Kobbie Mainoo has been the shining light for Manchester United this season amid a sea of horrors.
From his last-minute strike at Wolves, to his England debut, to his wondergoal against Liverpool – it’s simply been an absolute rollercoaster for the Manchester United academy graduate this season.
Erik ten Hag deserves immense credit for how he’s handled Mainoo’s rise to fame. The Dutchman has put all the building blocks in place for the 18-year-old to shine for years to come around Old Trafford.
But the question on everyone’s lips… can he keep us the consistency?
Can Kobbie Mainoo keep his form up?
The one thing that’s often easy to slip the mind of Manchester United supporters – Mainoo has in fact only played 17 Premier League matches for the club.
Despite this, he’s arguably the first name on the team sheet and one of the most important players in the Manchester United first-team squad.
The worry is whether he will burn out, being played in a ridiculous amount of games for a player that should technically still be buzzing around the under-18s.
Take Pedri at Barcelona for example. He played far too many minutes and is now burdened with injuries galore. Mainoo must be utilised, but also protected at the same time.
This is definitely the main issue – but others certainly lie ahead.
Bruno Fernandes has faith in Kobbie Mainoo
Speaking on the Talk of the Devils podcast, Andy Mitten shared what he heard Manchester United’s club captain say about Mainoo after the Liverpool clash. He begins:
“It’s interesting, I was listening to Bruno Fernandes after the game [against Liverpool] speaking to ViaPlay Norway.
“He was talking to them about Mainoo and about, obviously he’s had a fantastic impact on the team this season, but he was talking to him about what comes next.
“When you’re first in the side and first at this level, you’re a surprise to people. There’s elements that are easier for you because no one knows anything about you.”
Mitten continued: “Bruno said: It might not come this season, but it may come next season that it gets a little bit tougher for Kobbie because people know your game, and they know how to stop you and they’ve got different plans for you and ultimately different ways to go about nullifying your effect on the game.
“But he was also saying, he’s humble, he’s hard-working, he’s smart, he’s talented and he feels like he’ll be able to work it out.”
Mainoo has quality to overcome
As Bruno put it, it’s evident that Mainoo has the ability to overcome these obstacles. All the best players in the world do.
Manchester United have their most exciting and talented academy prospect since Marcus Rashford broke through – we are insanely excited to see the trajectory Kobbie Mainoo and his career take around Carrington.