Christian Eriksen must have begun to doubt his future after the first three matches of his Manchester United tenure.
On his debut against Brighton & Hove Albion on the first day of the 2022–23 season, the Danish international was used as a false nine. Six days later, as United lost 4-0 at Brentford, he was expected to play as the defensive midfielder. It should come as no surprise that the seasoned offensive midfielder was helpless to halt the Bees from destroying United.
Erik ten Hag, though, finally got it right after two failed attempts when he started Eriksen in center midfield for the 2-1 victory over Liverpool. It was the former Tottenham Hotspur star's best performance in a United jersey up to that moment, and it was a choice that helped the team move past losses to Brentford and Brighton.
Although Eriksen had a reputation as one of the top attacking midfielders in the league before he joined Old Trafford last summer, it was in the No. 8 position that he excelled, controlling games from deep. Their relationship would be crucial once Casemiro had acclimated to his new environment.
Eriksen's standards did, however, begin to slip at the conclusion of the 2022–23 season despite all of their success as a team, with exhaustion and fatigue becoming a glaring issue. United needs younger legs in the engine room because the Dane is now beyond 30.
Of course, they have chosen Chelsea star Mason Mount as the answer to that issue and have reached a personal contract with him; however, they have not yet agreed on a transfer fee with the Londoners. Similar to Eriksen, who arrived at Old Trafford almost a year ago, Mount is seen as an attacking-midfielder and is frequently thought to start every game at No. 10.
Although he is more than capable of playing there, he has admitted that Eriksen-like, he is equally as capable of playing the No. 8 position. In actuality, he views it as his best performance.
"I like to think I'm a traditional midfielder even though I can play a number of roles for the team," Mason Mount stated in an interview last season.
"I've always said that I'm best as a No.8 and I've played there ever since I was a young kid."
"I like to work from box-to-box, help out defensively but also get forward to score and assist goals for the team. That's where I think my strengths are. I'm versatile, so I can adapt and play higher up or a lot deeper."
While not always playing high up the pitch, Mount plays similarly to Eriksen in that he is a creative midfielder. He will have the legs to move about the field and provide the energy that Ten Hag so frequently needs from his midfielders. He can dominate games from deeper areas, just like Eriksen.
When choosing a midfield three, Ten Hag like to use Casemiro as a defensive midfielder, Mount as an all-around midfielder who can do a bit of everything, and Bruno Fernandes as an advanced midfielder. When Casemiro is paired with a typical box-to-box midfielder who isn't afraid to control games from deep and then advance with the ball, he performs at his best.
The majority of the defensive labor in the engine room falls to Casemiro, freeing up his midfield partner to move forward. Throughout his first year at Old Trafford, Eriksen frequently did that, albeit occasionally, when United lost control, he would drop back and assist the Brazilian.
Because of his vigor and defensive prowess, Mount might be even more effective at that than Eriksen was. When extensively examined, the England international's defensive skills are surprisingly strong for a player of his profile.
In 2022–2023, he outperformed the Dane in nearly every defensive stat, with more interceptions per 90, ball recoveries in the opponent's half, and almost three additional defensive actions per 90. In actuality, those are amazing numbers for a player who is so frequently linked with offense.
To ensure that United remain reliable and effective in both ways, Casemiro needs an all-around player to play beside him. Mount might be just what the Brazilian and Ten Hag need.