Manchester United are flying at the moment thanks to four consecutive victories to kick start Michael Carrick’s interim spell in charge
Michael Carrick congratulates Kobbie Mainoo as he comes off during Manchester United’s 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur(Image: Mike Morese/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
It is hard to believe that Kobbie Mainoo could have been on his way out of Old Trafford last month. Mainoo attempted to force an exit to gain more minutes but his plea fell on deaf ears. The 20-year-old had to knuckle down and hope for a change in fortunes. Fortunately, that change came in January.
Amorim’s outburst at Leeds would be the final nail in the coffin for him as he was sacked less than 24 hours later. The following week, Michael Carrick was appointed. United have since gone on to win four games in a row with Mainoo starting all of them.
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Remarkably, Mainoo has shown few signs of rustiness upon his return to the starting line-up and has become a crucial player for the Reds. While his individual performances have rightly been heralded, Carrick’s message post-Tottenham suggests United need to be careful with their transfer business in the summer to keep the momentum going with Mainoo.
“That’s going to help him develop, learn the game and playing next to Case, and learning off him, things that he’s probably not even realising he’s picking up,” Carrick said. “Just playing next to him as well as the other players around him – I think that’s just part of his journey to learn and develop.”
It is easy to forget that Mainoo is still one of the youngest players in the squad. He has enjoyed more exposure with United and England than most players could even dream of, but he is still in the development stage of his career. That is why United need to be very careful in the next summer transfer window as they look to overhaul their midfield.
Casemiro will be departing the club at the end of his contract. While that is the right decision for all involved, it does mean United are losing someone who Carrick believes is mentoring Mainoo without the youngster even knowing it. The direct replacement for Casemiro will be a much younger player with a high ceiling.
Brighton’s Carlos Baleba has been on the United radar since last summer and remains on it despite a difficult campaign to date. Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson are also highly rated by those at Old Trafford. But those players do not boast a wealth of experience playing at the highest level, and Mainoo needs a mentor to help him reach his full potential.
If United do sign one of Baleba, Wharton or Anderson to strengthen their midfield, they also need to add a more experienced head who they and Mainoo can learn from.
The risk with allowing Casemiro to leave was the fact there are few midfielders with his experience – not only in the Premier League but in European football. It still remains the right call to allow the Brazilian to depart but Carrick has reminded United just how important it is to not completely sacrifice experience as they rebuild their midfield this summer.
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