July 18th 2024.
Former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness recently shared his thoughts on Manchester United's rising star, Kobbie Mainoo. Despite his impressive performances for England at Euro 2024, Souness had some criticism for the 19-year-old midfielder.
Mainoo started off on the bench for England at the Euros, but his appearances in the group stage caught the attention of the coaches, resulting in him starting in all four knockout games. He proved to be one of England's key players against Slovakia, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, but struggled to make an impact in the final against Spain. However, just being a part of a major final at such a young age is a huge achievement for Mainoo, who has only played 35 games for Manchester United and made his first league start less than a year ago.
Souness acknowledged Mainoo's talent on the ball, but criticized his lack of positional awareness and naivety in an England shirt. "He's really good on the ball, very talented," Souness said on the Up Front podcast. "But he doesn't fully understand his position. He tends to wander and leaves the middle of the field empty too often."
Souness pointed out an instance from England's final Euro 2024 warm-up game against Iceland, where Mainoo was being thrown around from the left to the right. He also mentioned how, in the opening game against Serbia, Mainoo came on as a substitute when England was holding onto a 1-0 lead, and his first instinct was to chase down the goalkeeper and put pressure on him. "It's just naivety. He's still learning the game," Souness added.
The former midfielder, who is considered one of Liverpool's greatest players, also had some harsh words for Mainoo's England teammate, Declan Rice. Despite having a standout season with Premier League runners-up Arsenal, Rice struggled to replicate that form for England at the Euros.
"England were at their best when they went a goal behind," Souness commented. "That's when they started taking risks and being braver with their passes. But throughout the tournament, they seemed to play it safe and just pass the ball sideways or backwards. It was frustrating to watch, especially in the final."
Souness then went on to share some interesting research he had done, which showed that Rice had only completed one forward pass in the entire 90 minutes against Spain. "For a midfield player, that's impossible," Souness exclaimed.
Despite these criticisms, it is clear that Souness sees great potential in both Mainoo and Rice. He believes that with more experience and understanding of the game, they can become top players for both club and country. As for Manchester United fans, they will be excited to see what the future holds for their young starlet, Kobbie Mainoo.
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