4 Areas for Tottenham's Ryan Mason to Improve in 2015/16 Season
This time a year ago, few people anticipated Ryan Mason becoming a regular in the Tottenham Hotspur first team within a few months.
After making the most of pre-season opportunities (and overcoming an initial injury at the start of the season), the midfielder did just that. By the end of the campaign his efforts earned him a new contract and an England call-up, making his debut in the 1-1 friendly draw with Italy.
As Mason prepares to retain the regular starting role to which he has become accustomed, Bleacher Report looks at the four areas in which the 24-year-old can improve in 2015/16.
There was plenty to like about Mason's motivated and positive performances. But continuing to work at his game is a must if he is to continue to thrive in a Premier League environment.
Maintain a Cool Head in Front of Goal
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"I’m eager to get on the scoresheet more often, not in a selfish way, but it’s important for midfielders to weigh in with goals," Mason replied when asked about his hopes for 2015/16 by Tottenham's official website.
"I probably put too much pressure on myself when I get into positions where I could score so next season, I’ll take it naturally."
It is good advice.
When the midfielder got it right in front of goal, he produced some impressive results. The equaliser in his first appearance of the season against Nottingham Forest in the Capital One Cup (preceded by another fine long-range effort a week earlier for the Under-21s against Southampton) was a timely show of confidence. His goal in the 3-2 win over Swansea City was less spectacular but equally well taken.
However, as Mason noted, there were times when trying to force the issue was counterproductive. When attempting to blast a way through defences proving resistant to the assaults from his team-mates, the ball would be given straight back to the opposition instead of maintaining possession and figuring out a better opening.
There was an admirable quality about Mason looking to help his team back into games, such as the goal against Forest. The fact that he wants to add to his tally this season speaks of a player not prepared to stand back and watch on as the side struggles (albeit his central midfield role will not always allow him to get forward).
Doing his best to keep a cool head in these situations should lead to the more natural opportunities he desires.
Continue Getting Himself on the Ball
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Mason's generally positive play quickly earned him the respect of his team-mates last season.
"Ryan has made it easier for our attacking players over the course of the season," Christian Eriksen told Tottenham's website in April. "It’s always good when you know you have a guy behind you who will pass forward and who will tackle and win the ball for us."
At times, he and his midfield partner Nabil Bentaleb did end up descending into sideways passing (or worse) that did not take the team anywhere. But this was often a consequence of Spurs attackers giving them little to work with (which in turn was often a product of the choking work of opposing defensive efforts).
When the passing options were there, Mason was alert to their whereabouts and was able to pick them out more often than not.
As recorded by WhoScored.com, his pass success rate of 84.2 per cent was a little behind most of his fellow central midfielders. But he also made more key passes here, 0.9, than anyone other than the more advanced Eriksen. Furthermore, his four assists were only bettered by wide-men Nacer Chadli and Erik Lamela.
Tidying up his passing will not hurt Mason. However, it should definitely not be at the expense of him getting on the ball and putting others in position to damage opponents.
Mauricio Pochettino trusted him to hold his own against the Premier League's best midfielders. Without being reckless, continuing to take them on the best he can will keep the Argentinian in mind to keep the faith.
Work on Focus
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This area for improvement could be applied to Bentaleb individually, too. But if the Algeria international and Mason are to continue patrolling Tottenham's midfield together, they need to improve their concentration levels and awareness of dangers around them.
Too often last season they would undermine good work done by themselves and others by switching off and playing sloppy passes inside their own half. Think of the loss away at Liverpool or the 0-0 draw with Burnley where losing possession resulted in inviting unnecessary pressure onto the defence.
There were instances when the two midfielders' connection with one another was lost too, leaving them isolated or in situations that might have been avoided had they kept better track of the other. The near miss in the north London derby when Bentaleb let Laurent Koscielny almost punish Spurs with a free header shows the importance of them taking responsibility at set plays as well.
A lot of this will come from the experience the youthful pair continue to accumulate. Last season was essentially each man's first full top-flight campaign with Spurs, and they did very well considering (not many midfielders of their age can claim to have played sizable roles in a side getting to fifth in the Premier League).
As far as Mason is concerned, working on the focus that underpins his defensive game will be vital if he wants to make himself indispensable moving forward. Pochettino wants his Spurs team to take the game to their rivals, but they will only succeed if the foundation behind it is as solid as possible.
Stay Aggressive
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What Mason (and latterly Bentaleb when he got fit again) brought to Tottenham last autumn was a level of energy and aggression that had been lacking in the performance of several of his fellow midfielders.
Someone like Etienne Capoue did little wrong in defensive midfield in the season's opening months. He held his position well enough and covered for his defence as best he could. Perhaps with time and trust he may have made the job his own (keep an eye on the Frenchman doing well at Watford this season).
But at the time, Spurs needed people willing to assert themselves more—to get involved in games and shape them, rather than react.
That we are talking about areas where Mason can improve shows he was not perfect in this regard for the north Londoners' midfield. But compared to others, every opportunity that came his way felt like a vital one for a player few had envisioned making a breakthrough during his lengthy spells out on loan.
Retaining that desire to impress and impact games sounds like asking for more of the same. Nevertheless, having carried Mason this far, keeping that attitude will be crucial if he is to improve.
It will keep him on his toes for competition from the likes of new arrival Dele Alli and potential academy promotion Harry Winks, as well as those already in the fold like Bentaleb and Mousa Dembele. Mason may not have the natural talent of some of his colleagues, but showing he wants it more will give him his best chance of earning the minutes that can allow him to continue developing.
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