Gareth Southgate has done a poor job of winning supporters’ hearts in the years following England’s cinderella run at the 2018 World Cup. His side was booed and jeered off the pitch at both halftime and full-time at Wembley Stadium on Friday after a rather flat performance in the draw versus Scotland. His insistence to play Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier as the Three Lions’ fullbacks against Croatia upset some fans, but it’s his continued puzzling decisions up top that really has spectators fuming. Despite doing a lot wrong in recent years, one of the best decisions he’s made includes Chelsea’s finest.
Mason Mount really came onto the world football scene during his debut Premier League campaign under Frank Lampard. When he was called up, he was mocked by opposing fans and labeled “the son of Lampard and Southgate.” What those supporters didn’t realize at the time—and hopefully do now—is that Mount isn’t playing out of favoritism, like some in the England starting XI. The young midfielder went from international newcomer to undroppable in a matter of months, but he’s now taken things up another notch. Mount is England’s most important player.
Mason Mount is England’s most important player in Southgate’s new formation.
Southgate stunned spectators at Euro 2020 when naming his first starting XI for England’s game against Croatia. It wasn’t because he started a right back at left back, nor was it because he left Jadon Sancho and Ben Chilwell out of the team completely. It was because his team included two defensive midfielders. Southgate has played with a sole DM seemingly ever since Declan Rice emerged as a legitimate talent. Everybody was taken aback by this tactical choice given England’s scoring struggles.
How does a deep lying midfield pivot have anything to do with Mount being the Three Lions’ most important individual though?
The defensive duo in the middle of the park has not only further complicated England’s scoring troubles, it’s emphasized them on one of the world’s biggest stages. Never mind the carelessness of Southgate testing new tactics at Euro 2020 (rather than before), there’s probably a million other football blogs dissecting that issue right about now, we’re here to discuss how it impacts Mount. The insertion of a second defensive midfielder—in this case, Kalvin Phillips—has put all of the attacking onus on the sole advanced midfielder. Mount is the only link between the pivot and the dysfunctional front three, except for the puzzlingly rare occasion the fullbacks push forward or cut inside.
It is for this reason that Mount shoulders a lot of the responsibility going forward. One may look at England’s lone goal scored in two Euro group stage matches and think he’s played poorly, but in reality, it’s quite the opposite. The Chelsea man has undeniably been England’s most creative individual thus far. Mount’s pulling tricks out of his hat that we’ve seldom seen at Stamford Bridge, solely because he’s trying to get something going for his country. He cannot control Harry Kane going MIA, Raheem Sterling’s inability to bring down a pass or Phil Foden’s misfiring shooting boots. Therefore, he goes above and beyond to try and force the issue upon those in the team. He provided excellent balls over the top to Sterling throughout the evening on Friday, each one wasted as England failed to score.
For the sake of his job, Southgate must cross his fingers in hopes the Three Lions do not become as reliant on Mount as the Blues have been in the past. However, there are worse individuals to have to lean on for hustle and creation. The 22-year-old was already a crucial piece to England’s puzzle, but he’s now becoming irreplaceable, similar to his role with Chelsea.
Who do you think England’s most important player is right now? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!