Manchester United may look to bring in another midfielder this summer, but Kobbie Mainoo will hope to nail down a role in Ruben Amorim’s starting XI.
Manchester United’s focus on attacking signings has brought two quality players to Old Trafford this summer.
Matheus Cunha joined United early in the window and has been joined by another proven Premier League star.
United snapped up Bryan Mbeumo in July, completing the signing of the Cameroon international after weeks of talks with Brentford.
Attention will now turn to other signings, with United chasing RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko amid fresh talks over the weekend.
United also need to add another midfielder at some point this summer, especially after seeing Christian Eriksen leave the club.
Ruben Amorim on Kobbie Mainoo
Toby Collyer could go out on loan, so it’s little surprise to see United being linked with potential midfield additions.
Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz has been linked with United, and reports earlier in the window suggested that Amorim may target a midfielder on loan.
That could come to fruition later in the window, but Amorim is currently looking to maximise the quality of the current midfielders at his disposal.
Kobbie Mainoo is chief among them, having endured a rather up-and-down 2024-25 season.
Mainoo broke through in the 2023-24 season, even going on to start the Euro 2024 final for England against Spain.
Last season was trickier, with Mainoo starting just 19 Premier League games and coming off the bench six times.
We are yet to truly see the best of Mainoo under Amorim, and questions have lingered over whether he is a fit for the United manager’s style of play.
Playing in a midfield two requires real athleticism, which isn’t necessarily Mainoo’s strong suit.
Speaking to The Athletic, Amorim admitted that he thinks Mainoo will actually appear ‘faster’ this season.
Amorim noted that he has been working on how United press during pre-season training, giving players exact instructions on when to go and when to stay.
Amorim thinks players such as Mainoo will benefit from better anticipation, believing that he is ‘going to be faster’ this season.
The United boss has faith in Mainoo to ‘find the right pace’ both in and out of possession, and that will help overcome any athletic deficiencies.
“Of course, there are players who are not going to have a bigger pace. But if you look at the same players in these games, the pace is different. That is my feeling,” said Amorim.
“I think it’s the time to train. Even the certainty of the movements can help a player to be faster, if you are thinking, ‘I jump, I don’t jump’. We train when they need to jump; they already know. So, ‘I start sooner’. Sometimes it’s one metre, one second. That is something that the tactical aspect and the physical aspect are together.
“Mainoo, with those feet, playing the ball, if he finds the right pace, playing like every time I give the ball, I find a new solution. Every time the guy is running back, I can follow the guy because he can. He’s going to be faster,” he added.
Ruben Amorim must find the best way to use Kobbie Mainoo
Mainoo has already shown encouraging signs in this regard, breaking quickly to intercept Alphonse Areola’s pass when United beat West Ham United last week.
Mainoo then quickly picked out Bruno Fernandes, who curled the ball home to put United 2-0 up.
That is what Amorim wants to see from Mainoo, and there will be real belief that the work in training is beginning to pay off.
Whether it’s as part of a midfield two or further forward, as we have seen Mainoo deployed under Amorim, the United boss must find the best role for Mainoo.
The 20-year-old is another product of the United academy, and fans want to see a young talent make a lasting impact in the first-team setup.
Marcus Rashford has gone, and Alejandro Garnacho is likely to follow, so fans would love to see Mainoo emerge as academy representation for a long, long time.
Seeing Mainoo fall by the wayside would be a huge disappointment, and we can only hope that Amorim has begun to unlock his quality in this 3-4-2-1 approach.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/iQPzCU2