Too often, when it comes to the hype surrounding a young player, I say: slow down. Pump the brakes. Don’t put too much on their shoulders. Not in the case of Kobbie Mainoo.
Every generation will have a player who is well beyond his years in terms of on-field intelligence and maturity. He is doing that. He is handling the attention very well. At 19 years old, the world is yours.
Who knows what Manchester United’s midfield will look like in the coming years? But he will be the key piece.
He keeps the ball moving, creates rhythm, runs up the field, attacks and, as he showed again against Manchester City, clearly has an eye for goal.
Mainoo has joined a Manchester United team that strives for quality and consistency. But that adversity can help you grow, as long as you can handle it. He can. And given his growth over the next four or five years, this could be the captain of Manchester United. I know he sounds crazy. But when he is 24 years old, he will have a lot of experience.
Kobbie Mainoo scored as Manchester United beat Manchester City to win the FA Cup final
DailyMail.com columnist Tim Howard
There have already been comparisons with Paul Scholes and after the FA Cup final, Scholes claimed that Mainoo is “ten times the player I was when I was 19”.
That’s incredibly high praise. Because Scholesy was built differently. I was lucky to play and train with him. He was a special player. Paul’s passing range was incredible and he hit the ball harder than almost anyone else he had ever met.
If there was an opportunity to pass the ball past the goalkeeper, he took it. Most of the time during training, even at the highest level, players let off the gas and pass the ball into the net, almost as a professional courtesy.
There was never any of that with Scholesy. I remember a couple of times, when he would leave a rebound in front of me, he would come up and try to decapitate me.
He would never apologize. He didn’t care. He would also attack like you’ve never seen before. He trained like an animal. He was cut from that mold, having learned that there was only one way to succeed at Manchester United.
Mainoo, pictured holding off Rodri at Wembley, shone in the heart of the United team.
The promising teenager has already been compared to Manchester United icon Paul Scholes
Off the field, Scholesy was very difficult to exercise. And I don’t think that matters to him.
He was incredibly quiet. He would say “hello” or “good morning” but that’s about it, honestly. He lowers his head in the dining room, goes down to the locker room, goes down to the training field.
I can probably count on one hand the number of conversations I had with Scholesy in three years. He didn’t talk to many people: Paul was close to Roy Keane, the Neville brothers, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs… essentially the Class of ’92, plus a few add-ons! Those were the people he trusted, the people he came up with.
Mainoo is also a product of the United Academy. He has a similar height. He is young. So it’s an interesting comparison. But I don’t necessarily see it.
For me, there is another midfielder Kobbie should turn to for a blueprint on how to develop his game: Declan Rice.
Declan Rice has become an attacking threat since joining Arsenal from West Ham.
He has had a great season at Arsenal because now he has the freedom to explore what the other penalty area is like. Kobe has the ability to do that too.
Now it’s up to your managers: can they allow you to do what you’re great at – breaking things down, using your energy – but also encourage you to keep going?
I wouldn’t be afraid to give him more license and expect more from him, in the United shirt and in the England shirt. Could he be an advantage for Gareth Southgate at this summer’s Euros? Sure. This could be a good opportunity for him to get on that stage.
Is the expectation that he plays the full 90 minutes in each game? Probably not. But is there a way to trust him in the middle of the park to solidify things and allow Rice and Jude Bellingham to move forward? This may be a revelation for England. Certainly, if I saw him in an England shirt this summer, would I be worried? No, I would be excited.
Erik ten Hag’s future as Manchester United manager remains uncertain despite FA Cup victory
It’s brilliant to win an FA Cup, especially against City. But the overall assessment of this United and Erik ten Hag must be made in the last 12 months. And so far, everything Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos have done has been incredibly planned.
I don’t see a world where you get to the last shot of the season and think, now let’s make a decision. I have been saying for a while that United need a change of manager. A game can’t save Ten Hag’s work.
Manchester United has always been based on consistent performance at a very high level. Every once in a while, this team wants a pat on the back because they are performing well. Well, that’s what is expected at United.
They need more identity. I used to think that new managers need a lot of time to change a team: three transfer windows, perhaps, to bring in your players and implement your style. But that has changed. Look at Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton and Unai Emery at Aston Villa.
It can happen very quickly and United need it: they need a change of identity, they need to get a lot of players out and quality players in. But who? The coaching carousel is a bit chaotic right now.
Brentford manager Thomas Frank is among the names linked with a move to United
Mauricio Pochettino has left Chelsea after just one season in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Kieran McKenna has been mentioned. Gareth Southgate, Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel and Thomas Frank have also done it; Basically, it seems like anyone who’s trendy is mentioned.
For me the interesting ones are Frank and Pochettino. Pochettino has seriousness and an identity; It’s shocking that he’s available.
And then there’s Frank. His teams are creative with set pieces, they build from the back, they press at a really high rate and, without disrespect, he has done it at Brentford.
Can you imagine what he could do with world-class players?
For Manchester United there is no middle ground. Compete for the top four? Give me a break. They need to compete for titles.