0 crosses, 0 dribbles, 0 tackles: This United star looked lost without Amorim’s guidance vs Brighton

Manchester United crashed out of the FA Cup at the first time of asking, losing 1-2 to Brighton and Hove Albion at Old Trafford on Sunday. As a result of the loss, the Red Devils will not play more than 40 games this season, the first time this has happened since the 1914/15 season. Darren Fletcher did pick an attacking lineup, playing as many as three attacking midfielders to support Benjamin Sesko up top, while also handing Kobbie Mainoo a rare start. There were chances galore, with Diogo Dalot and the goalscorer Sesko at fault for fluffing their lines from several presentable chances. Mason Mount really struggled without Amorim However, lacklustre defending meant the home side had to bow out in the end, and along with it went Fletcher’s chances of remaining at the helm. Whoever comes in has an almighty task on his hands, including getting Mason Mount firing again. The Englishman started after missing the last two games due to injury. While the team struggled to perform under Ruben Amorim, the United No.7 did not. Having played in a similar system before, during his time at Chelsea, the Englishman quickly adapted to Amorim’s needs, which made him very popular with the former head coach. His chances could diminish But with the Portuguese now gone, the England international will have to start from scratch. He struggled big time against the Seagulls. StatisticValue Goals0 Assists0 Key passes0 Crosses (accurate)2 (0) Accurate passes14/16 (88%) Passes in opposition half (accurate)8/9 (89%) Passes in own half (accurate)6/7 (86%) Total shots1 Shots on target0 Shots blocked0 Touches23 Unsuccessful touches1 Dribbles (successful)0 (0) Was fouled2 Possession lost5 Defensive contributions0 Tackles (won)0 (0) Interceptions0 Clearances0 Blocked shots0 Recoveries2 Ground duels (won)2 (2) Dribbled past0 match stats via sofascore Playing on the right side, the 27-year-old managed a meagre 23 touches in 62 minutes, finding a teammate only on 14 occasions. He was almost invisible in an attacking sense, managing 0 shots on target, 0 key passes, 0 crosses, and 0 dribbles. Usually very active without the ball, Mason Mount struggled in that area as well. He lost the ball five times, and made 0 defensive contributions. That meant he made 0 tackles, 0 clearances, and 0 interceptions (all stats via sofascore). Based on this showing, he will likely be sacrificed when United take to the field for the Manchester derby next week. Feature image Carl Recine via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25