There is a long way to go yet for Man Utd despite their win against City, but for Kobbie Mainoo, it was a great first step towards vindication.
After months of being told to remain as Bruno Fernandes‘ backup by Ruben Amorim and having his every action scrutinised just to validate Amorim, Kobbie Mainoo felt trusted by Michael Carrick.
Remarkably, this was Mainoo’s first start in the Premier League this season, a sign of how much Carrick trusts him.
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In return, Mainoo not only played like a man possessed, but did three things in the process, each of which was a clear message to Ruben Amorim.
Ruben Amorim speaking to Kobbie Mainoo at Anfield
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Kobbie Mainoo’s three things a message to Ruben Amorim
Amorim kept insisting that the system doesn’t matter, only the principles do, but could never fit Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo in the same team.
Against City, Carrick played Mainoo in the defensive pivot with Fernandes as the No. 10, something which Man Utd fans had been asking for all along.
Not only was Fernandes unstoppable, but Mainoo also excelled in three areas he was called out by Amorim most often for.
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1- Covered the ground like a man possessed
The first was how much ground he covered.
Amorim had reservations about playing Mainoo as a defensive midfielder because he wasn’t convinced about his ability to eat up the ground.
Against City, Mainoo continuously worked on and off the ball, making himself available for a pass, and cutting off passing lanes for the opposition.
He played the full 90 minutes without a visible decline in his efforts, sending a clear message to Amorim that athleticism isn’t a problem for him.
2- Mainoo as a duel machine
The second was his ability to contest duels.
Amorim didn’t think a pivot of Fernandes and Mainoo would be solid enough, and he was right, but not because Mainoo isn’t defensive enough, but because Amorim’s system didn’t let anyone breathe.
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Against City, Mainoo went into 12 duels and won six of them, constantly unsettling the City attackers by breathing down their necks, making it clear that he’s as combative as he’s silky.
3- The long pass clinic
The third, and most important, was his ability to play quickly.
Amorim justified his exclusion of Mainoo by saying that Mainoo is prone to calming the play down too much with short passes instead of keeping the tempo up.
Against City, not only did he play long passes into the channels with regularity, but he also proved that playing short passes can raise the tempo just as well as long ones.
He was an elite pressure release valve in the centre as he skipped past City’s press with remarkable ease, either with a one-two or by beating his man off the dribble.
Mainoo was key to getting United up the pitch and getting in shape to launch precise counter-attacks. Ironically, this was how Amorim wanted the team to play, but he left out the orchestrator due to putting Fernandes in a role he wasn’t comfortable with either.
The three messages to him from Mainoo were clear.
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