A team of our caliber should have an attacking plan that goes beyond “hoof it to the big guy up top”.
This tactic is considered a meme because of how outdated it is.
I mean, it's not exactly our main objective. But it's undoubtedly a big advantage when you can play the ball from your keeper to Mario and he brings it down every time. And you can play it to the back post, and if you hit the ball right, it's an easy goal.
These things are all a lot easier to accomplish than Douglas Costa dribbling around 5 players. Let's not complicate the game of football too much.
I would look for a way to phase Mario out but I can't pretend that he doesn't offer distinct advantages in certain situations, because he absolutely does.
Today, I would not have played him.