Teacher’s pet: Five players managers like but fans can’t fathom…

Ian Watson

Andreas Pereira
What is Pereira?

We know he is not a wide player – his performances when being shunted out of the middle this season tell us that – but he has not the defensive nous to play in a holding role, and aside from ‘shoot from outside the box’ the Brazilian certainly doesn’t have the answers to Manchester United’s creativity void in attack.

Yet Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still sees something in Pereira the rest of us cannot. The United boss may point to the injuries in United midfield but there are better holders (James Garner), playmakers (Juan Mata) and wide players (Mason Greenwood) sat in reserve, even while the Red Devils’ treatment room is full.

Even on Saturday, when Pereira started alongside Bruno Fernandes, the academy graduate lasted 25 minutes longer than he should have. When Solskjaer switched the shape at half-time, that was the moment to hook Pereira. Instead, he flailed around on the left flank for almost half an hour before Solskjaer finally brought on Greenwood.

 

Mason Mount
It has been a maiden Premier League of extremes for Mount. As a top-flight rookie, the 21-year-old has played in all Chelsea’s league games, starting all but three, sitting out only one of the Blues’ matches in all competitions. He started the season on fire, drawing vast acclaim and and an England call-up followed by a debut. But in recent weeks, the novelty appears to have worn off for many Chelsea fans.

His tangible contribution has certainly dropped off. Mount has five goals and five assists this season but he has created not one chance from open play. His three assists since October have come in the form of a couple of corner-kicks dropped on to the head of Antonio Rudiger at Leicester and a free-kick at Arsenal which Bernd Leno bollocksed.

There are perhaps a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, the lad is knackered. No Chelsea player can get within three of the number of matches Mount has played this season, all while carrying a range of knocks. Secondly, a lack of consistency over his position cannot be helping. Mount has played as a no.10 and deeper in central midfield as well as on either flank.

Chelsea have a 16-day break between the weekend’s trip to Leicester and the visit of Manchester United. No one needs it more than Mount.

 

Sebastien Haller
West Ham’s centre-forward is certainly not the root cause of the Hammers’ problems, but supporters are justified in pleading for more from their record signing.

Haller has scored six Premier League goals this season but only two in the last four months while the Irons have slipped down the table into the bottom three. As the spearhead of David Moyes’ attack, the £45million striker looks a long way from the sharpness you would expect of a big-money centre-forward.

Especially one who bagged 20 goals and 12 assists for Eintracht Frankfurt last season. But in Frankfurt, Haller had Luka Jovic to feed off and the pair bounced off one another. At West Ham, Haller is so often a lone figure up front.

Haller is getting neither the service nor the support required to get the best out of him. But Haller isn’t helping himself. Rather than forage for scraps, his body language suggests he’s close to giving up. And many West Ham fans feel the same about him.

 

Serge Aurier 
Tottenham’s win over Manchester City – about which we offer you 16 Conclusions – summed up Aurier. The French full-back was a powerhouse getting forward from right-back, yet defensively he still petrified Spurs fans and on this occasion, he got away with his guaranteed moment of rashness.

Had Harry Kane not knacked his hamstring, right-back would probably have been Spurs’ priority in the market last month, especially having loaned out Kyle Walker-Peters. Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho have tried a number of solutions in their problem area and none have yet ticked all the boxes.

Aurier provides an outlet on the right flank which Mourinho appreciates but many Spurs fans don’t believe the £23million Frenchman’s positives to be worth the negatives.

 

Fabian Delph
Six months into a three-year contract, the honeymoon is over for Delph at Everton. If it ever really began.

It was assumed the Toffees had made a steal in the summer when they landed the England midfielder as a free agent but the winter has brought much discontent with Delph’s contribution. And he’s been more than happy to fire back.

After the embarrassing FA Cup derby defeat to Liverpool’s kids, Delph retaliated on social media to some supporters calling out Everton’s performance for what it was. The midfielder chose the wrong time to engage, and he was roundly booed during Everton’s next home match against Brighton.

A fortnight later, Delph was forced to apologise again after getting himself needlessly sent off at Watford, who were too obliging in letting the visitors off the hook. He may be a scapegoat for wider issues at Everton, but the 30-year-old has certainly not helped himself. And until Carlo Ancelotti can get his own recruits in, Delph and Everton fans are stuck with each other.