replaced by young head coach Rúben Amorim, although the side’s form has not improved since.
Ten Hag convinced Mount’s injuries cost him his job
The 2023 summer transfer window was a strange one for United, with none of the recruits seen as outright successes. André Onana was signed for £43 million from Inter Milan but has since left the club on loan, while the £73 million transfer of Rasmus Højlund has suffered a similar fate thus far.
Mason Mount was recruited from Chelsea for around £50 million, while Altay Bayındır, Sofyan Amrabat, and Jonny Evans also joined as squad reinforcements.
Of all these 2023 signings, Mount is the only one who is still consistently playing and is generally appreciated by the Old Trafford crowd. Still, he has had his fair share of injuries across his spell at United and is only now starting to kick on with consistent minutes in Red.
According to ESPN, to this day, Ten Hag still believes that Mount’s numerous injuries were a significant reason for his eventual sacking at United, as the Englishman was integral to the way he wanted his side to play but was never consistently available.
Amorim reaping the rewards of Mount’s unique style
The way Amorim set up his side during the club’s most recent 2-0 victory over Sunderland was undoubtedly the side’s best display so far this season, and a lot of this had to do with the unique abilities Mount has compared to his United peers.
Mount is one of the few at the club who can combine an impressive defensive work rate with an immense ability to press opposition, while also retaining a high level of technical quality. The only other player at Old Trafford who consistently exhibits similar traits is Amad.
It was this blend of aggressive pressing and technical quality that Ten Hag so direly missed during his second and third seasons at United. Hence, the Dutchman’s feeling that Mount’s unavailability was a signifiacnt domino that led to his dismissal makes sense.
But, for Amorim, United’s current head coach is reaping the rewards. Mount spent much of last season and the summer break working on his strength and conditioning, and he has returned to United in the fittest shape he has been since signing in 2023.
Despite his signing being branded by many as wholly underwhelming, the Portuguese boss has found a way for Mount to become an integral part of his side and compete with Matheus Cunha on the left flank.
Against Liverpool, it’s expected he will start, and could play a pivotal role if United are to potentially defeat the reigning Premier League champions on their own turf and secure their first win at Anfield since January 2016.
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