Three games into the season so Manchester United and Kobbie Mainoo is already being run into the ground.
Manchester United have had a disastrous opening few weeks in the Premier League for the 2024/25 campaign.
Two losses from three games already have the hope and optimism gained from the FA Cup triumph quashed, with Erik ten Hag’s side suffering similar issues as we grew tired of last season.
The midfield set-up has been a serious problem, with Casemiro being the main culprit which has seen him most recently hooked off at half-time against Liverpool.
But it is not just Casemiro but rather the midfield structure that is the issue and it has now been impacting Kobbie Mainoo, even as he equals a N’Golo Kante record.
Kobbie Mainoo matches N’Golo Kante record
Despite a disappointing few weeks, Mainoo has still been showcasing glimpses of his talent despite the struggles caused by the structure.
Outside of his on-the-ball ability, Mainoo has been needed to contribute defensively due to the struggles of Casemiro to keep up with the game going on around him.
This has led to Mainoo leading the way in terms of interceptions (11) in the entire Premier League this season – only matched by one other over the past five seasons.
Mainoo is in elite company, with N’Golo Kante being the other player to have 11 interceptions in the opening three games of a Premier League campaign over the past five years.
This is obviously impressive considering Kante is widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders the Premier League has seen over the last decade.
But it is a stat which is not a good thing for United and a worse thing for Mainoo.
Manchester United must solve midfield problem
During the 2023/24 season, the midfield was a real problem for United with the structure being awful and leaving the defence and goalkeeper over-exposed.
But this season – despite having a whole summer to come up with a way to fix the issue, the problem is just as bad, with Casemiro already looking like he should be nowhere near the team.
However, to blame Casemiro would be lazy when he is just a cog in a malfunctioning midfield machine, something that was clear with Toby Collyer’s introduction seeing him in the same situation of poor positioning.
Rio Ferdinand has pointed out Casemiro’s strengths are being ignored by Ten Hag’s system, but then whoever is in the midfield seems to struggle – which makes Manuel Ugarte an even bigger test, if he struggles then Erik ten Hag could be in big trouble.
Mainoo having to put in such a shift defensively was simply not in the plan, as he is better on the ball and pushing toward the opponent’s goal, not having to strenuously run the length of the pitch all game – this being due to the lack of control United’s system gives them in a game.
So while it’s impressive in a way that he managed to match Kante’s record, it is yet another sign of the issues facing Ten Hag’s midfield this season.
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