Kobbie Mainoo is one of Manchester United’s most exciting young players, but some game elements need to be worked on to become the complete midfielder.
Ruben Amorim has been careful with Kobbie Mainoo since taking charge at Manchester United due to his injury struggles at the beginning of the season.
The last thing United’s head coach wants is another setback to one of his best players, even though Mainoo’s game time has been limited since his return from injury.
Mainoo came back into the starting line-up for United’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool on Sunday.
The 19-year-old performed superbly alongside Manuel Ugarte and caused numerous problems for Liverpool’s Curtis Jones.
United fans saw glimpses of how Ugarte and Mainoo can operate in the middle of the pitch as a duo, and they came out on top in their battle against Liverpool’s midfield.
Mainoo made 44 touches in total against Liverpool, including five ball recoveries, and he also won six duels.
Kobbie Mainoo concern
Mainoo has only completed 90 minutes once in United’s last five Premier League games under Amorim. That came in United’s 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford in the lead up to Christmas.
The young midfielder finds himself in the opposite situation to last season when he broke into United’s first-team and often closed out full matches under Erik ten Hag.
However, Amorim’s two-man midfield system is more demanding, which has led Paul Scholes and Michael Owen to question Mainoo’s role in the team.
“Mainoo with his legs has to be a worry,” Scholes told Premier League Productions. “He doesn’t finish a lot of games.”
Michael Owen was in agreement, adding: “He looks heavy, but yeah, he tires a lot, doesn’t he?
“And it’s one thing he’s an unbelievable player, but if there’s one thing about Mainoo, it’s getting around the pitch and his ability to last a full game at the high intensity that’s needed.
“And then you look at the other alternatives. You’ve got [Christian] Eriksen that’s getting on in years. Casemiro that’s never been that mobile but getting on in years.
“So, I guess you’re left with [Manuel] Ugarte and another. You’re left with Ugarte.”
Manchester United’s best midfield options
When it comes to legs and having midfielders who cover lots of ground, Mainoo is a far better option than the likes of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, who both struggled in United’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle.
Amorim may need to manage the player’s minutes but he can do that in the Europa League with minor tweaks to the team.
Meanwhile, Ugarte is showing steady signs of improvement and appears to be cementing his place in the team. The Uruguayan has a rocky start under Ten Hag but it now looks like he is bedding into the team nicely.
Mainoo is still young enough to develop his game. His legs will get stronger over time and he’ll learn how to store his energy over 90 minutes like he did for years in United’s academy teams.
Right now, Amorim shouldn’t look past Mainoo and Ugarte as his strongest midfield duo for the rest of the season.
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