Mason Mount has revealed the impact Graham Potter has had on his game this season already after a surge in form under the new manager.
The 23-year-old failed to register a goal or assist in the seven matches played under Thomas Tuchel at the start of the campaign but has improved his form under Potter to bring seven goal contributions in the ten matches since his arrival.
He also scored in a remarkable second half turnaround for England against Germany with a goal that seemed to spark his turnaround. Mount was one of the most influential players under Tuchel, scoring 19 times and assisting 19 in 89 games under the German. He was a spearhead in a change of system that saw him moved from an orthodox midfielder under Frank Lampard to part of an attacking front three.
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It is here that he has become a mainstay in Gareth Southgate's England side and his recent form may well push him back into contention for a World Cup starting spot. Although Mount's dip in form correlated with the team's downfall and eventual demise under Tuchel, it is not fair to say there was cause and effect, but the spike in performances under Potter is a positive sign nonetheless.
Mount has praised the 47-year-old for his immediate impact on the team, saying, "He's quite free for me as an attacker to take up different positions. When we don't have the ball, it's to defend as a team, defend as a unit, be together, being able to go through tough periods in games and get through them, and that's what he wants us to do and feel during the game. I feel like we've taken on the information quite well and taken it into practice in the game."
Mount played in the damaging 4-1 defeat to Brighton, a match in which he was once again used as an attacking player rather than a midfielder. Speaking to Tubes on Soccer AM's Youtube channel ahead of the match, he admitted the scale of the impact, even if it doesn't reflect as well off the back of a bad defeat.
"Yeah, he's been top," Mount added. "Come in and been very calm, his staff have been brilliant as well. He's been very clear in the way he wants to play, and for us to adapt to that and learn very quickly, it's tough, and it can be difficult, but you can see with the performances that we've been scoring goals and keeping clean sheets. That's what we want to do, keep winning games and getting better and better."
When asked about the impact on his personal game, Mount explained: "[The biggest thing has been] Feeling free and being able to move and make the box and score goals. That's what I want to do as a midfielder and an attacker being able to influence the game.
"Goals and assists are a massive part of what I do, and I bring to the team and also defending off the ball. I've been really enjoying it. Getting amongst the goals because I went on a bit of a drought, but you want to be amongst it, and I've been very happy with it so far."
He has once again had to show versatility though, and hasn't spent large periods in his favourite deeper position. When asked where he prefers to play, he said. "Midfielder. I'm a No.8. I've always said that ever since I've been a young kid. I've played as an 8. I feel like I'm versatile, so I can play higher up, I can play deeper, and I've played so many positions over the last three years.
"Especially in this day and age, being able to play different positions is so key. The formations change in the game, we can change formations three times in a game, and I'll be in three different positions. Knowing the positions and being able to adapt in the game is massive, and that's what managers as for. That's what you need to play in the Premier League and also internationally. It's so important to be able to do it."
Mount has already played as an orthodox No.8 under Potter but has also moved into the tip of a diamond in a 4-4-2 shape. He played as an attacking No.10 against Brighton and is one of the most freely movable players in the side, something that has already made him indispensable to the new manager.READ NEXT:
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