Man Utd 2 Leeds 0: Mason Mount arrives to run the show but Red Devils youngsters seal win in second-half
MASON MOUNT HAS clearly come to Manchester United to run the show.
Which will be interesting when he teams up with Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, who usually enjoy that role.
But you can’t have enough class players like them.
Erik ten Hag said he needed his side ‘upgraded’ and Mount will certainly do that.
The new £55million signing from Chelsea made his debut for the Red Devils here against Leeds in Oslo.
Immediately he impressed his new fan base with an all action display at the Ulleval Stadium.
While he started in a deep roll in front of the back four he moved with a freedom that had their relegated cross Pennine rivals on the back foot from the off.
He was clearly given a licence to thrill by Ten Hag as he broke forward down the middle and popped up on the right and left.
He took all the free-kicks and corners from both sides of the pitch.
The 24-year-old also very nearly capped his performance with a spectacular goal.
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Not afraid to get stuck in he dispossessed Jeremiah Mullen in the centre of his own half in the 11th minute.
Mount immediately saw goalkeeper Kristoffer Klaeson off his line and tried and audacious chip which just had too much on it and landed on the roof of the net.
He was winning the ball in both halves and always available to give and take.
Mount was a constant source of encouragement too for the young players around him in a makeshift side but for the back four.
It was everything manager Erik ten Hag wanted to see from his new signing.
Ten Hag said: “I’m sure he will contribute to the success of Manchester United, because he’s a quality player and his ambition is to play offensively.”
It was all United in the first half and they had chances to establish a comfortable lead.
Amad Diallo, Sunderland fans player of the year in a successful loan spell last season, was buzzing around the opponents box.
The 21-year-old from the Ivory Coast certainly looks ready to add to those nine appearances he has so far for United.
He was a constant threat cutting from the right.
When he was found there by Mount he also teed up Hannibal Mejbri who had a shot well saved.
Another major plus for Ten Hag was that Lisandro Martinez was showing no ill effects from his broken metatarsal suffered last April which cut short his season.
The centre-back looked assured as ever alongside Raphael Varane not that there was much to cope with against a Leeds side with just one player in Liam Cooper from their starting line up in the final game of last season.
Mount was taken off at the break as Ten Hag changed all 11 players while Daniel Farke did the same with his Leeds side bar Cody Drameh.
United would finally make the breakthrough on 66 minutes through Noam Emeran.
The 20-year-old French-born forward latched on to a through ball from Isak Hanson and slotted home a finish into the far bottom corner.
Emeran then turned provider in the 81st as he slid 19-year-old Joe Hugill through on the turn who finished first time.
So that’s one down and seven to go of eight pre-season fixtures up to August 6th for Ten Hag as his squad head off to Scotland, both sides of the United States, back to Manchester and then Dublin.
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