by Among all the downsides that can come with being a modern football fan, there are concerns about takeovers, the cost of attending matches and the inevitability that your club will not be as successful as it should be. wish, there is one thing that will always bring joy: a local academy. graduate making an impression in the first team.
Manchester United’s latest signing is 18-year-old Stockport-born Kobbie Mainoo, who will aim to make his second Premier League start at Newcastle on Saturday night. Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood have achieved success in the first team over the past decade but it is rare for a local player to progress through the system there, with the majority coming from further afield. Many have enjoyed fleet appearances but it is difficult to become a regular at the elite level United are trying to operate.
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Mainoo was a key part of Travis Binnion’s side that won the 2022 FA Youth Cup. The midfielder, playing alongside Dan Gore, scored twice en route to the final and was a calming influence in front of 67,000 fans at Old Trafford when United won. Nottingham Forest to get the trophy. It was an early indication that Mainoo is not fazed by the occasion or the pressure that comes with it.
Since joining United at the age of nine, Mainoo has impressed coaches with his attitude and belief that he would succeed as a professional there. He is quiet and confident off the pitch but makes himself known on it and the club always thought he had a strong chance of progressing with them.
When Erik ten Hag arrived, when he arrived last year, he assessed the youngsters and who could make the grade for his squad. Mainoo was recognized early on and began training with his senior team-mates in October last year, earning a place on the bench against Newcastle that month. Last January, aged 17, he was picked to start in the Carabao Cup quarter-final win over League One Charlton, with Ten Hag confident in his player’s ability after seeing his quality for the under-21s in the EFL Cup .
But an injury picked up in July during United’s pre-season tour would have seen Mainoo make his first appearance of the campaign before November. Ten Hag name-checked him in his first Premier League press conference of the season as a key absence and midfield is the manager’s main problem to solve.
Gore, too, is a local who United believe can be a long-term regular at the club, while Hannibal Mejbri, who is two years his senior, is part of Ten Hag’s plans. The academy provided eight of the squad of the day in Istanbul on Wednesday, a testament to its success rate.
One issue United face against Mainoo is getting their best reputation. He can play anywhere in midfield, being regularly used as No 6, 8 and 10 for age group teams. Often in his junior career he played in higher midfield roles as part of his development to make him a more rounded player. Academy coaches ensure that aspiring players experience different positions to help improve their wider understanding.
At the moment, he is considered best suited to a role in front of the back four, using his composure to stop dangerous attacks and keep it simple in possession. United believe Mainoo’s short-term future will be in defensive midfield as his technical ability, ability and awareness of the game are already at a high level and he is strong in one-on-one drills.
These qualities were evident on his first start in the Premier League against Everton last Sunday. In a hostile atmosphere, Mainoo was arguably United’s best performer. Ten Hag is struggling to fill this season. Casemiro was last seen in early October and until then he looked isolated in the role, regularly able to deal with the opposition’s midfield. In theory, Sofyan Amrabat should be Brazil’s understudy but he has done little to suggest he is the right man for the part.
United suffered by letting the opposition’s midfield through them early in the season. Against Everton Mainoo provided the stability that was missing and was trusted by his manager to make his Champions League debut in the last quarter of the helter-skelter game against Galatasaray in front of 50,000 raucous fans. The result didn’t go United’s way but it was a great learning experience for Mainoo.
As others have discovered to their cost, talent isn’t always enough to become a Manchester United player, but Mainoo’s extra mix of poise and confidence has helped him become the latest local boy to live out a fan’s dream. the park.
