“He will start…” Kobbie Mainoo tipped for major England role for two big reasons

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has been tipped to start for England in their first knockout game of the 2024 European Championships.

England finished the 2024 European Championships group stage as winners of Group C with five points, but their performances left much to be desired.

Manchester United‘s star boy, Kobbie Mainoo, played just 52 minutes across the three games against Serbia, Denmark, and Slovenia, while Luke Shaw did not feature at all due to injury.

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Having won their opening tie 1-0 against Serbia, they followed this up with a drab 1-1 draw against Denmark, and the group was rounded off by a boring and dull 0-0 draw with Slovenia.

Mainoo played in the second half of that draw, coming on at half-time, and Gareth Southgate’s side looked immediately better once he entered the fray.

Former club captain and Manchester United legend Gary Neville, speaking with ITV following the tie, has tipped the 19-year-old to start during the first knockout fixture.

“I’m certain Mainoo will start in the next game,” Neville explained.

Neville went on to explain that Mainoo must start for two reasons. One is that Mainoo would get England to play better football, while the other would be that he would bring much more control to the midfield.

“I think it was quite obvious we needed someone in there who would get us playing, and Mainoo does that.

“The midfield, it’s pretty obvious that in the first two games, we couldn’t get control of the ball in a way that’s going to help us through the tournament.

“Kobbie Mainoo has provided a far better solution in the second half of that game than the other options that have been used so far.”

England’s opponents are yet to be confirmed, but they will play their round-of-16 knockout tie at 17:00 BST on Saturday, 30 June.

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