Former Manchester United star Clayton Blackmore has told UtdDistrict the one improvement that Kobbie Mainoo must make in order to succeed under Michael Carrick.
Kobbie Mainoo has endured a difficult year at Manchester United since breaking into the first team picture, but with Michael Carrick taking charge, he has been handed a lifeline.
It looked for much of the season that Mainoo could depart Old Trafford on loan in January, but now that Ruben Amorim has been sacked, he appears set to stay and fight for a starting spot.
The young Englishman has yet to start a single Premier League game so far this season, with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes being preferred ahead of him.
Now that Mainoo has another chance to earn a spot in United’s starting XI, former Red Devil Clayton Blackmore has exclusively told UtdDistrict the one improvement that he must make.
Mainoo’s improvement
When speaking with UtdDistrict via Betfree, Blackmore was asked whether he reckons the 20-year-old can have a good run under the management of Carrick.
He said, “Well, I mean, it’s tough. He’s gone through a lot. He’s played for England. He’s burst onto the scene. But I watch him a lot. For me, he doesn’t run enough.
“For a midfielder, he needs to run with purpose. Instead, he jogs around a lot. On the ball, he’s really good. So he has to do more.”
Clearly, Blackmore is a fan of the technical quality that Mainoo possesses, but he fears, similarly to many pundits, that he may not have the athleticism required for a starting position.
Mainoo better suited to Carrick?
When United were under the management of Amorim, Mainoo was often left out of the starting XI due to the fact that they only operated with two midfielders.
Now that Carrick has taken the reins, Mainoo could re-enter the frame, as Fernandes will move further forward into a more conventional attacking midfield role.
If this is to be the case, then having both Casemiro and Fernandes alongside the Englishman could suit him down to the ground, as it would be harder to expose any potential issues regarding his athleticism.
The Red Devils’ next test comes at home against their bitter rivals, Manchester City, where United fans will get to see how Carrick lines up in his first fixture as head coach.
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