It has been a season of two halves for Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo. After initially struggling for game time and reportedly even considering leaving the club on loan, the young central midfielder became a key part of Michael Carrick’s side and reminded the world of his incredible talent.
Mainoo is one of the most complete players to have emerged from Manchester United’s academy in decades. His composure on the ball is staggering, and his passing range is flawless. He is a player who, at just 21 years of age, has already proven himself comfortable on the biggest stages in the world.
Perhaps then, it should come as no surprise that his fine form in the second half of the season has seen the Mancunian shortlisted for a prestigious award. Although, if you flashed back to just December, his shortlisting would have seemed almost impossible.
A tough time
After establishing himself as a key player under Erik ten Hag and scoring the winning goal in an FA Cup final, it seemed as if Mainoo had the world at his feet. This feeling was reinforced when he forced himself into England’s starting eleven at the 2024 UEFA European Championships, even starting the final against Spain.
However, Ruben Amorim’s appointment spelled trouble for the burgeoning talent. In his first half-season at the club, it quickly became clear that the Portuguese manager did not trust Mainoo in a midfield two. He tried him as a number ten and even played him as a striker in a desperate bid to find a place for the composed midfielder.
In his second season, though, Amorim neglected Mainoo altogether, with his only start coming in United’s embarrassing EFL Cup defeat to Grimsby Town. It seemed as though the England international would have to leave the club in order to protect what had once seemed such a promising career.
Mainoo’s revival
After a string of disappointing results and performances, Amorim left Old Trafford in January and was quickly replaced by former Red Devil Michael Carrick. From the outset, the former Middlesbrough manager seemed the perfect man to reignite Mainoo’s career, given that he was one of the best central midfielders the Premier League has ever seen.
It immediately became clear that Mainoo had the full trust of his manager when he started Carrick’s first game, playing a key role in a 2-0 victory over fierce rivals Manchester City. From there, Mainoo kicked on and never looked back, displaying surprising stamina levels for somebody who had barely kicked a ball in the first half of the season.
Across the remainder of the season, Mainoo produced a string of brilliant performances, culminating in the Mancunian scoring the winning goal against rivals Liverpool in a 3-2 victory in May. These exceptional performances earned Mainoo a new five-year contract that ensures he will continue to stun fans at Old Trafford for years to come.
The young midfielder’s technical brilliance and impeccable attitude even earned him a place in England’s World Cup squad, where he will wear the number 16 shirt, just as his manager did before him. Heading to a World Cup on the back of only half a season of football is testament to Mainoo’s immense performances since Carrick took charge.
A well-deserved achievement
Perhaps there is no greater indication of the impact Mainoo had on United and the Premier League as a whole in the second half of the season than the fact that he has been included on the shortlist for Young Premier League Player of the Year. The supremely skilled midfielder will face off against Rayan Cherki, Max Dowman, Eli Junior Kroupi, Rio Ngumoha and Nico O’Reilly for the coveted award.
The fact that many of his competitors have played many more minutes throughout the season just goes to show the colossal impact Mainoo has had in a short space of time. With the academy graduate set to be a key player next season, United fans can expect even bigger and better things in the future.
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