After the first three games of his Manchester United career, Christian Eriksen must have been starting to wonder whether he was coming or going.
After being deployed as a false-nine on his debut against Brighton & Hove Albion on the opening day of the 2022/23 campaign, the Denmark international was then tasked with being United's defensive midfielder six days later in the 4-0 battering at Brentford. Unsurprisingly, the seasoned attacking-midfielder was powerless to stop the Bees from taking United to the cleaners.
But after two failed experiments, Erik ten Hag got it right at the third attempt, deploying Eriksen in central midfield in the 2-1 win over Liverpool. It marked the former Tottenham Hotspur ace's best performance in a United shirt up until that point and it was a decision that proved instrumental in the club putting the defeats to Brighton and Brentford behind them.
Though Eriksen arrived at Old Trafford last summer with a reputation for being one of the best attacking-midfielders in the business, it was in the No.8 position that he flourished, dictating games from deep. Once Casemiro had settled into his new surroundings, their bond would become vital.
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But for all of their success together during the 2022/23 campaign, Eriksen's standards dipped towards the end of the season, with tiredness and fatigue clearly a problem. The Dane is now north of 30 and United need younger legs in the engine room.
They have, of course, identified Chelsea ace Mason Mount as a solution to that problem and have agreed personal terms with him, though they are yet to currently settle on a transfer fee with the Londoners. Like Eriksen, when he rocked up at Old Trafford almost 12 months ago, Mount is widely considered as an attacking-midfielder, with it often assumed that he plays in the No.10 position week-in, week-out.
Though he is more than capable of playing there, he is, by his own admission, equally as capable operating in the No.8 position just like Eriksen. In fact, he considers it as his best role.
Speaking last November, Mount said: "I like to think I'm a traditional midfielder even though I can play a number of roles for the team. I've always said that I'm best as a No.8 and I've played there ever since I was a young kid.
"I like to work from box-to-box, help out defensively but also get forward to score and assist goals for the team. That's where I think my strengths are. I'm versatile, so I can adapt and play higher up or a lot deeper."
Mount ticks similar boxes to Eriksen, in the sense that he is associated with being a creative midfielder but not necessarily restricted to playing high up the pitch. He can dictate games from deeper areas, just as Eriksen did this season, and will have the legs to get around the pitch and offer the energy that Ten Hag so often craves from his midfielders.
Ten Hag, when it comes to selecting a midfield three, likes to have a defensive-midfielder, who is Casemiro; an all-rounder, capable of doing a little bit of everything, who would be Mount; and an advanced-midfielder, who is Bruno Fernandes. Casemiro is at his best when he plays alongside a traditional box-to-box midfielder, who is not afraid to dictate games from deep and then advance with the ball.
Casemiro is tasked with doing almost all of the defensive work in the engine room, meaning his midfield partner is freed up to advance. Eriksen often did that throughout his first season at Old Trafford, though he did drop back and support the Brazilian when United lost possession.
As good as Eriksen was at doing that, Mount could be even better, both because of his energy and his defensive ability. Surprisingly, when analysed closely, the England international's defensive capabilities make excellent reading for a player of his profile.
He outclassed the Dane in almost every defensive parameter in 2022/23, making more interceptions per 90, more ball recoveries in the opponent's half per 90 and performed almost three more defensive actions per 90. In truth, they are impressive statistics for a player so often associated with attacking.
Casemiro needs an all-rounder alongside him to ensure United are solid and efficient in both directions. Mount could be just the ticket for both the Brazilian and Ten Hag.
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