Emmanuel Petit slams Chelsea fans for their embarrassing action against Manchester United
Emmanuel Petit has branded Chelsea fans ’embarrassing’ for booing Mason Mount upon his return to Stamford Bridge with Manchester United.
Last week, England midfielder Mount returned to his boyhood club for the first time since joining Premier League rivals United in a £60m deal last summer.
Mount started on the bench but was introduced as a late substitute in Manchester United’s dramatic 4-3 defeat.
Audible boos rang out around Stamford Bridge as Mount prepared to come on, while each touch of the ball was was met by more jeers.
Petit believes it was an ’embarrassing’ response to a player who first joined Chelsea at the age of six and who spent the best part of two decades at the club.
‘It was embarrassing that the Chelsea fans booed Mason Mount,’ Petit told Genting Casino. ‘However, you can’t just want to leave the club when things aren’t going well on the pitch, you have to be stronger than that mentally.
‘Right now, he’s playing for Man United, one of the biggest clubs in the world, and you know what you signed up to when you signed for them.
‘He’s coming back from a long-term injury, a professional footballer, and an athlete at the highest level must improve mentally.
‘Before he was injured, he was playing like he walking on eggshells – very fragile mentally – and he’s kind of like Marcus Rashford at United.
‘Mount arrived from Chelsea and he doesn’t look strong mentally. I used to be like that and it used to affect my performance on the pitch, but come on!
‘You wake up in the morning, drive a Lamborghini, you need to look in the mirror! He was booed by Chelsea fans, but at the end of the day, he wanted to stay at the club.’
Mount has endured a difficult first season at Manchester United, with injury issues restricting him to just four league starts.
He made another brief cameo in United’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool at the weekend. Erik ten Hag’s side, sitting sixth in the Premier League, return to action on Saturday against Bournemouth.
