Siddharth Juyal
Liverpool legend Graeme Souness praised Manchester United youngster Kobbie Mainoo for his “technical” abilities amid his first England call-up
TV Pundit Graeme Souness hyped the technical abilities of Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo amid his first England call-up. Mainoo is part of the England squad to play Brazil and Belgium in the friendlies during the March international break.
The 18-year-old is enjoying a fantastic individual season with United, helping them resurrect from a disastrous start of the season. The Red Devils suffered early elimination from the Carabao Cup and then the Champions League due to poor individual forms.
They also suffered numerous injuries and lost numerous games in the Premier League, currently lying in sixth position. United’s midfield failed to assert dominance and influence the game in both the offensive and defensive phases.
Mason Mount and on-loan Sofyan Amrabat failed to justify their signing, suffering from poor form and injuries. Furthermore, Casemiro and Christian Eriksen’s physical presence deteriorated with age, failing to keep up with the Premier League’s pace.
United conceded many goals when they opted for an offensive approach while struggling to create chances with defensive approach. Manager Erik ten Hag opted to play Mainoo after the November international break as he returned from an injury.
The 18-year-old injected energy and hard work in the midfield, securing the spaces between the midfield and defence. He also showed his immense calmness on the ball and maturity beyond his young age to become a regular.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football Podcast (h/t Manchester Evening News), Souness hyped Mainoo’s technical abilities on the ball. He said:
“I think he’s come in as a young boy, in a position where you have to be thinking all of the time, where is the danger, sensing danger, and he’s really good on the ball. The fact he is really technical, he can take the ball in tight areas, that position will get better and better because he’ll learn.”
The 18-year-old has the close control, technical prowess and dribbling skills to maintain possession in tight spaces. Furthermore, he is a talented distributor of the ball and shows good decision-making and composure with his passes.
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Mainoo has a key role to play for the Red Devils as they chase the FA Cup glory. The Englishman’s selection ahead of several big English talents in the Premier League would give him further experience at the international level.
