Not every young player who rises through the ranks at Manchester United can adapt to the rigours of senior football quite as quickly as England international Kobbie Mainoo.
The jewell in Carrington’s crown needed only a few months to establish himself as a starter both for Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United and Gareth Southgate’s England during a breakout 2023/24 campaign.
And, such was the maturity and the poise with which he plays the game, it came as a surprise to few at Old Trafford to see 19-year-old Mainoo strut his stuff for England during the latter stages of the European Championships; strolling around the continent’s biggest stage in the same way he did for Man United’s youth teams on Saturday mornings.
Kobbie Mainoo, however, is clearly the exception rather than the rule. One of a kind. Generational, if you will.
If Poland boss Michal Probierz had hoped that former Manchester United prospect Maxi Oyedele could become his own Mainoo, then a difficult debut performance during Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Portugal provided a brutal reminder of how much the Legia Warsaw youngster still has to learn.
Poland legend defends former Manchester United starlet Maxi Oyedele
Oyedele has impressed since joining Legia from Man United over the summer.
But, after only 186 minutes of Ekstraklasa football, the consensus now is that a debut for the senior Poland side was a classic case of ‘too much, too soon’.
Oyedele managed only 28 touches before he was put out of his misery just after the hour mark; unsurprisingly outperformed by a star-studded Portugal midfield containing Ruben Neves, Bernardo Silva and Man United captain Bruno Fernandes.
Poland legend Zbigniew Boniak is putting the blame for an underwhelming international bow at the door of head coach Probierz, however, rather than a player who was thrown in at the deep end while still in armbands.
“If you call up a boy who is completely unprepared to play at this level at the moment, you should blame the coach,” argues Boniek, a European Cup winner with Juventus who finished third at the 1982 Ballon D’Or.
“Oyedele doesn’t have a certain place in the Under 21 squad yet! He is definitely a talented boy, maturing as a footballer. But, at the moment, he is absolutely not ready for this type of opponent.
“I absolutely do not understand the complaints against him. The fact that we are so focused on the 19-year-old Oyedele after such a match also says a lot about our ‘experts’.
“If we want to criticise, let’s criticise the coach. We were completely unprepared for this match.”
Carrington graduate Oyedele has impressed at Legia Warsaw
Mainoo, Fernandes and co were among those to congratulate Oyedele on social media as the Salford-born teenager was included in the senior Poland XI for the first time.
The question facing Michal Probierz now, however, is does he include the former Altrincham loanee from the start again during Poland’s second match of the October international break?
Poland face Croatia needing a result to stay in touch with their rivals at the top of their UEFA Nations League group.
The speed in which Oyedele has ascended up the national team ranks is, meanwhile, a source of considerable pride for Legia Warsaw.
The Ekstraklasa outfit paid just £500,000 for the teenager in August. And Legia Warsaw coach Goncalo Feio cannot speak highly enough of Oyedele. A teenager who, even in a few brief outings, is already showcasing his ‘unbelievable potential’.
“Maxi came to us from Manchester United,” Feio told reporters last week. “He quickly settled into the team, got along with his teammates and adapted to our requirements.
“The call-up for Maxi is the result of our work. The players earned it during training sessions, outside of them and during matches. The team and staff also contributed to the call-ups, because it is a team sport.
“We are all very happy.”
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