Mason Mount is a household name in world football nowadays. The English midfielder has become an integral part of every senior team he’s played in throughout the years, as well. Many Premier League fans were introduced to the youngster when he began to flourish at Derby County, he then followed Frank Lampard back to Chelsea where he locked up a place in the starting XI as a No. 8. Despite a vocal minority of supporters claiming the English manager was the only reason for Mount’s success, his roles in the Blues’ squad under Tuchel and Gareth Southgate’s England have swiftly taken any legs out from under that argument.
Mount’s natural position is attacking midfielder, where he was allowed to play under the Chelsea legend during his first 18 months with his parent club. However, throughout his time with Tuchel, he’s gained a fantastic understanding for other roles. Mount has primarily played as winger since the German took over in January of 2021. This has seen him flourish and he only continues to get better as he gets more comfortable out wide. Winger may not be his long-term place in the team, despite his development. Tuchel has indirectly hinted recently that he has plans for Mount to play elsewhere on the pitch whenever he reshapes his Blues starting XI over the next year or so.
Thomas Tuchel inadvertently showed his hand regarding his plans for Mason Mount’s future within the Chelsea starting XI in recent matches
Tuchel’s solution to solving Chelsea’s leaky defense last season was reverting to a 3-4-3 to essentially add an extra defender. Although the presence of wingbacks meant solidifying the back line, it also meant reshaping the attack and that came with a downside. The extra defender was added at the expense of an attacking midfielder. The three-man midfield user under Lampard was was no more, now there was only room for two midfielders in the pivot under Tuchel. This initially worried Blues fans as there was no longer a place for the team’s best player in the starting XI.
Tuchel is no fool though. He may have dropped Mount from the starting team for his first game in charge, but the 23-year-old would go on to play a crucial role in the remainder of the campaign. It goes without saying (his stats speak for themselves) that he is still one of the first names on the teamsheet, even though he’s playing in a relatively unnatural role. It doesn’t look as if Mount will be playing out on the wing for much longer though.
Recent contests have shown that Tuchel believes his team is stable enough in defense to finally make the occasional transition back to a back four. He’s tested out the 4-1-4-1 and 4-2-2-2 recently, the former of the formations finding the most success. Tuchel still utilizes the midfield pivot in these shapes, electing to use a lone attacking midfielder in the 4-1-4-1. This is where Mount has played against Plymouth and Tottenham in the last few weeks. His experience on the wing hasn’t gone to waste because of this switch either. Mount is able to freely move around the pitch, most notably when pressing the opposition out of possession or rotating with the right winger (usually Hakim Ziyech) to show the defense different looks.
The starlet’s position in these formations just goes to show that ideally, the Blues could have someone more natural line up on either wing. The Chelsea board is working together with Tuchel right now to perfect a plan for a summer reshaping of the squad. If the manager is able to build the team completely to his liking, it’s likely we will see Mount slide back into an attacking midfield role that allows for natural wide players to slot into the starting XI. The Cobham graduate’s position may change 100 times between now and then, but there is no question that he is the foundation of the project Tuchel is working on right now.
Where do you think Mount plays in the future? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!