If the Chelsea game confirmed something, it is how important Kobbie Mainoo is to the way Manchester United play.
Against Leeds, he was unavailable. United could not cope and were outrun by the Whites.
Without his ability on the ball, United fail to establish control. They lack his knack for carrying it away from danger while picking out Bruno Fernandes.
Back in the team in a massive way
Saturday night against Chelsea, his return was a massive boost.
And as if shushing his doubters, the 21-year-old dropped a midfield masterclass.
He was unreal, sliding, winning tackles, controlling, dictating play, getting on the ball more and communicating more. The stats backed the aesthetics; he dazzled.
Kobbie Mainoo was a doubt to face Chelsea due to injury…
Then delivered a brilliant performance:
– 50/54 passes completed
– 3/3 tackles won
– 3 interceptions
– 5 ball recoveries pic.twitter.com/ZurJI6Hevd— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 18, 2026
Legends of the game shower Kobbie Mainoo with praise
United look far better when Mainoo plays. He can make “little, unnoticed moves” that help shape the game. It is no coincidence, then, that Premier League legends Joe Cole and Owen Hargreaves, speaking on TNT Sports, showered him with praise, highlighting why he is so key to United going forward.
Cole, who argued Ineos need to find the ideal Mainoo partner in their planned midfield overhaul, admitted:
“One of the mad things for me, watching the resurgence of Mainoo is, why could Ruben Amorim not get a tune out of him? You start to question all sorts of things.
“Every time I watch this kid play, he’s engaged in the game, he’s knitting the ball together, he doesn’t make too many mistakes. He’s a very good footballer.”
Echoing those sentiments, Hargreaves chimed in:
“When you get a kid that good, that talented, a homegrown player – which is the heartbeat of Manchester United – how can he not play? It’s so obvious that he’s such a great player.
“The club need to take a bit of responsibility. They employ these coaches who come and rip up teams – why?
“If they’re only going to be there for a year or two, the club should say, ‘no, we’re building around him – if you don’t like it, go somewhere else’.” It is hard to argue with the two legends of the game’s assessment of Mainoo; they “speak for” most United fans.
Thirteen league games since Ruben Amorim left, and it could not have been clearer that one of his biggest blunders was overlooking Mainoo.
Since his reintroduction to the team, United have lost just one league game in which Mainoo has started. He, Casemiro and Fernandes have formed a brilliant midfield combination that is carrying them back to Champions League football.
Perfect partner for Mainoo, not just a Casemiro heir
With Casemiro leaving, it would be wise to find Mainoo a brilliant partner, as Cole and Hargreaves suggest.
The talk has been about finding a perfect Casemiro replacement. But analysing Mainoo’s strengths and weaknesses, and finding who best complements him, may be how the 20-time English champions sort their problem position: midfield.
Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images
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