by Erik ten Hag has warned that playing for Manchester United is not for everyone – the added pressure is a poisoned chalice. A talent worth thousands of pounds has not been successful in the last decade but his own Kobbie Mainoo is taking it.
This was Ten Hag’s first visit to a Football League club since arriving at United. There are more unwelcoming stadiums than the DW Stadium, although few could claim to be as cold. The question of United’s inconsistency is often based on the mentality of the team, as they struggle to string together a winning streak. A trip to a third-tier mid-table side desperate to wreck a very vulnerable team was not the most enticing encounter outside of perpetual transition. It was a cool night, which helped the temperature.
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Any team in the Premier League should be able to visit Wigan and win. They have only lost once to the Latics in 19 games, courtesy of now manager Shaun Maloney, nor have they lost against lower league opposition in the FA Cup since 2010 when Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford stunned Old Trafford . Fear could not come in the night.
Being an 18-year-old footballer is tough on the best of days. Every performance at United is scrutinized microscopically, especially when it’s not going well. Mainoo, from nearby Stockport, has given up along with United’s decline from consistent title contenders to struggling to stay in the top six. He knows the heights United want to reach.
Knowing he was coming into a team with a gaping hole in midfield would have intimidated many teenagers but Mainoo has settled into his role quickly. Against Wigan he was the deepest of the midfield trio, behind Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes, the same duo who started alongside him on his Premier League debut against Everton. That trip to Goodison Park was arguably United’s most complete of the season as they swept aside the Toffees in a cauldron and their fans were left fuming at the club’s 10-point deduction.
Mainoo was often found between United’s two centre-backs, Raphaël Varane and Jonny Evans, dropping deep to collect the ball. He was eager to possess, knowing that he has the ability to initiate attacks with his death by breaking the lines.
It’s also not a bad thing to occupy the space in front of Varane and Evans as they know exactly where a defensive midfielder should be to provide the protection they need, a shield often missing, even when Casemiro was in the sidelines. When Martial Godo led a one-man counterattack, he put United in trouble. The winger made it into the penalty area, which sent the fans into a frenzy but Mainoo had tracked him all the way and put in a smart, diving block.
It is vital that teammates from all over the pitch help Mainoo settle, adjust and learn from mistakes as his role is vital for United. He only needs to see what Rodri does for Manchester City and how much he misses in his absence. After Diogo Dalot’s opening, Fernandes was quick to accept Mainoo and explain what else he wanted. He was then passed on to Ten Hag for a few more words of encouragement and a well-deserved pat on the back.
Without Champions League football, the league and the FA Cup are the two things left to focus on. They will have fewer games than their rivals, allowing Ten Hag to rotate less and create an XI that could take the club forward, as well as summer signings. The bench was full of young players, all seven outside options having progressed through the club’s academy, showing the limitations of United’s current squad. Mainoo’s seamless transition in difficult circumstances will give those representatives hope that they can seize any opportunities that arise.
It is possible that Ten Hag ran across an effective midfield trio. Mainoo adds the stability, McTominay the physicality and energy to go forward and Fernandes the cunning with the ball at his feet. They complement each other well. Mainoo is 12 games into his senior career and is learning fast, coming close to scoring the first goal of his career with a low drive from the edge of the box that was stopped by Sam Tickle. He showed that he knows how to work in more advanced areas, having played much of his youth career further forward.
United were, as claimed, dominant. Their only issue was that they couldn’t take their chances but everything between the boxes was working as Dalot pushed into space, Marcus Rashford grabbed the lead and Fernandes created chances . Mainoo offered the security that gave others the freedom to cause problems for Wigan as they were unable to deal with the movement.
There was no protest when United brushed aside their inferior opponents on a night when the fearlessness of the youthful Mainoo set the tone. Playing without alarm could be the key to an emerging second half of the season.
