Kobbie Mainoo is the lynchpin of Man Utd’s midfield today, but it all started back in 2023 with a single game that his successor can replicate now.
Despite being a fringe player for Thomas Tuchel at the current World Cup, Man Utd fans won’t doubt the quality and potential of Kobbie Mainoo.
Since the arrival of Michael Carrick, Mainoo has flown out of the blocks, making Ruben Amorim look misguided for his selection.
Mainoo helped Erik ten Hag in 2023, and now Carrick can get his own Mainoo in 2026 by unleashing a special Man Utd wonderkid.
If Elliot Anderson is £125m… What is Kobbie Mainoo’s market value right now?
Not that he's going anywhere…🔒
Jim Thwaites can replicate Kobbie Mainoo’s 2023 exploits
The pre-season of 2023 was a difficult one for Erik ten Hag, as his midfield of Christian Eriksen and Casemiro was already showing signs of being past their best.
New arrivals weren’t very convincing either, so when Mainoo was unleashed in that famous pre-season game against Arsenal, United caught a huge break.
Mainoo looked like a seasoned professional from minute one, and even an injury against Real Madrid later in the pre-season didn’t sap his momentum.
He ended that season as United’s most important midfielder and started the Euros final by the end of that summer.
Three years on from that pre-season, Carrick is looking at a similar scenario again.
Jim Thwaites has emerged as one of the most exciting prospects at Man Utd’s academy, showing immense growth in his game over the last 12 months.
He remains one of the few youth players to catch Ruben Amorim’s eye, and he has since improved leaps and bounds in a deeper midfield role.
Thwaites has combined his otherworldly set-piece abilities with combativeness, progressive passing, and deceptive dribbling skills.
If there was ever a manager to appreciate those technical skills, it’s the current Man Utd manager. As it turns out, the timing is perfect as well.
Thwaites’ breakout will ease Michael Carrick’s transfer worry
The transfer window has officially been open for around two weeks, but United have got just one midfielder through the door in Ederson.
Which player does Jim Thwaites remind you of?
Do you think he will make it in the first team at Man Utd?
Elliot Anderson’s race was left due to soaring prices, and they find themselves in an uncomfortable bidding war for Mateus Fernandes as well.
As it stands, Carrick will start pre-season with no new players and half his team off for the World Cup, leaving Thwaites perfectly placed to stake his claim.
If he can replicate what Mainoo did in 2023 and look at home with the senior team immediately, that will instantly put Carrick at ease and might even change United’s transfer plans.
The answer to United’s problems should always be searched first at Carrington, and right now, Thwaites seems like the likeliest solution.
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