A Liverpool legend and former Sky Sports pundit has revealed his true thoughts on Kobbie Mainoo after an impressive Bournemouth performance.
Kobbie Mainoo was among the best players on the pitch when he replaced Casemiro against AFC Bournemouth on Monday evening.
The five-time Champions League winner was withdrawn after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season, which will see him miss Manchester United’s trip to Villa Park this weekend, but his replacement was more than impressive.
While he couldn’t help United hold their lead, Mainoo’s movement in midfield helped open space and create more opportunities for the attacking players to flourish. He was chosen ahead of Manuel Ugarte to replace Casemiro.
With recent reports stating Rúben Amorim may be considering switching to a 4-3-3, Mainoo could be in line for his first Premier League start of the season.
In a midfield three, he is more likely to be allowed to play next to Bruno Fernandes, although one pundit has claimed Mainoo “doesn’t understand” how to play in central midfield.
Souness on Mainoo’s absence
Despite being a regular under Erik ten Hag, Mainoo has only played 212 minutes in the Premier League this season. Many believe this to be a huge issue, but former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness doesn’t believe it to be a big problem.
“I’m not a fan [of Kobbie Mainoo],” said Souness to The Daily Mail after Paul Scholes’ comments on the England international, where he claimed Mainoo is “being ruined” under Amorim.
Souness continued to say: “But if you look at [Adam] Wharton, there’s no comparison. Wharton understands that position. He understands when you haven’t got the ball what you have to do.
“Whereas Mainoo is a complete off-the-cuff player. Better on the ball, possibly, than Wharton. He’s got a trick and a cute pass, and he looks like he’s got the technique, but he doesn’t understand that central midfield position.
“If Paul Scholes were to have played against Mainoo, he would’ve had him on toast because he would never be where he should have been when Man United are out of possession.
“It looks like he’s never been coached to play as a central midfield player when you don’t have the ball. That’s what he looks like to me. I disagree with Paul on that, and I agree with most of the things he says, but on that one, I disagree.”
Souness is right but wrong
Souness’ claims on Mainoo do hold some value, but not all of them are correct.
Yes, Mainoo is an “off-the-cuff” player because he can make something out of nothing, and he does very often. Against Lyon in the Europa League with a late equaliser, against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League under Ten Hag, and, of course, against Liverpool in the FA Cup.
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However, to say Mainoo doesn’t understand the central midfield position is rather unbelievable.
The central midfielder displaced proven internationals in just his first season of professional football to earn a start in the Euros final in 2024. He also ran the game from defensive midfield on his Premier League debut. And it’s impossible to forget his performance in the FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
He may not be at his full ability just yet, but he shouldn’t be. Mainoo is only 20 years old and hasn’t played a full season of football since 2023/24. He just needs to be playing regularly.
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