Manchester United are in seventh heaven right now after their 7-0 win vs Barnsley in the Carabao Cup where many heroes emerged.
Erik ten Hag bucked convention and rotated heavily, making eight changes to the side that dispatched Southampton in the league.
The gamble paid off as fringe players impressed greatly. Antony had a good return to form, Christian Eriksen was irresistible, while the likes of Jonny Evans had a comfortable outing.
It has suddenly opened up the Manchester United squad in its depth and as Ten Hag said before the game, leaves him with some ‘nice headaches‘.
On that theme of headaches, United seem to have made a decision on Kobbie Mainoo‘s squad role and importance.
Man United make Kobbie Mainoo decision
Since his breakthrough last season, Mainoo’s rise has been spectacular, to put it kindly!
He skipped U21 football entirely and by the end of the season, was a Euro finalist with England as a key player, while being the first name on the teamsheet for United.
He turned 19 near the end of last season so for a player to go from U18 football to being a regular for club and country in that span was startling.
Unfortunately, as has been seen in numerous recent cases, like Pedri or Gavi’s, there’s always a threat to overplaying youngsters who are still growing into their frame.
Consequently, GIVEMESPORT reports that United have made a decision to limit/monitor Mainoo’s minutes this season.
The report states that the club will be cautious with his minutes in the coming weeks, as the Europa League is also set to begin after the Carabao Cup.
They are conscious of his workload and he will be rotated a lot to keep him fresh for big games, something which was already visible vs Barnsley where he didn’t play.
A long overdue step
Ten Hag should be given a lot of credit for managing to bring along youngsters from the academy but sometimes the overreliance on these players is jarring.
Alejandro Garnacho started 38 consecutive games at one point, a run that would be unforgiving on any player’s body, let alone one who’s reliant on explosiveness and so young.
This season, Garnacho has been used better, coming off the bench sometimes, and starting the odd game to keep him hungry and fresh.
The result is Garnacho taking a superstar leap as he torments defenders with fresh legs and no mental fatigue.
Mainoo looked like he was reaching his limit as well, with the game vs Liverpool a stark example of a player who had become a marked man now.
Christian Eriksen‘s form means the club can actually afford to rotate Mainoo for the odd game, and a better team structure will ensure he’s not having to do all the heavy lifting when he plays.
United will have that to thank in ten years’ time when Mainoo is still firing on all cylinders instead of huffing and puffing toward an early decline.
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