The decline of Kobbie Mainoo – the midfielder seemed to solve the position of the England position, a typical image for MU's confused transfer policy. And now this young man is facing a vague future!
Does anyone remember when Mainoo debuted? The guy from Stockport is praised as a new leader in MU midfield? A 19 -year -old player was compared to Zinedine Zidane by Paul
Now, at a club with a series of fateful hope and not once winning the Premier League since Sir Alex Ferguson retired 12 years ago, Mainoo was standing in front of a career fork. When Ruben Amorim became the latest coach trying to build a sparkling future for MU, Mainoo was just a reserve player. The Portuguese coach has no room for Mainoo in his 3-4-3 scheme after a harsh comment that the player born in 2005 lacks endurance for the median area or speed to operate as one of the two numbers.
Looking back in August after the goal in the FA Cup final of Mainoo and his emerging as the star of England at Euro 2024, reading Scholes's comments about him was strange.
“He is the nearest person I have seen like Zidane in receiving the ball, handling the ball, gliding through people,” a person considered to be the most outstanding architect in the golden dynasty of Ferguson praised the junior. “The first time I saw him, I remembered that calm. The way he received the ball with confidence; I could not believe that such a young player could do it.”
Confidence and calm seem to be an ideal combination for a player who is responsible for controlling the relentless flow of top matches. But with Amorim. And so, when the transfer market was about to close, the Portuguese coach still pursued Brighton's Carlos Baleba to fill his void due to his lack of trust in Mainoo.
“We lack speed, especially in the middle of the yard and you may find it difficult to regain and bring the ball up,” Amorim analyzed after a bland 0-0 draw with Leeds in Stockholm in mid-July.
Mainoo, who came on to replace Bruno Fernandes in the second half in Sweden, once again unable to convince the coach. Therefore, we saw Amorim pursuing BaleBa, whose price that Brighton requested about 100 million pounds. And when Brighton said that BaleBa was not for sale, MU went to find another alternative, instead of focusing on developing Mainoo.
Amorim's strategy in the first summer transfer window at MU was questioned. Recruiting 2 players No. 10, 1 player No. 9, and no “speed in the midfield” when Amorim tried to refresh MU showing a deviant way of thinking before Arsenal came to the opening match.
Maheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo are new sources of creativity, and Benjamin Sesko are strikers. MU attacked the Gunners, but to say that the Red Devils midfielder overwhelmed the visitors.
The more worrying thing is that the midfield has been a painful problem for a relatively long time. Basically since Christmas last year, when Amorim decided that Mainoo could not afford to move the shuttle – a narcissistic touch for a teenage player who was trusted and kicked by Erik Ten Hag in the Euro 2024 final.
Last season, two different muscle injuries caused Mainoo to take an 83 -day break. For the first time, from October 17 to 11, occurred in the Amorim period was appointed to replace HAG ten; The second time (February 10 to April 7) happened when Mainoo became a regular reserve player.
Mainoo later witnessed an old and slow Casemiro in the Europa League final in May, one of the most obvious signs from Amorim, starting when he tried to change the position of Mainoo in the winter.
In a 2-0 victory in the Europa League group stage in January against FCSB, he was used as one of two numbers 10 (along with Christian Eriksen). Mainoo scored but next week at Crystal Palace, he was transferred to the virtual number 9. MU lost 0-2 and Amorim withdrew him after 70 minutes to replace it with Rasmus Hojlund. Five days later, returning to position No. 10 in a 2-1 victory in the FA Cup against Leicester, he only played 64 minutes.
Next is the second injury, the new contract negotiations are delayed (Mainoo wants its £ 52,000 salary per week to be increased to about £ 180,000, while MU's proposal is more than £ 100,000). MU was then ready to listen to all offers for Mainoo and he only had 4 main kicks after he returned in the last 12 matches of MU, no match in Amorim's priority tournament, Europa League.
Now with Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte in front in the priority order for two central midfield positions (maybe Casemiro), and Cunha/Mbeumo are the main 10 numbers, Mainoo is almost no chance to return to the starting lineup.
Last Friday, Amorim talked about Sesko: “First of all, physically, he was ready. It was a big factor in our tournament.” Mainoo must wish that the coach also acknowledged him like that.