Mason Mount played England’s first two group games but dropped out for the third match, where the Three Lions put Wales to the sword.
The result and the performance in that game led plenty of fans to claim that Mount should not be restored to the team for the knockout game against Senegal on Sunday, but Paul Merson disagrees.
The former Arsenal defender had some logic to his idea too. Tactically, his idea makes a lot of sense:
“I wouldn’t go with Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Jordan Henderson as the midfield three, it’s too one-dimensional and you’re asking for Harry Kane to drop deeper and deeper,” Merson wrote in his column for Sky Sports.
“If you’re going to give one of the midfield three the freedom to roam forward, then Mason Mount should be starting there. I’d have Mount in midfield over Henderson because he moves the ball quickly, sees a pass and is on the half-turn.
“If you play Mount, I think it would keep Kane further up the pitch and would allow you to push Bellingham forward, leaving Rice in front of the back four, which is enough, you don’t need two defensive midfielders in front of the back four.
“England have got to play at a high tempo. When they play at a high tempo, they are a very good team, as we saw against Iran and in the second half against Wales.”
We’re Chelsea fans, so you won’t ever find us not calling for Mount to start. Whatever you ask him to do and wherever you ask him to do it, he will put in a shift. His combination of world rate and technical skill make him so useful for any manager.
Whether he starts for Gareth Southgate or not, he will have an important role still to play at this tournament.
