Cole: What Mount can bring to this team
Manchester United legend Andy Cole believes newcomer Mason Mount has plenty to offer in the middle of the park for his former club.
Our new no.7 had his first taste of action with the Reds in midweek when we beat rivals Leeds United 2-0 in our pre-season opener in Oslo.
The recent arrival from Chelsea played for the first 45 minutes and gave the fans plenty to be excited about, before a completely different XI entered the fray for the second half and ensured we made a winning start to our preparations for the 2023/24 campaign.
“Fingers crossed he can have a good first season,” Cole told us.
Mount's highlights against Leeds
📽️ PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS | Watch Mason Mount's key moments, including a glorious pass, cheeky shot and several tackles...
“Coming into Manchester United, I think he’s put himself under a little bit of added pressure by taking the number seven shirt.
“But fair play to him, he obviously believes in himself, and I hope it works out for him.”
“He [Ten Hag] sees something in him that he likes,” said Cole. “He sees something that makes him think ‘I can work with that’.
“I’m hoping Mount can bring a little something to Manchester United; more energy in the midfield area naturally because I think that’s what his game is based on, getting around the football pitch and things like that.”
“I enjoyed the second half with the kids playing and looking to implement the manager's plan,” said Cole.
“It was nice to see their energy and see them trying to impress the manager, that was really good for me.”
Emeran's first-time finish v Leeds
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When asked if any young players had caught his eye, Cole enthused: “There were quite a few of them, there weren't many who didn't.
“The boy who got the first goal, Emeran. His energy, the way he got the ball and ran at people. He was just positive, mentally.”
Cole continued: “In the first half, the young central midfield player [Kobbie Mainoo] was very good.
“I was speaking to someone who said if he hadn’t been injured, he might have played a few games at the back end of last season. I was looking at him the other day and I was thinking to myself, 'I can see why'. He looked a really good player.
“These kids are playing like they've been there a long time, and that's what I enjoyed [in the Leeds game] as well. I could sit here and say that the future is bright, but you never really know where these kids are going to end up. But what they showed on Wednesday was a big, big positive.”
TICKETS FOR UNITED V LYON
Fans have one chance to see the likes of Mount, Martinez and our promising Academy youngsters play in the UK before the Reds head Stateside for our pre-season tour - and it's in Edinburgh this Wednesday, 19 July (kick-off 14:00 BST).
If you want to watch the action in person at Murrayfield, follow this link here to secure your seat now.
The game will also be shown live on MUTV, ManUtd.com and the United App.