Kobbie Mainoo

Kobbie Mainoo



Current Club: Manchester United.

Previous Clubs: N/A.

Loan Clubs: N/A.





International: N/A.

Trophies Won: N/A.





At 18 years old Mainoo is having his breakout season and the hype around him is growing fast. I have seen all sorts of articles about him and how he is the next this and the next that, the future of England's midfield etc. I even seen one comparison with the great Clarence Seedorf. Normally I would be the first to pour cold water on such a comparison, Seedorf is one of my favourite ever players, to compare with him you truly have to be special.



And that is the thing with Mainoo, he actually is special. No, he is not Seedorf, but he has insane potential, he is one of the very few that could possibly live up to the hype that is surrounding him. He 100% deserved his England call-up, though it should have been as one of the first names on the team sheet, rather than brought in to take the place of an injured player. Firstly though, I think I should point out why he is not Seedorf.



I think the main thing that stands out that makes him different is aggression. Admittedly in the modern game, the aggression Seedorf seethed with at times is no longer viable - some of the battles he had with Davids would never have got past the first challenge without a red card, for example - but even so, Mainoo has a bit of bite about him but is on the nicer side of playing. It does feel like it is more to do with being a modern day player brought up playing the modern game, rather than a lack of fire in the belly.



So far he has yet to show that will to win that Seedorf had, that drove him on and helped him to win trophy after trophy. But he is still just 18 and he is not coming up in a side that is currently capable of challenging for the top trophies, so it is difficult for him to show that attribute. The Red Devils will need to build a better side around him for him to display it with them. Either that or Mainoo will need to move on to a stronger side, like Seedorf did.



What he does have is the intelligence, he reads the game well and knows when to hold deep and when to drive forward. While playing a more restricted role that Seedorf was usually given, he has shown that he can get forward when the chance presents itself. On the ball Mainoo has also shown that he has the technical skills to drift past players, Mainoo can manipulate it with quick feet in the same way Seedorf could, like a street footballer at times.



The key thing that I have found difficult to judge him on is his vision and passing. It is not just that it is such early days that Mainoo is likely to be playing within himself a bit in this regard, so might be a huge amount better than he has yet shown, but also because his team mates around him are simply not providing him with enough chances to display vision and accuracy. The movement in this current Man Utd team has been very poor this season, presenting little in the way of opportunity to produce something special.



There are so many factors that could affect Mainoo's development, but right now he looks among the brightest prospects in European football, he needs a better team around him if he is to truly achieve his potential though. That will be down to Ineos to provide. Whatever they do, it does seem like Mainoo will be the cornerstone of United's team for the next ten years or so. A player to build a team that can be a title challenger for the long term around.



Yes, I think this might be a hype train I can fully get on board! Especially when Mainoo's stamina level increases so he is not gassed by 60 minutes in big games, then we can find out if he can take them by the scruff of the neck and be a Seedorf-like force.



Requested by - Wazza