Manchester United have suffered a wretched season with Erik ten Hag’s men looking likely to miss out on qualification for European competitions altogether next season.

The majority of Ten Hag’s squad have underperformed badly throughout the campaign, leading to a record 13 losses in the league and an embarrassing early exit from the Champions League.

However, one plus point from the season has been the emergence of young midfielder, Kobbie Mainoo.

Mainoo has been a mainstay in the starting XI since his first game of the season at Goodison Park in November, excelling in the middle of the park despite the team’s poor form all around him.

His wonderful breakthrough campaign has not gone unnoticed, with United’s No 37 getting nominated for the Premier League’s Young Player of the Season award.

Proud

Kobbie Mainoo is among the nominees for the @PremierLeague's Young Player of the Season award #MUFC || #PL

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 9, 2024

The Englishman grabbed his first goal for his boyhood club in the third round of the FA Cup against Newport, following it up with a couple of stunning strikes in the Premier League.

His ridiculous stoppage-time winner in the pulsating 4-3 win against Wolves won the Premier League Goal of the Month award for February, showcasing all of his attributes with a stunning run and finish.

Mainoo then put United ahead in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Old Trafford, his outstanding curling effort ensured a point and helped put an end to the old enemy’s title hopes in the process.

The academy product also made his bow for England in a friendly against Brazil at Wembley, impressing on the big stage and now looking a certainty for the Three Lions squad for the Euros in the summer.

Alongside his incredible talent with the ball, Mainoo’s temperament is perhaps the most impressive thing about the young man.

At just 19, Mainoo’s composure in possession and unflappable nature under pressure will be key to him starring for United for many years to come.

It’s imperative United now build their midfield around the new star and with a summer of changes expected at the club, tying Mainoo down to a long term contract should be high on the INEOS to-do-list.

Winning the prestigious award would be the icing on the cake after a wonderful breakthrough campaign but the United man does face stiff competition for the gong.

Manchester City pair, Phil Foden and Erling Haaland will be among the favourites with Chelsea’s Cole Palmer also in the running.

Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, Tottenham Hotspur’s Destiny Udogie and Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka and William Saliba make up the remaining nominees.

Whatever the outcome, Mainoo has every reason to be delighted with his work this season and will hope to finish it off by lifting the FA Cup at the end of the month.

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Paul Scholes has poured more scorn on Erik ten Hag’s tactics and, in particular, this use of midfield starlet Kobbie Mainoo.

Manchester United were blown away as they put in an insipid performance versus Crystal Palace on Monday night, losing 4-0 at Selhurst Park.

Unfortunately, there was nothing surprising in how Ten Hag’s men folded so easily and became the plaything of Palace’s vibrant attackers.

With a rare injury to Bruno Fernandes, a new midfield three of Mason Mount, Christian Eriksen and Kobbie Mainoo were tried, but there was still the depressing lack of defensive cover as the makeshift back two of an out-of-position Casemiro and an unfit Jonny Evans were brutally exposed.

Mainoo has been one of the most uplifting stories of the season and, despite a dip in form as of late, can hold his head high for his contribution to an incredibly challenging season.

His spectacular rise was demonstrated most clearly in his outstanding curling effort at home to Liverpool last month.

However, no matter how much Mainoo has impressed, he has been overworked and after barely playing even much under-21 football and recovering from a long-term injury picked up in the summer, he has had to play 28 senior games this season due to United’s lack of options.

Speaking to Premier League Productions after the game, former United player Paul Scholes was especially critical of how Ten Hag is using the recently turned 19 year old.

“We saw Mainoo, he was almost playing left-back at times. I am not sure what on God’s earth he was asked to do. He almost left Eriksen on his own in midfield. The gaps are so big.”

“But it’s nothing new. This has been the story of the season. This is why they look like they are going to get beat five or six. That could have been 7-0 against Crystal Palace. That’s the most worrying and damaging thing. I have sat here quite upset and sad, but quite happy that it was only four.”

Naturally, Mainoo will be expected to make mistakes and this is all very normal in a young player’s development.

In addition, it is no secret that the academy graduate still has much to learn surrounding the defensive side of the game, but in a team which clearly has no idea what to do tactically and having no adequate help, it is little wonder that he has struggled to maintain his impressive form from the winter.

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Former Manchester United star, Juan Mata, has waxed lyrical on Manchester United starlets, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.

In a season of darkness, two shining beacons of hope have been the play of academy products Garnacho and Mainoo.

The Red Devils have struggled immensely in this campaign as they have barely been able to secure a positive goal difference and find themselves in a real fight for even Conference League football.

It is true that they can look forward to an FA Cup final later this month but this should hardly be the yard stick for measuring success for a team as big as United.

However, one shining light has been the rise of certain young players with Omari Forson, Willy Kambwala and Ethan Wheatley all making their senior debuts this season.

However, what has impressed pundits and fans the most is the role played by Mainoo and Garnacho, as they have become indispensable members of the first team in such a short period of time.

Former player Mata has become the latest to wax lyrical over the meteoric rise of the two teenagers.

Commenting on the rise of the players to the club’s official website he claimed, “[I’m] very [impressed]. I mean, I knew Alejandro, I know what he’s capable of.

“He was already showing signs of how good he could be. I think this season he made a step forward. He’s more consistent. He’s performing at a very high level, almost week in, week out, scoring incredible goals.

“I’m very happy for him, for his family too. He deserves it.”

The Argentinian was briefly a team mate of the Spaniard as Garnacho actually made his debut in Mata’s penultimate game for the Red Devils against Chelsea in 2022.

One player he would have probably been less aware of is Mainoo, although he has not been any less impressed by the Englishman.

“I’m really impressed with Kobbie. Of course I haven’t seen much of him before, but he looks like he’s been playing for the club for longer than [he has].

“[In his] first games for United he already looks so mature. He looks like a player. With the ball, without the ball [he’s] focused. [He’s got a] bright future ahead.”

Mata also spoke of the positive impression the Stockport native has made on the rest of the squad and claimed that his current captain only had positive things to say about him as a human being.

“Bruno [Fernandes] tells me he’s also a great kid. He listens. He wants to learn. He’s humble. So, he has everything to succeed.”

While both players have had a drop-off in form as of late, this is only to be expected with the huge amount of games they have both been asked to play this season.

The teens will be aiming to win their first piece of silverware of their senior careers on the 25th of May at Wembley and if Erik ten Hag’s side are able to do it, it is logical to assume that both starlets will play a key role in it.

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Mainoo’s emergence has been one of the few success stories of United’s dreary season.

The 19-year-old has impressed with his calm and composed displays that have often made him stand out head and shoulders above some of the more senior and experienced professionals within the club’s ranks.

So far this term, Mainoo has made 27 appearances for United across all competitions. In that time, he has managed three goals and one assist.

Casemiro previously indicated that Mainoo has the skill set to become an England great and in a recent interview with Telemundo (via SportWitness), the five-time Champions League winner re-affirmed this stance once more.

The Brazilian was questioned about his role in aiding younger players to integrate smoothly into the first team and adapt effortlessly to the spotlight, with a specific mention of Mainoo.

Casemiro responded, “Yeah, good friend, good player, excellent player. I see that he enjoys himself a lot on the pitch, I give him a lot of love because at the end of the day he is a player who needs that.”

“And also we can’t give a lot of pressure to those players, so at the end you try to take that pressure off those players because that’s the process of football, isn’t it?”

He added, “Of football, of life, which I think, speaking specifically here about Kobbie, I think in three, four years from now he’s going to be one of the best players in centre midfield in the Premier League.”

“They have to enjoy it, they have to have that process, they have to have this fear of not losing the ball, this fear of continuing to grow, of continuing to learn, to come here to Carrington and to keep growing, to keep training hard.”

In recent games, due to an injury crisis in the defensive department, Mainoo has had to carry on in the middle of the park without the steady and experienced hand of Casemiro who has been forced to operate in central defence.

Ahead of United’s clash against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, the pair will undoubtedly be hoping to be reunited in midfield with one or two defenders set to return from their injury setbacks.

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April saw United play five top-flight games. In that period, the Red Devils managed just one win, drew three and lost one.

The club’s only victory was a 4-2 triumph against strugglers Sheffield United, whose relegation has since been confirmed.

United captain, Bruno Fernandes, is in the running to win the Premier League’s April Player of the Month Award.

The Portugal international was sensational last month and registered six goals in England’s top division. He also managed one assist.

The skipper found the back of the net against Chelsea and Chelsea before grabbing a brace in the next match vs. Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

He picked up where he left off when United made their way to Wembley to take on Championship outfit Coventry City in the semi-final of the FA Cup. On that occasion, Fernandes scored United’s third in regular time.

He then went on to get another double as United overcame the Blades at Old Trafford. It’s also in that match that he got his assist, for Rasmus Hojlund’s late strike.

The 29-year-old will need to ward off competition for the Player of the Month award from Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Jordan Pickford (Everton) and Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City).

Andre Onana and Kobbie Mainoo joined their teammate Fernandes in being nominated for a Premier League prize due to their April displays.

The superb Mainoo is on an eight-strong shortlist for Goal of the Month, following his stunning curling effort against Liverpool on 7th April.

Mainoo’s goal drew comparisons to Federico Macheda’s famous winning strike vs. Aston Villa almost 15 years ago.

Meanwhile, Onana is a candidate to claim the Save of the Month accolade after he produced a wonderful one-handed stop to prevent a powerful shot from Burnley’s Lyle Foster from going in.

United return to action on Monday when they travel to Selhurst Park to face Oliver Glasners Crystal Palace side.

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Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen claims that he is happy at the club, despite his lack of game time this season.

The Dane moved to Old Trafford as a free agent in the summer of 2022 and was a regular in United’s midfield last year, playing 44 times in all competitions. However, this season has been an entirely different story.

The midfielder has only played 24 time, frequently relegated to the bench. Whilst Eriksen has started the last two games due to injury to Scott McTominay and Casemiro having to fill in at centre back, it is not a vote of confidence from Erik ten Hag.

The extent of the Dane’s lack of playing time can be seen in the fact from the 14th of January until the 13th of April he only made it off the bench once in the Premier League, playing 37 minutes in a 1-2 home defeat to Fulham in February.

It had been reported that as a result, Eriksen was naturally unhappy with his playing time and wanted out of the club. However, Ten Hag soon quashed such rumours, suggesting it was just “supporter talk”.

In a later interview, the Dutchman went on to explain that his decrease in minutes were down to the spectacular rise to prominence of Kobbie Mainoo in the middle of the park.

The Dane has been linked to moves to Turkey and his former side, Ajax.

However, this may not be the plans of the 32 year old. Whilst admitting his future is far from settled he outlined his happiness to be at club like Manchester United in a recent interview with ViaPlay (via Tipsbladet).

When asked about his future at the club beyond the summer he claimed, “I do not know. I still have a year left on the United contract, so for now, I’m still a United player. So what will happen this summer, I don’t know.”

“But I am incredibly happy to be here. It’s a great club and I feel good, so we’ll see what happens. But as I said, I have one year left.”

Interestingly, Eriksen may be happy to play the role of bit part player at the club or he may be hoping that with INEOS’ intention to implement a more possession based style, he will have more opportunities next season to show his worth as he is poorly equipped to deal with the transition football Ten Hag has demanded from his side this year.

Furthermore, with the likes of Casemiro and Sofyan Amrabat already seemingly having one foot out the door of the club, the Dane may figure there will be more opportunities in midfield for him next campaign.

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Manchester United’s Antony has become the latest player to praise the impact of the youngsters coming through the club’s academy.

In what has been a dark year in many respects for United, the progress of the youth teams and academy players have been a shining light.

This season has seen the rapid development of academy graduates Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnachoin  the first team, while Omari Forson and Willy Kambwala have also become regular members of the squad.

In addition, last week saw the introduction of Ethan Wheatley against Sheffield United, who became the 250th academy graduate to represent the first team.

The form of the under-18 team has also been a cause for huge optimism, as they won the Premier league Cup against Manchester City and destroyed arch-rivals Liverpool 1-9 earlier this month.

Captain Bruno Fernandes has also already spoken on the need for the first team to create the right conditions for academy players to continue to flourish when they break into the squad. Speaking to the club’s official website, Antony has become the latest player to lavish praise on the young players breaking through.

“It’s certainly been an excellent season for Garnacho. He’s still a very young lad and full credit to him for his performances. I’m really happy for him and hope he continues doing what he knows how to do with a focused mind and continues helping us marking, making passes and running for the team.”

The 24 year old also reserved praise for Kambwala and Kobbie Mainoo.

Discussing the French defender’s recent game against Liverpool he stated, “I’m really pleased for them. Willy is really hard-working, always training hard and I’m delighted with the game he had against Liverpool. He had a great game and I congratulated him afterwards.”

“Kobbie has had a longer run of games,” Antony continued. “He’s a huge talent. I see so much talent there and I’m really happy for his performances.”

“I’ve been in the position of these young players – although I’m still only 24, I was also playing at their age as well. With their talent, together with focus, a supportive family and looking after themselves, things will happen naturally for them.”

The Brazilian winger scored at the weekend and certainly put in one of his better performances as of late. He will be hopeful that he and the young players can finish the season on a high with a victory in the FA Cup final in less than a month’s time.

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Manchester United need to continue to help young players flourish according to captain, Bruno Fernandes.

The Red Devils have not had much to shout about this season and this was on full show once again yesterday afternoon as United failed to hold onto yet another lead as they conceded a late penalty against Burnley at Old Trafford.

The result ends United’s stumbling attempts to reach a Champions League spot for next season and leaves the Red Devils with an uphill task to secure Europa League football, with Newcastle breathing down their necks.

However, the side’s commitment to youth has shone through in this campaign and this was seen in Ethan Wheatley becoming the 250th academy graduate to make his debut for the first team last week.

Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo have also established themselves as two of the first names on the team sheet and despite their form dipping as of late due to the exhaustion of their first full season in the league, they have given hope to United fans in a season of darkness.

Captain Bruno Fernandes spoke to the club’s official website about the importance of looking after the younger players and said that it is the role of the first team to create the environment for the academy players to flourish when given the opportunity.

“At this club, you are used to having young players coming through the Academy and you’re used to the club buying young players that they feel can have a future at the club. You just mentioned two of them (Garnacho and Mainoo)”.

“They’ve been playing most and they’ve been doing well. They’ve been doing great things”.

“But, when the team is playing better, it’s going to create an even better place for them to [continue their] development and to be a better player. To be in a better place, being more confident, having more trust and playing even better”.

“Even if they’re doing well, I think there is always space for improvement for everyone, but obviously when the team improves, everyone else improves individually”.

However, Fernandes was not all praise, as he claimed that both players had bad moments and they need to develop greater consistency if they are to make it at the very top level.

“I think the team needs to step up in certain moments to also make them feel confident to have their bad moments, their bad games, or even to let them have less pressure on themselves to be the players that have to make the difference in certain moments”.

“I think they’ve been really good; they’ve been improving themselves. It’s just the first steps. They need to keep going, because obviously the expectations are going to grow, game by game, season by season”.

Fernandes has had his critics as captain of United but whether it be playing through the pain barrier, being the most creative player in the Premier League or inspiring the youngsters, the Portuguese has really stepped up the last few weeks of the season for his side.

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