Kobbie Mainoo is yet to start a Premier League game this season but he might be about to get a run in his best position under Man Utd interim head coach Michael Carrick.
Kobbie Mainoo
Kobbie Mainoo should get more chances at United under a coaching staff aware of his talents(Image: )
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Six months ago, Michael Carrick reflected on Kobbie Mainoo's situation at Manchester United and felt that all he was missing was a bit of luck. Show a bit of patience, and that break would arrive.
Now, it has, in the form of Carrick taking over from Ruben Amorim until the end of the season. Mainoo has gone from a coach who had misgivings about him and playing a system that never suited him, to one who's made his thoughts on the midfielder clear and should have a role that is ideal for him.
The next four-and-a-half months are significant for many people at United, from Carrick to the players, and up to Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada. But they are massive for Mainoo.
Had Amorim not pressed the self-destruct button a couple of weeks ago, then the 20-year-old could have ended the month playing for Napoli in Serie A. Instead, he will stay at United, and now it feels like his future is back in his hands.
The sacking of Amorim hasn't entirely wiped the slate clean. Mainoo has just 18 months left on his contract, and talks over an extension have stalled, leaving him as one of the lowest-paid players in the squad, on a deal he signed way back in February 2023.
The chances of landing the kind of contract the academy graduate feels he deserves were slim to non-existent under Amorim, who handed him just 212 minutes of Premier League football this season, with none of them coming from the start. It felt like the clock was ticking towards an inevitable and sad conclusion.
That has all changed in a couple of weeks. Mainoo was lacking rhythm when he started against Brighton in the FA Cup last weekend, but if he gets more chances under Carrick, that will return, and he can prove he is worthy of new terms. Carrick, speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents last July, certainly sounded like a fan of the youngster.
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“I’ve seen him playing a little bit higher with that freedom to create and take the ball, and I think he’s got a massive future,” Carrick said. “I really like him, I think he just needs a bit of patience, and that little bit of a break again, which I’m sure he’ll get."
Maybe he is the man to offer him a change in fortunes. Amorim always billed Mainoo's fight to get in the side as a battle with Bruno Fernandes, so it will be interesting to see if Carrick sees a midfield where both men can play.
He is likely to set United up in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 shape and there should be room for both. At Middlesbrough, Carrick marked himself out as someone who valued possession and his comments to Ferdinand suggest he sees Mainoo as more of a No. 8, someone who plays around the opposition's penalty area rather than his own.
Mainoo also has an existing relationship with Carrick's assistant Steve Holland. The 55-year-old was Gareth Southgate's No. 2 and played a part in Mainoo's rapid rise to senior England recognition and his excellent form during Euro 2024, which culminated in him starting the final.
That support and those familiar voices should be beneficial for the Stockport-born midfielder as he looks to get his United career back on track. Over the next few months, he has the chance to prove he is currently undervalued at Old Trafford and secure his long-term future at the club.