Louis Saha slams Erik ten Hag for giving Manchester United star the wrong role

Louis Saha has warned Erik ten Hag against playing Kobbie Mainoo in his current role, as Manchester United need something else in midfield.

So far this season, Manchester United have not lived up to expectations, having won just one of their three opening Premier League fixtures.

A win over Fulham came before losses against Brighton and Liverpool, with the club scoring just two goals and conceding six.

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However, the focus has been on the gaping holes being created in midfield, with Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo not quite reaching their previous heights so far this seasom.

While Mainoo can be excused for inconsistent displays given that he is just 19 years old, former United striker Louis Saha has explained that Ten Hag must change the role he gave the young star.

“I’m a big fan of Kobbie, but he’s still very young,” Saha told BetFred. “He needs time to learn the game and impose a different kind of tempo because sometimes he looks too comfortable on the ball and doesn’t provide that unpredictability that’s needed.

“We need a change of tempo in that midfield, and I don’t think Kobbie’s as capable of doing this as we’d like. 

“Towards the end of his career, Paul Scholes dropped deeper into the midfield, but he was still a threat going forward. At this moment in time, this is the type of player we need. Kobbie doesn’t have that stability in the midfield, so it’s a big ask to rely upon him so much.

“Casemiro’s also been asked to play a different role too, so the stability in that area is an issue. As Kobbie’s so young, he’s going to make mistakes, and we saw that against Liverpool.”

United will next face Southampton as they look to rejuvenate their poor start to the campaign. Mainoo has been away with England over the international break, playing 77 minutes against Ireland and remaining an unused substitute against Finland.

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