Mount: We stepped up and showed character

Mason Mount felt the character shown by Manchester United was a key factor in helping the Reds to victory over Sunderland at Old Trafford.

Mount’s eighth-minute finish provided the perfect start for United, curling a low shot home in front of the Stretford End, after brilliantly bringing down Bryan Mbeumo’s right-wing cross.

Benjamin Sesko added a second on the half-hour mark and that gave the Reds enough of a platform to go on and seal all three points with a professional display.

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INTERVIEW | Goalscorer Mason Mount reflects on an “all-round good day” for United going into the international break…

United’s No.7 acknowledged how the blistering start had helped the team to victory, when speaking with MUTV’s Liam Bradford after the game.

He said: “I know it had been difficult recently, but a really important win today, especially at home – I feel like we’ve been very solid.

“When we start sharply at home, there’s definitely a good chance that we can win the game. Getting that first goal and then getting another goal in the first half really helped us going forward.

“I think it’s so important to get the clean sheet as well, so all-round a good day today.

“There was a lot of pressure on today so for us to step up mentally, to really show character, was so important.

“We look forward now, we keep moving forward and stay together as a team.”

Mount’s beautiful finish to kickstart the Reds’ positive afternoon was his first for the club on home soil in the Premier League – and he wants to add plenty more to his name.

“It was a very good feeling getting on the scoresheet, first goal at home in the Premier League – it’s been a long time coming. Hopefully a few more to come now.

“Whenever I play, I want to get on the scoresheet, I want to help the lads around me and bring that energy on to the pitch.”

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Talking through the finish, he added: “It does feel a bit like slow motion. I think Bryan crossed it.

“As it’s coming across, the ball just looks like it’s in slow-motion, as you take the touch, all I remember is seeing the defender coming towards me and I just had to try and use him. Lucky enough, it went in. It was a really good feeling.”

Mount believes that the victory, going into the international break, will provide the team with an important boost – with Liverpool, at Anfield, next up in a fortnight’s time.

“It’s big for the morale, yeah, for sure,” he added. “We’re going to have a long break now into the next one so it’s about continuing improving in training.

“I know we have a few days off now but when we come back in to Carrington, we’ll be working hard to get ready for that next game. It’s so important, every game is so important, and we want to get as many three points as we can.”

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Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim hailed a “comfortable” performance from debutant goalkeeper Senne Lammens in his side’s 2-0 win over Sunderland.

First-half goals from Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko proved to be enough to seal all three points for the Reds, on a day that Lammens also secured a clean sheet in his first appearance.

Amorim met with journalists inside Old Trafford following the final whistle, where he discussed the new gloveman, what Sesko offers the team and how impressed he has been with Mount and Amad.

Keep scrolling to read everything he said in his post-match media briefing…

Hi Ruben. Must be nice to have a nice, straightforward win for once?
“Yeah, and a clean sheet is really important. We didn’t play well during all the game, but we had our moments. But if you look at the performance, it was a team. Focus, defending well, trying to kill the game in the second half. So, I’m pleased with that, and now it’s [time] to move forward to the next one.”

And the goalkeeper did very well today…
“Yeah, I think he looks confident in the first game, but [the] important thing is that the teammates help Senne to have a good game, because everyone was focused, not a lot of mistakes, against a team that was really comfortable playing football. So, we did well, [it] was a good day for us.”

A lot of people, with Senne, wondered why he’s not played before now, clearly fans have thought he should play. What kind of thought process do you go through to decide, he’s not playing, he’s not playing, and then he is playing?
“When Senne arrived here, first of all, Altay was playing, and then he arrives, and you can feel it, that he needs to adapt. New country, new training, the pressure that you guys put on the goalkeepers are massive. So, it was like a little preparation for the guy to be ready to start his first game. But now, it’s just one game, and he needs to work because he needs to be prepared that in our club, things are really hard. But he did well, and again, he was comfortable during the game and that is a very good sign.”

After a win like that, how frustrating is that you’ve got an international break now, because you ordinarily want to keep that momentum going?
“There is no momentum with our team, so with a break, without a break… we know what happened when we win one game. And then for me, the frustration is not to see the same team at home and away. And you saw today, we didn’t play well in the second half, but we were focused. We fight second balls. Ben [Sesko] was there to touch the ball all the time. So, these small things are going to help us to win games, and sometimes you have your moments. First half, we had a lot of moments, but then in the second half, if we cannot play well, they will not play well, and that is the way a big team play during the season. So, that is the big frustration.”

Can I just ask about Mason Mount? Obviously a different type of profile to Matheus Cunha playing in that role. What does he give to your team and the way you want to play?
“I think Mason Mount can give us… it’s more a midfielder than a winger or a striker. He can defend really well. He’s really smart. He can attack really well. Today, he had a number of minutes because we have to manage when a guy like Mason is returning from injury. He did really well. So, it’s the characteristics that we are going to change when we look to every opponent.”

Mason Mount was on the TV, he said the players are 100 per cent behind the gaffer. Is that what you’ve seen from your squad?
“I saw today, and I know that they want to do the best, and I know that they don’t want to change the coach all the time. But like I said during this week, to be with the manager is… I will kill myself to go in every transition. We need to show with actions. And sometimes when we look at our team, I know for sure that when we see the games in the end, they know that sometimes we can do better. So, I feel that during the week, but we need to show that on the pitch, not just at home, but also away.”

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INTERVIEW | Goalscorer Mason Mount reflects on an “all-round good day” for United going into the international break…

I just wanted to ask about Benjamin. Two in two for him, two proper strikers’ goals, at close range as well. Is that what he was brought to the club for, to score those type of goals?
“To score the goals, to give us a different type of profile inside the box, to use more crosses because he’s going to improve the connection with his teammates. How many times [did] Senne kick the ball, [and] he was there to give the first touch? That is more important, especially in this league, that we are thinking, when there is a throw-in, we have an extra guy that is really big, especially at the first post. So, all the characteristics that Ben, not just the goals, but all the characteristics can help us to win games and we are happy with him. He puts a lot of pressure on himself, that is not a bad thing, but he has potential to do so much more.”

It’s been a tough week for Amad. How pleased are you with his performance today?
“Really pleased, really pleased. I think he defended really well. Attacking, we already know that he’s really good. Every time he has the ball one against one, he’s giving us a lot of chances to score. He can help Bryan to play more inside and worry more with the runs behind the defenders. We miss a lot Amad against Brentford, especially when we’re [in the] second half, 2-1, to have an extra guy like Amad, it’s massive. So, we are really pleased with him. He did a very good job.”

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Sesko: There’s lots to come

Benjamin Sesko described scoring his first goal at Old Trafford as a ‘dream come true,’ but insists there is still plenty to come in his burgeoning Manchester United career.

Still less than two months into his time in M16, having signed from RB Leipzig in the summer, Sesko followed up his first goal for the club last weekend with his maiden Old Trafford strike against Sunderland on Saturday afternoon.

The Reds were 2-0 winners over the newly promoted outfit, with Mason Mount having opened the scoring before Sesko struck in instinctive fashion to double our advantage 15 minutes before the interval.

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Speaking to MUTV after the game, our no.30 said: “It feels amazing. It feels even better because I’ve helped the team to come to the end and to win the game.

“In the end, it’s important to win the game, trying to help the team as much as possible.

“The goal, the atmosphere afterwards was unbelievable. It’s something that I’ve been dreaming about, jumping high at the stadium like that, and yeah – [my] dreams came true.”

The Slovenia international is confident of continuing to provide the goods, assuring supporters that they are yet to see the best of him.

“In the end, this is my job; trying to score as many goals as possible, trying to win the games, trying to help the team in every single situation, and hopefully [there are] more moments like this [to come].”

“No, no yet,” he continued, when asked if we are starting to see the best of him. “There is loads [still] to come, definitely.

“I’m still getting used to it more and more, to read the players, to connect with them even more. I believe I can be even better and I will try to show it.”

In a similar vein, Sesko explained he is still getting accustomed to the different style of play in the Premier League compared to the Bundesliga.

“I think it’s way quicker, you have less time in general, I think this is one of the biggest changes I would say, and obviously also the physicality, everyone is really physical and athletic.

“I am getting used to it and I will come to the level of this soon.

“To play for a club like this or even train every single day, it’s an obvious pleasure. I’m looking forward to be back [after the international break].”

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