Kobbie Mainoo, 18, Central Midfielder

Effortlessly comfortable.

Effortlessly comfortable.

In February, a few mates and I went to see England u19s beat Hungary 19s 1-0 in Walsall, I went for one reason. Kobbie Mainoo. At this point, the 18-year-old was a mythical figure, a hybrid of Paul Pogba and Sergio Busquets, nothing but a favoured tab on Wyscout. That night he only played 20 Minutes after coming off the bench, but those 1,200 seconds confirmed everything.

Nine months later, I’m walking through Goodison Park with the same feeling of ecstasy, Kobbie Mainoo’s starting. I was worried for him and questioned if this environment was right for a Premier League debut, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The 2005-born midfielder joined United at the age of nine and progressed through the age groups until the signing of his first pro contract last year, in the same year through strong performances in England youth games, EFL trophy and PL2, Mainoo earned himself a call up to senior training in October.

Throughout the 18-year-old worked closely with Ten-Hag as he looked to break into the match day squad, ETH understands the importance of youth through his Ajax days, but also he has said, “Man United is famous for bringing young kids into the first team, last year Garnacho made it, and I always hope for a minimum of one player to come into our squad and compete for a starting position.” Mainoo is clearly this year’s.

Three main aspects of the debutant’s performance impressed: build-up in the first phase, defensive tenacity and glimpses of his ability further up the field.

Throughout the game, Mainoo was crucial to the way Manchester United built out from the back. The selection of a defensive cohort of Onana, Shaw, Lindelof, Maguire, Dalot and KM made it evident that the game plan was to attract an opponent press and consequently beat it.

The above graphic shows MU’s average positions across the 90 minutes. ETH established a 2-3/3-2 build-up; the below gif displays how different players were utilised.

Mainoo in particular would predominantly stay centrally in a position where he was able to receive off the centre-halves within the space between Everton’s aggressive first line of press, Calvert-Lewin and Doucoure and their deeper midfielders, Garner and Gueye.

Once the teenager had found the pockets of space his ability to turn and play forward was superb, the match finished with KM leading the pass completion rate and the 3rd most live passes.

Every touch seemed to hold intent and purpose, instead of just controlling the ball, it was guided and mapped out in order to ensure that the picture Mainoo holds in his head can be fulfilled.

Forgive the Everton bias, but the aforementioned picture of his surroundings and his next moves are akin to Gareth Barry’s time at Goodison. For the most part, teenagers who break into Premier League sides play on instinct; combining this with bravery and energy is utilised so they stand out. Mainoo stands out in this sense, the cliche, “plays above his years” has been thrown around on numerous occasions and yet fits the bill superbly. The amalgamation of technical excellence, tenacity and footballing IQ are all within the 18-year-old’s game in abundance.

Everton’s front two of DCL and Doucoure pressed high attempting to catch Onana, Maguire and Lindelof in possession. Due to the positioning of Utd’s two 8s, Garner and Gueye had to choose to either jump vertically to press KM or protect the space and mark Bruno and Mctom; Dyche countered this dilemma by moving McNeil and Harrison into more central areas out of possession, in the ilk of a classic Red Bull 4222.

Fortunately, due to Utd’s back line’s ability on the ball, they were able to attract an Everton press and play into Mainoo, who would drift into different spaces: tip of a triangle with HM and VL, dropping to become a Lcb or Rcb or into a full-back position, to receive the ball with at least a moment of space.

There’s a narrative that used to surround McTominay and that he hid in the “cover shadow”. Ultimately, hiding behind players and not showing for the ball. I do disagree with linking this to SM, however on the other side of the spectrum is a player like Mainoo who has a love for the ball, constantly shifting his position on the pitch but also is body shape in order to receive in an optimal orientation and location. Simply, he passes the ball and moves.

Defensively, Mainoo still has a few questions that need answering at the top level. Throughout his youth career, he has proven his versatility and ability to both play and defend, however, I’d need to see more of him to make a clear judgement.

He still held a crucial role in keeping Everton at bay, a goal-line clearance is always hard to #analyse, but of course, anticipation and determination are not bad qualities to hold.

His ability to cover ground is also impressive often rushing across into wide areas to aid full-backs, this displayed a strong 1v1 defensive ability and he often came out on top against McNeil and Harrison.

As the game opened up, Mainoo has the freedom to play further up the pitch and use his carrying and more extensive passing range.

The way he moves with the ball is enchanting every touch has a purpose, every step an intent. Throughout his youth career, Mainoo has played in more advanced positions which explains his dribbling ability.

His dribbling isn’t particularly flashy and similar to the rest of his game is controlled and effective. Again, his first touch is superb, and alonside his body orientation allows him to move past opponents at ease.

As he does develop within ETH’s Utd I do believe a switch into a more advanced role would suit the 18-year-old, his creativity is something that shouldn’t go unrecognised. However, due to the make-up of the squad and a lack of convincing 6, Mainoo is crucial in that particular role so we may have to wait.

Once Everton began pushing for a goal to mount a comeback this led to far more space behind their defensive line on numerous occasions Mainoo was able to find, in particular, Rashford, Utd players through lofted or defence-splitting passes which demonstrated another piece of his game.

Kobbie Mainoo along with players such as PSG’s Warren Zaire Emery and Newcastle’s Lewis Miley are all demonstrating an incredible ability at such a young age and I for one am excited to see what the future holds.

Interview with Fin from @@AcademyScoop

What first drew you too Mainoo?

Manchester United’s academy in recent years (barring the odd freak talent) has followed a theme of producing players with top-level technical traits but sub-par physicality or the inverse - Mainoo defies that pattern, combining elite technicality, physical dominance, maturity and mental aptitude, culminating in an incredible footballer; this was clear to me from the moment he made his under-18 debut at age fifteen.

Where do you see him playing positionally over the next two years and then long-term?

As things stand, Ten Hag seems to prefer Mainoo occupying the #6 role, sitting just ahead of the defence and receiving from the back, carrying the brunt of United’s first-phase progressive responsibilities in possession while providing defensive coverage, especially in transitions. Whether this is Ten Hag’s long-term vision for the youngster or a temporary solution to United’s current availability crisis with Casemiro out-injured remains to be seen - as to where I would prefer him to play - his skillset, for me, makes him best suited to an advanced #8 role, receiving between the lines, recycling possession and progressing the ball through the thirds.

Perhaps Mainoo's most inspiring academy performance came against Wolves in the FA Youth Cup during the 2021/22 season, during which he was deployed as the left-sided #8 and was virtually unplayable. Wolves could hardly get near him as he elegantly strode up the pitch towards goal, making several line-breaking passes leading to a number of clear-cut goalscoring chances. His combination of play and close control in congested areas was out of this world; he looked like a man amongst kids - a cut above. For me, some of Mainoo's qualities are wasted when you restrict his licence to bomb forward. That being said - a player of his quality, with his level of intelligence and understanding can provide value from anywhere on the pitch.

what does he need to develop to ensure consistent starting 11 minutes?

Considering the current state of affairs at the club, Mainoo should be the first name on the team sheet - consistent first-team minutes are an inevitability, barring a dramatic drop in performance level (which, given his consistency until now, seems most unlikely). The refinement and maturity in Kobbie's game (despite his age) is nothing short of an anomaly, making it difficult to highlight any particular weaknesses. He could perhaps work on expanding his passing range and resisting the urge to be baited by intentional stray runs, leaving open space in dangerous areas. General physical development could also elevate his game and overall ability to deal with the robust nature of Premier League football, but that will inevitably come with time. To be clear, these are hardly glaring weaknesses that require desperate attention.

Is this current side and management the best place for his development?

The tumultuous environment currently consuming Old Trafford amidst their run of inconsistent form and looming ownership changes makes for an increasingly challenging platform for any young player to establish themselves in the first team and yet Mainoo seems to be taking it in his stride. Given Ten Hag’s notorious track record developing some of Europe’s finest footballers, I have no doubts that he and United can provide an adequate platform for Kobbie to grow and develop. While it could be a smoother process at a club like Manchester City, he likely wouldn’t undergo the same test of character, which may prove vital for his mental resilience in the long run.

Could we see a surprise selection within the World cup 2024 squad, if not who’s keeping him out?

If he continues to perform in the same manner as his full Premier League debut against Everton last Sunday, nothing is stopping Mainoo from becoming a mainstay in Gareth Southgate’s England setup for years to come. A potential midfield of Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo and Jude Bellingham should have any England fan in their right mind licking their lips. Of course, it will take time for him to integrate and prove his worth, but for me, there’s not a single player in England with his profile and combination of abilities - it’s a matter of when not if.

Thanks for reading!