Manchester United star Kobbie Mainoo remains the sole shining light as England crawls past Switzerland to the Euro 2024 semi-finals
Kobbie Mainoo made his Manchester United fans proud as he continued to shine for England despite their Euro 2024 struggles. England qualified for the semi-finals of the tournament after beating Switzerland in the penalties as they continued their dull performance.
The country’s manager Gareth Southgate put Mainoo as part of the double pivot alongside Declan Rice to maintain the team’s balance. However, other established English players have continued to produce sub-par performances as they displayed another boring performance despite persistent criticism.
England’s slow transition hindered their performance, failing to capitalize on their superior quality against less formidable opponents so far. Southgate deployed Liverpool vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield despite his accomplishments as a right-back for the United’s arch-rivals at Merseyside.
The England manager also provided Gallagher an opportunity to impress the nation but the Chelsea man failed to add anything. Arsenals’ midfielder Rice has established his spot but he also faced criticism from the fanbase for being error-prone and poor.
Meanwhile, Mainoo has displayed elegance and maturity on the ball despite being the youngest and least experienced player among them. The Man United’s academy product has shown incredible physical and technical qualities but he is still young and establishing himself.
According to ESPN UK (via X), Mainoo enjoyed 100 percent accurate passes, tackles won and duels won in the first half against Switzerland. Southgate subbed the 19-year-old for his Man United teammate Luke Shaw in the 78th minute of the game.
Kobbie Mainoo’s perfect first-half:
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) July 6, 2024
100% accurate passes
100% tackles won
100% duels won
A reminder that he’s only 19 years old pic.twitter.com/lsc7IZf7dx
However, Mainoo received massive praise from the majority of the England and the Red Devils fanbase for his consistent performances. The England international established himself as the regular starter for United under Erik ten Hag only last season since November.
Such has been Mainoo’s meteoric rise to stardom, here is what Red Devils legend Paul Scholes had to say about the 19-year-old during last season – “Read a few comparisons between me and this kid last week… don’t waste your time, he is 10 times the player I was at 19. Just love the way he receives the ball, the calmness, the awareness of what’s around him and of course big goals in big games. This boy is special… and he’s a f***ing Red.”
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Mainoo’s rise in the ranks helped Ten Hag when Man United struggled with consistency, losing many games. However, Mainoo earned the regular role quickly and delivered critical performances that allowed him the chance to play in Euro 2024 over other midfield options.
