England need a playmaker and Chelsea has him at Derby County

England has been using a 3-5-2 in large part due to lack of a playmaker. Chelsea has that player on loan at Derby County. Mason Mount is the promised one.

Gareth Southgate proved himself a good manager in the lead up to the World Cup and at the big show itself. For years, England had attempted to make the 4-2-3-1 formation work. But without a truly creative player, the formation as a whole became stagnant. Southgate saw this and switched to a formation that not only covered for the lack of a creator, but played to the strengths of the player pool.

The 3-5-2 worked wonders in Russia because it allowed the wingbacks plenty of ways to whip in crosses to two separate strikers. The midfield three could be more defensive and hardworking as opposed to creative and goal scoring. But England became somewhat one trick. Well two trick actually. If the English could not whip in crosses or create set pieces, they struggled to find the back of the net.

Even though the formation now is to cover for the lack of a creator, England still desperately needs one. They need a player who can see those spaces and think five steps ahead of everyone else. The player they need is coming up through the ranks now. He is a Chelsea player, on loan at Derby County, and currently under the tutelage of England’s greatest ever midfielder. Mason Mount is the player England needs this World Cup cycle.

Notice the use of the words “World Cup cycle” as opposed to “now”. No one will say Mount is ready now. But over the next four years, he will fight his way into the England squad. And he will be the creative player that Southgate needs. The spark Mount can provide can be enough to take England over the line and add a new dimension to their game for Qatar 2022.

Mount will be just 23 by the time Qatar’s Winter World Cup kicks off (assuming nothing changes on that front). It is only his second professional season but he has already more than proven that he has the goods. In his 48 appearances to date he already has 17 goals and 11 assists. That means he is contributing to a goal (directly or indirectly) about every other game.

It is clear to see the talent when watching Mount. He sees passes others simply do not or would be afraid to try. He sees spaces and shots that others do not or would be afraid to try. To put it simply, Mount is always trying something. Does it always work out? No of course not. But the mere act of trying has seen him create chances out of thin air.

England needs a player like Mount. If they are lucky, he might be fully ready by the Euros in two years. If Mount can help lead Frank Lampard’s Derby to promotion, he is sure to go back on loan there. Even if he does not, a top five first division team in Europe is sure to bring him in for a year or two. Some believe he is already primed to go for Chelsea.

Southgate will not give any easy call ups to players. Mount will need to continue proving himself. But if he continues as he has been, it is only a matter of time before he makes the English first team. And once he does, he will add a new dimension to England that can turn them from a top four side in the World Cup to even more.