Mason Mount father hits back as Tony Mount calls Michael Owen a fool

Mason Mount’s return to the Manchester United XI drew a sharp family response after Michael Owen questioned his display in the 0-0 draw with Sunderland. Tony Mount went onto Instagram and called Owen a fool, pointing to the midfielder’s first start in five months and the full 90 minutes he played at the Stadium of Light.

Tony Mount on Instagram

“Maybe not starting a game for five months has something to do with looking rusty. Owen, you fool,” Tony wrote. The message came after Owen said Mount was not performing anywhere near the level Manchester United expected when they signed him and added that he looked slow in possession and laggy in transitions.

Owen also said United need more intensity and personality from Mount, while noting that Sunderland looked more energetic and sharper in midfield areas. He framed the criticism around the £60million fee United paid Chelsea for Mount in 2023, a figure that has hovered over his spell at the club ever since.

Mount’s disrupted United spell

The Sunderland match was Mount’s first start in five months and only his second major run of minutes after injury interruptions cut into his season. He had completed just 26 minutes of action before last weekend after a knock in December ruled him out of two fixtures and another injury kept him out of six matches between February and March.

Michael Carrick gave Mount the start, and the midfielder finished the match at the Stadium of Light as United drew 0-0 with Sunderland last Saturday. He had rejoined the squad for the 3-1 win over Aston Villa in March, but his availability has still been shaped more by recovery than rhythm.

Mount’s own view

Mount has already pushed back on the scrutiny in his own words. “I will always back myself. I know what I’m about and what I can bring,” he told the, adding that being part of getting the club back to the top is “super special.”

He has made 70 appearances across almost three seasons for Manchester United, but the discussion around him keeps returning to the same issue: whether injuries have stalled the player the club thought it was buying. For now, the latest flashpoint is not his numbers on the pitch, but the reaction his first start in five months triggered away from it.