Can you believe Mason Mount still has his doubters?

When Frank Lampard was sacked from Chelsea, there were initial concerns that whoever came into the club would disregard the academy boys that had impressed so much after being ushered into the first team during the previous season, Lampard’s first. 

The likes of Tammy Abraham, Reece James, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Fikayo Tomori, and Billy Gilmour had all featured for Lampard but no one more so than Mason Mount. Labeled as “Lampard fan-boy” and other ridiculous names purely because the manager always spoke so highly of him, Mason Mount quickly became an integral part of the manager's vision for Chelsea. 

It was clear in that second season under Lampard towards the end that a number of our more experienced players seemed to “down tools” but Mount was not one of them. It’s simply not in his nature. With the uncertainty of who would come in and take over at the time, you would have been better to place your bets at wolfwinner.com rather than guess the next Chelsea manager.

Gareth Southgate was next in line to heap praise on Mason Mount after working with him as part of the England squad. Championing his quality, his energy, his ability, and more, Southgate simply echoed what Frank Lampard had been stating for over 12-months since Mount was given his chance. 

At this point, there were still detractors, still, those that simply didn’t believe that Mount warranted his place in the England squad and still, the Chelsea first team. As for the player himself, he carried on regardless giving his all in training with the Chelsea social media team showcasing his personality through their various channels. 

So, to Thomas Tuchel, he comes in and takes over. Within weeks the Mason Mount appreciation society had gained a new member. Tuchel witnessed first-hand the player's dedication, commitment, and hard work in training. 

Over time as he studied his players to formulate a plan for the remainder of the season, it became clear that Mason Mount would play an integral part leading the press from the front to try and force turnovers within the opposition half – a key stat for Tuchel in games. It’s even safe to say that a Chelsea team without Mason Mount, does not press with the same intensity over the duration of the game as with Mount in it. 

Mason Mount and the Chelsea team implemented Thomas Tuchel’s tactical instructions perfectly and everyone played their part in an unexpected and fantastic Champions League success. 

Despite this, there are still those who doubt Mason Mount’s place within the Chelsea team. To that, I will never understand. 

CD.