24 January 2024 , 14:26
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Frank Lampard has claimed that Bruno Fernandes is preventing Mason Mount from reaching his full potential at Manchester United.
Mount arrived at Old Trafford from Chelsea for £60million in the summer but has endured a difficult time at the Red Devils. A series of injuries mean that he has featured just 12 times for Erik ten Hag's side, with his last appearance coming on 11 November.
Just seven of his appearances have come in the starting line-up, with the midfielder notching only one assist and failing to score. With Mount now stepping up his return to fitness, Lampard has raised concerns over how he fits into the United team.
The former Chelsea and Everton manager believes that Mount and United captain Fernandes seek to fill the same role in midfield. That is a problem that boss Ten Hag needs to solve if he is to get the best out of the England international.
“I’m not just saying it because he’s my lad a bit and I have a relationship with him on the pitch with him in terms of managing, but I do think he will come good because of that and his talent," Lampard told the Stick to Football podcast.
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“Once the team gets more structured, because I do think it's important to say you’re an aggressive eight or a 10 and the only worry I had with him when he went to Manchester United was where do Bruno Fernandes and him fit?
“I know you then have Casemiro. I know it’s starting to develop already and change away from that as an idea, but you could kind of think, where does he fit? And this is not to dig Mason or Man United actually for bringing him in, but for a player of that level and for that money, you have to go 'This is the plan'.
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Lampard believes Fernandes is holding back Mason Mount (Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)"That’s what I would want to hear. My question would be, where does he fit? I would say he's slightly more advanced than me in general play. I liked to arrive from deeper, but I think he's higher and the captain of the football club, Bruno Fernandes, plays there.
"It's a difficult one and a conundrum for the team to get him into the team in his best position. He is very driven and if you drop him the face goes and not in a bad way, he will want to show you. He is very determined."
Lampard managed Mount at both Derby and Chelsea, with the duo reaching the FA Cup final together. And the England legend is convinced the midfielder will eventually come good for the Red Devils.
"He's had injuries, he's in a team that is struggling and there's big negativity in certain ways, but from my point of view, because I took him to Derby, he changed everything for me there," Lampard added.
"He played for me with [Fikayo] Tomori and [Harry] Wilson, but Mason particularly [was important]. His level of training was high. Pressing brilliant, off the ball was brilliant, if you want to give him information he takes it instantly.
“He will jump and recover, jump and recover. Very good technically. I think he is really high level in loads of those areas and he's a proper lad, so he's probably suffered from the change into a bad situation."