Michael Carrick believed Kobbie Mainoo had his best game since his Man United appointment against Chelsea in the Premier League.
Kobbie Mainoo received a bear hug from Casemiro during the post-match celebrations at Stamford Bridge. Casemiro’s embrace was so enthusiastic that Mainoo was lifted off his feet.
Mainoo fist-pumped in front of Manchester United’s jubilant away section, and had a smile on his face until he disappeared down the tunnel. The youngster deserves praise for performing to such a high level against Chelsea after only returning to training two days before the game.
Speaking in his press conference, Carrick said: “I thought that was the best Kobbie has played, certainly since I’ve been back here. To step up and put so many phases to his game or sides to his game tonight.
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“I thought he looked so composed, so calm, had a really good presence about him, defended well. Not easy when you’ve got really good players in and around you and it was a good battle between him and Cole Palmer.
“So we had to be right at it tonight, but Kobbie just showed so much quality and composure in a tough environment, really, in the end. He showed us what he can do.”
Mainoo recorded a 91 per cent pass accuracy against Chelsea, he touched the ball 70 times, won three tackles and made three interceptions. His defensive work was diligent and crucial in the second half.
In another world, Mainoo could have lined up for Chelsea against United last weekend, though. The London club expressed an interest in signing Mainoo at a time when he’d slipped down Ruben Amorim’s pecking order and was stuck at an impasse in negotiations over a new contract with his boyhood club.
Chelsea were actively monitoring the situation and would have pounced had the opportunity presented itself. Thankfully for United, Mainoo outlasted Amorim and should be at the heart of the club for the next 10 years.
When Mainoo conducted his first interview with external media in 2024, the press officer smiled as they said he would be a United mixed zone representative every four weeks for the next decade.
Mainoo’s future was thrown into doubt during Amorim’s tenure and the Portuguese’s view on the academy graduate is well documented, but that stance has looked worse after every round of fixtures since his exit.
The Stockport-born midfielder has been excellent for Carrick, who reinstated him to the starting XI as one of his first acts. “He changed some players,” said Bruno Fernandes recently when asked about Carrick’s impact.
Fernandes and Casemiro started together in Amorim’s two-man midfield, and the pair surely would have questioned the former United boss’s view of Mainoo, as they know what he can bring to the table.
The Manchester Evening News have been told that Mainoo “loves” to play with Casemiro, and the Brazilian said in a recent interview with club media: “Kobbie is the present and the future. I think that he is one of the best No.8s and can be for that for the next 12 years.”
Casemiro swept Mainoo off his feet after full-time against Chelsea because he knew how important he’d been in the victory. Everyone could see what United have with Mainoo, but somehow Amorim could not.
It’s possible that Amorim could still be in the United job had he started Mainoo in midfield in his system. Amorim believed Mainoo had deficiencies, particularly in the defensive side of his game, but he never gave him a proper run of games to prove himself in the deeper role in his formation.
Mainoo could have helped to improve results and alleviate pressure on Amorim. If that had happened, the chances of Amorim blowing up in the Elland Road press conference would have been greatly reduced.
The irony is that Amorim may still feel he was right about Mainoo. After all, Amorim was remarkably stubborn, and he could argue that taking Mainoo out of the team sharpened his mind and made him make improvements.
It is true that Mainoo evaluated every possible aspect of his lifestyle before the start of the season. He knew the challenge he faced to change Amorim’s opinion, and he pored over different aspects of his lifestyle, even changing his private chef at home.
Mainoo worked with a private coach throughout the international breaks in which he was snubbed by England, so Amorim may well argue that going through a difficult period was necessary for Mainoo’s next chapter.
“Some of you think that Kobbie Mainoo is already done [the finished article]. I think he can do so much better, he can improve in a lot,” said Amorim during a press conference in September.
“I think for some guys it is enough [their talent], but for him it is not enough. Maybe it’s not fair, but I think I’m helping Kobbie Mainoo, and that’s it. He will have opportunities like the other guys.”
He continued: “Sometimes, I look at Kobbie Mainoo and I feel that sometimes he was like – and I watched a lot of games from the Premier League when I was in Portugal – and you can feel that the Manchester United team was really transitional.
“He was the only guy who calmed down the game. Now we have other players who can calm down the game. We play a different game, and sometimes I expect more from Kobbie Mainoo.
“And I know that he can give that. So sometimes, like you said, maybe if I start more Kobbie Mainoo, then he is going to play and he’s going to get hard to take out. Sometimes it’s not fair, but I need to go with what I’m feeling in the moment, and that is the only feeling.”
Amorim’s feelings about Mainoo were wrong, yet it would not be a surprise to hear the 21-year-old admit later in his career that surviving that challenging period was an important part of his journey.
You will not hear Mainoo saying that anytime soon, however. Judging by Mainoo’s social media activity and a stunt from his half-brother, it was clear his relationship with Amorim had become fractured by the end of his tenure.
Mainoo was a starter for United and England. Amorim was appointed, and he became a bench warmer for his club, and a possible call-up to England Under-21s was touted. You cannot blame Mainoo for being frustrated.
Carrick has helped Mainoo get back on track, and the cherry on the cake would be an inclusion in England’s World Cup squad this summer. Mainoo’s performances have made him impossible for Thomas Tuchel to ignore.
United must build around the midfielder for the next 10 years. He is the future, as Casemiro said.
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