Why Bilbao glory would cap Mount’s road to recovery

Mason Mount is unwavering in his conviction that Manchester United will one day transform their relationship.

His first goal for United at Old Trafford on May 8th may have been his first since he joined the club in June 2023, a time that may have caused him to miss.

In their fight to defeat Athletic Bilbao to reach the Europa League final, United were struggling and unconvincing.

After winning the first game by 3-0, United was 1-0 up, and reaching the final was a foregone conclusion.

Mount was raised. Leny Yoro delivered a quick pass to the midfielder, who curled a shot into the net just inside the penalty area.

The stadium’s building became less tense after the goal. Eighteen minutes later, Mount scored once more for Ruben Amorim’s side, who had already secured a meeting with Tottenham in Bilbao.

The 26-year-old expressed regret for not being easy. However, I’ve maintained my focus and always believed that something will happen and that I’ll have a moment. I always believed that the end goal would come true.

I must have had a little while for it to sink in, of course. I had a few goals and the entire game over.

Mount’s first expression of the word “it” refers to the problems with which his time at Manchester United has been plagued.

After earning a £55 million move from Chelsea in 2023, Mount experienced the first of what turned out to be six injury-related absences over the course of 18 months. He joined United for two games.

The worst injuries, including a second hamstring issue this season, which left him out for almost as long as he did prior to his most recent comeback in April, were the cause of his calf problem, which lasted for more than three months last season.

He started his first games of the season against Chelsea on Friday, when Amorim lavishly praised Mount’s work ethic and commitment to getting fit.

Mount continued, “It is not always simple.” I spent many days at Carrington while waiting on the treatment room for training. When I wanted to play, I watched games while watching.

Mount was not accused of joining United as a simple choice.

He also removed himself from the Chelsea bubble, which he had lived in since he was just six years old, and he also wore the United number seven shirt, which several other famous people have worn, including David Beckham, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, and Cristiano Ronaldo.

He said, “It was a massive honor.” Before I joined the legendary players who have wore the shirt, I was aware of what that meant for the club.

Due to Mount’s forced absences, there is less understanding of what the most recent team player can do with that infamous shirt.

At the age of 20, Mount, a loanee, was a key component of Derby County’s progression to the 2019 Championship play-off final, where Aston Villa defeated them.

He was a regular for England and Chelsea until he retired from his side’s FA Cup final defeat against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal at Wembley.

He lost to England in the European Championship final against Italy in the same year as he was a losing FA Cup finalist in three months in 2021, but he recovered with a win in Porto as Thomas Tuchel’s side defeated Manchester City.

He starting all three games was never in doubt.

He won the World Cup in 2022 after defeating Palmeiras in a Club World Cup final before losing to Liverpool in a subsequent FA Cup final. At that point, Mount was only 23 years old and not at his height.

Aside from being a backstory, Bilbao’s attempt to take the lead in a fight between the Premier League’s two massive underachieving teams, both teams occupying positions immediately above the relegation zone and having points totals that could have resulted in their promotion to the Championship in other seasons.

Both clubs have a chance to win a spot in the Champions League next season by winning on Wednesday’s final, which will give them the chance to end a season of misery and ridicule.

“The losses are difficult,” Mount remarked. “I’ve had a lot of them at Wembley, and they stick with you for a while.

However, you always want and understand the feeling when you do succeed.

In any way, United’s domestically mediocre season has been terrible.

Their 18th league defeat of the season came on Friday at Stamford Bridge. Their worst performance since their 1973-74 relegation campaign, when they lost 20.

The margins are still respectable. A narrow VAR call on Friday would have prevented Harry Maguire from scoring the opening goal.

Amorim’s side dominated against West Ham the previous week, but they miscalculated and lost the game.

It explains why Mount is optimistic in a way that few other people are and explains how the season has been told from a United perspective.

He said, “I think we’re close.” “There are some minor details in games, especially in the Premier League,” he said.

The phrase “If the small details aren’t right, you can get punished,” which can be devastating at times.

“I believe we’re about to correct them, and we’re building that togetherness as a group by winning trophies.”

We are aware of the circumstance in which we are. We make an effort to silence the noise, but we are aware that the league hasn’t been adequate.