Mason Mount has opened up about why he feels so adaptable, when it comes to implementing tactical instructions on the pitch.
The Manchester United no.7, who scored the winner in Sunday's Premier League victory at Crystal Palace, will be hoping to start again when West Ham United provide the opposition on Thursday night.
In an exclusive interview featuring in full in United Review, the official matchday programme, the midfielder provided a fascinating insight into how much he studies the game and always has, since falling in love with the sport in his childhood.
When asked why he feels he has the reputation for being so tactically astute, he replied: “I always watched the games since I was a kid.
”I really, really looked into games and I watched games. I like to watch positions, not just the ball. I like to watch how players kind of move in their position and what positions they take up on the pitch. I did that since I was a kid.
“So, yeah, I think I understand the game a lot and, when you’re on the pitch, it can be difficult at times because it’s 100 miles an hour.
“There is a lot going on,”
he explained. “Subs come on into the game or you have a formation change a little bit, so the team that you’re playing against sets up differently than what you are prepared for.
”These are all things that happen in the game and you’ve kind of got to adapt to that. But I always see myself as one that really studies the game and understands, if the opposition changes, how we change and adapt as a team and it’s trying to get that communication across to the rest of the lads.“
Mount also accepts that the game is very different to the one he watched growing up.
Much has been made about how, even this season, long throw-ins and set-pieces have appeared to become even more important. With the Reds scoring both of our goals from Bruno Fernandes free-kicks at Selhurst Park, including Mason's winner, his words appear even more prescient.
“I think, even since I made my debut in the Premier League, it’s changed,”
he admitted. “There’s so much detail that goes into games now. So much detail off the pitch about analysing the opposition, if that’s corners and trying to exploit little weaknesses in the opposition or in formations and setting up against a team.
”There are little fine details that have big impacts in the games and you can see now the amount of set-pieces that are scored, it’s way higher than the rest of the years of the Premier League.
“It just shows you this, you have to be prepared for everything now and you have one set-piece goal that you concede could lose you the game. So you have to be ready.”
Read the Mason Mount interview in full in Thursday's United Review, which is available to buy online and at Old Trafford.