In a season where it seems everything has gone wrong for Manchester United, the one bright spot has been the academy. The U18s have made the FA Youth Cup Final against the winner of Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest on April 30th. That is the first time United have made the final in that competition since 2011. Any guesses on who one of the main stars of that team was? It was none other than Paul Pogba alongside Ravel Morrison and Jesse Lingard.
This crop of players are just as talented if not more talented than that 2011 team with players like Alejandro Garnacho, Charlie McNeill, Isak Hansen-Aaoren, and the man of the article Kobbie Mainoo.
Kobbie Mainoo is 16 years of age from Stockport, England. He made his debut at the U18’s level at just 15 and went on to make his U23’s debut this past November at just 16. He also represented United at the UEFA Youth League this season, which unfortunately ended in a penalty shootout loss to Borussia Dortmund. On the international level he represents England at the U17’s level where he just picked up an assist a couple days agos in a match against France.
Now its time to discuss the type of player that Kobbie Mainoo is and what his strengths are.
Kobbie Mainoo #MUAcademy vs Wolves 18s.pic.twitter.com/V06eQAs5U1
— Ron (@utdronnie) March 10, 2022
Video Credit: @utdronnie on Twitter
Position:
Mainoo’s best position is as an 8 in a 3 man midfield. However he can play any position in the midfield as he has the attributes to play all 3 midfield positions. In the game against Wolves, he appeared to play as 6 in a double pivot alongside Daniel Gore which shows his versatility in midfield. In the compilation above you can see Mainoo picking the ball up from the centre-halves at times and his crisp passing from the first phase of play. You will also see Mainoo drifting forwards and linking up with the attackers which highlights his willingness and desire to be involved in the play.
On The Ball:
Koobie’s main strengths are on the ball and how good he is with it. His passing for a 16 year old is great to watch as he can play almost every pass with his stronger foot. In the video above you see him do well in the linkup passes as he passed it short and followed his run which you love to see in midfielders. He also played a couple long balls into Garnacho’s and Mather’s path. His strength on the ball is also very impressive for someone his age. He is not on the taller side but has great strength that allows him to shrug off opponents. As he grows up he will only get stronger.
He is also very quick in his decision making when on the ball. There are some players that need multiple touches to decide where they want to pass but its the opposite with Mainoo. He typically will take 1-2 before passing it forward. If he does take to many touches his strength will allow him to keep possession of the ball. He is also very quick with the ball at his feet for a midfielder. There are multiple instances where he will pick the ball up and drive forward with the ball at a blitzing pace.
In terms of where he passes the ball, Mainoo is very attacking oriented with his passing as his first option when passing is always forward. Due to his relentless driving of the ball through midfield that allows him to play many killer passes to his forwards which is good to see. It shows that he can do all levels of passing in terms of safe passes, breaking the lines, and the killer passes.
The one weakness you can point about him for on the ball attributes is that he does not use his weaker foot as much which could hurt him a little at the senior level. Being able to use your weaker foot as a midfielder at a decent to high level can help take a players game to another level.
Off The Ball:
Not only is Kobbie Mainoo impressive on the ball, he is just as impressive off the ball. Mainoo defensive work rate is very impressive as he can cover a lot of space due to his engine. In that aspect he is similar to an Ngolo Kante where he can cover almost the entire pitch. His ability to win the ball back is a very underrated aspect of his game. He is very tenacious and persistent when defending which allows him to succeed in winning the ball back. His strength also helps him as he can shrug players off the ball and win it back and start counter attacks.
In terms of movement off the ball in the attacking phase Mainoo loves to pick up spots where he can receive the ball which is a necessity for any midfielder. His awareness is great as well as he looks over his shoulder to scan the pitch so he can see what decision he makes. Those two skills should be valued very highly when judging midfielders especially young ones. If a young midfielder can hone those instincts from a young age they can go very far at the senior level.
If you watch the compilation above when you see Kobbie do 1-2s with his teammates you can see he follows the run of the pass so he can create a passing option for his teammate. Its something that simple that is great to watch youth players do.
Player Comparison:
In terms of profile the one player Mainoo can compare to is interestingly enough Paul Pogba. While Mainoo does not have the passing range of a Paul Pogba, he makes up for that in his defensive work rate and his speed with the ball as he is quicker than Pogba was due to Mainoo being a slimmer figure.
Where they are very similar is the way they use their strength to get past players when on the ball and their decision making on the ball. Both Paul and Koobie want to make that pass that will lead to a shot but they also know when the right time to make it is. The dribbling is similar as well as both are midfielders that relish in duels, but Pogba has more flair in his dribbling. Mainoo keeps it more simple but just as effective.
Whats Next:
The next step for Mainoo is probably a full season in the U23s next season where he is likely to get more gametime. Based on his age and the players ahead of him in the pecking order I’d say he is 2-3 seasons away from being in the first team squad. With United most likely to be in the Europa League next season it will be interesting to see if any of the youth get minutes in the competition. Also it remains to be seen if United loan Mainoo out at any point before he makes the first team. Future is bright at Carrington and Mainoo is one of the shining stars.
