What a debut season Manchester United’s youngster Kobbie Mainoo is having. From playing regularly at the club level to going on to play for your nation at the Euros in just one season, is something that a 19-year-old could have ever dreamt of. Erik ten Hag introduced the teenager to the first team set-up and his move has played a crucial role in saving the Dutchman’s job.
Kobbie was praised for his efforts that took Manchester United to the FA Cup glory. Gareth Southgate also noted the performances of this young talent and called him up for the UEFA European 2024 Championship in Germany. Southgate took time to adjust Kobbie into the team. The youngster showed no signs of nervousness and established his spot in the playing 11.
England have not played their best football in the competition but have managed to reach the semi-final. Mainoo was crucial in their knockout ties. The youngster has not only ended his nation’s problems but has also ended Manchester United’s search for a complete midfielder. The Red Devils are heavy spenders in the market. This youngster has saved a lot of money for his team. Let’s take a look at why Kobbie Mainoo is rated so highly at just 19.
Bright start in Manchester
Erik ten Hag dealt with a lot of injury issues last season. This opened the door for this youngster. Mainoo took full use of the opportunity that was provided and ended the season with 24 league appearances. The above pizza chart shows the percentile rank in comparison to other right defensive midfielder in Tier 1 of league football. Mainoo was ranked highly for his dribbling abilities and contributions to the defence. He has a good percentile rank in this department.
Kobbie Mainoo played as a box-to-box midfielder for Erik ten Hag’s side. The Dutchman used him in a defensive role on occasions. Kobbie was quite impressive in covering a lot of ground for his team. Commanding the midfield with contributions to both ends of the field is not easy. Mainoo proved his worth in these areas. He also scored a goal in the FA Cup final to take his side to glory.
Winning back the ball in attacking areas is a crucial part of every midfielder’s game. The 19-year-old made some crucial recoveries for his side. Most were in the form of counter-pressing ones and others came in the form of dangerous recoveries.
Kobbie at the Euros
Gareth Southgate started with Declan Rice and Trent Alexander-Arnolf in the midfield in England’s first match. It came as a shock to many as Trent is a right-back. The English manager changed his decision for the next matches. He added Kobbie Mainoo to the mix.
Kobbie plays as the right central midfielder for the Three Lions. His touch map shows that the player stretches the opposition and finds his way into the opposition penalty box.
Playing up high on the field has allowed the 19-year-old to make some recoveries in the attacking half. All these came in the form of counter-pressing recoveries.
One of the reasons behind Mainoo’s high appraisal is his passing accuracy. With over 95% accuracy rate, he is being considered as the best English player in the team. The Manchester United midfielder is involved in small build-up plays to carry his team forward.
Manchester United fans will have plenty of hopes from their new midfield commander. He has a lot of responsibilities on his hands and will look to live up to expectations.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
