September 2nd 2024.
According to Graeme Souness, Kobbie Mainoo may not be ready for a regular starting position at Manchester United just yet. The renowned football pundit believes that Mainoo has not yet reached the level of a "good player" and may need more time to develop before being a consistent presence in the starting lineup.
Mainoo, who burst onto the scene in November last year, became a crucial player for manager Erik ten Hag in the second half of the season. He even earned a call-up to the England team in March and played a significant role in their journey to the Euro 2024 final in Germany.
However, this season, Mainoo has not been able to replicate the same level of performance, and his struggles were evident in the recent 3-0 defeat against Liverpool. Souness pointed out that the 19-year-old was caught in possession, leading to Mohamed Salah's goal in the second half. In Souness' opinion, Mainoo is not yet ready to face the top teams in the league every week.
"I have to say this, I'm not being unkind, Mainoo might be a player, but it's so Man United," Souness shared on talkSPORT. "This is not to be critical of Man United, it's never been any different. But when someone comes on the scene at Man United, in my days they were the 'new George Best', or the 'new Bobby Charlton', the 'new Denis Law'."
Souness also compared Manchester United to Bayern Munich, who are often referred to as "FC Hollywood" due to their tendency to elevate young players to superstardom prematurely. Souness believes that Manchester United has a similar culture of hyping up young players before they have proven themselves consistently on the field.
Continuing his thoughts on Mainoo, Souness said, "Mainoo right now should be a player that's flitting in and out of a good team - not coming in and being asked to stand up and play against the very best teams. He might be a player one day, but he's certainly not the go-to man at United like they're making him out to be in midfield."
However, with new signing Manuel Ugarte set to join the team, Mainoo may have more time to develop before being thrust into the starting lineup. This may be a blessing in disguise, especially considering the disappointing performance of Casemiro, who was substituted at halftime in the Liverpool game.
Ten Hag, the Manchester United manager, spoke about Casemiro's performance and showed confidence in the Brazilian's ability to bounce back. "You know the game and he knows the game. He will go on, and we will go on," Ten Hag stated. "He's a great player, and we will continue to improve the team and the players. He has won everything in his career and has shown great moments before. He will bounce back."
As for Mainoo, he may still have a role to play in United's midfield, but it is clear that he is not yet ready to be the team's main man. With time and proper development, he may reach the level that is expected of him, but for now, he will have to continue working hard and improving as a player.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
