Kobbie Mainoo: position and technical analysis

Few football clubs compare to Manchester United when it comes to their history of bringing through young talent. The Busby Babes and Class of 92 represent the high watermark for homegrown United players, who have in more recent times included the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jonny Evans and Jesse Lingard. Now Kobbie Mainoo’s emergence has provided another academy graduate to add to that long list, as well as a bright spot in an up-and-down season for United.

An England international at Under-17, Under-18 and Under-19 level, Mainoo made his first United start in November, at the age of 18, in a 3-0 win at Everton. “I always judge players when it’s the most difficult part of the game,” said Gary Neville, reviewing Mainoo. “When United had their most difficult period in that first half, I thought he was the only player who showed up. He looks so composed, so graceful, always looking over his shoulder, knowing where everyone is, letting it run across his body.”

The youngster carried that composure through the end of 2023 and into the new year, with a strong series of performances. Below, our UEFA-licensed coaches have analysed his game, including his position and technical capabilities, by looking at these early first-team appearances…

Technical analysis

Mainoo is a right-footed midfielder who has mostly played in a defensive-midfield role for the Manchester United first team. He played in more advanced roles at youth level, but since breaking into the senior side he has been used as part of a double pivot, alongside experienced teammates.

Mainoo’s energy, individual pressing and duelling is impressive. Of the Manchester United players to have recorded more than 50 defensive duels after 24 Premier League games of the 2023/24 season, Mainoo had the third-highest success rate. 

His recovery runs when defending counter-attacks have also impressed. Not only can he track runners, assess danger and reposition when needed, but he is also tenacious in duels, tackles and attempting to win the ball back. His covering and overall defensive support around and underneath his full-back (below) is another strength. 

When it comes to duelling, Mainoo can improve at locking down the edge of the opposition’s penalty area. His positioning and support in these moments has become more consistent, but it is essential for a defensive midfielder to also regain the ball back directly. This can stop counter-attacks higher up the pitch, which in turn saves energy-sapping recovery runs. It also locks the opposition into their own half for longer, which serves to maintain pressure, momentum and dominance of territory.

In possession

With the ball, Mainoo is agile and able to twist and turn away from pressure and his direct opponent. His relatively small frame allows him to manipulate the ball in tight areas, but he has enough explosive power to drive away when needed.

He is comfortable maintaining possession in tight areas and combining with teammates — especially his pivot partner — while occasionally attacking higher up via ball carries. His wonderful last-minute winner away at Wolves (below) was a perfect example of this.

When combining with teammates, his agility helps him play forward and maintain possession. The timing of his pass release can entice opponents to press, which creates a bigger space for his teammate to receive and play forward. When his closest supporting teammate is tightly marked and can’t easily play forward, this space is then ideal for Mainoo to occupy and receive back. His agility and balance help him receive in this new space, where he can look to combine again with a forward pass (below).

In his initial first-team outings, Mainoo had yet to really showcase passes through multiple lines. His through balls were often misplaced, and were rarely timed with a supporting run. He also lacked the appropriate weight on his longer passes, with room for improvement in finding the space more consistently. With more exposure at senior level, this consistency and quality will surely come. 

Double pivot

Mainoo broke into the United team as part of a double pivot in a 4-2-3-1 shape. In his first 10 Premier League games, he was paired with Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay. All offered different skill sets and supporting requirements, to which Mainoo adapted well.

With Casemiro, Mainoo moved slightly higher during United’s build-up, working off the movements of Bruno Fernandes as the number 10. Erik ten Hag’s United have frequently utilised full-back and winger pairings, and Mainoo has combined with them when moving to the inside channel. There have been moments when he has dropped deeper to support Casemiro in the build-up, but it is between the number 10 and Casemiro where he has mostly demonstrated his agile movements and receiving (below).

As Eriksen is a more attacking midfielder than Casemiro, Mainoo has had more responsibility for the deeper build-up when joining the Dane in a double pivot. Eriksen rotates forward more than Casemiro, often joining Fernandes in positions between the lines. As a result, Mainoo has stayed deeper to operate as the main pivot receiving from the central defence. United have still focused on their wide pairings — Fernandes supporting on one side and Eriksen the other — with Mainoo linking into teammates in both inside channels (below). 

Mainoo has showcased his adaptability when appearing alongside McTominay, who offers a blend of the attributes Eriksen and Casemiro provide. When McTominay has made delayed runs from midfield into the box, Mainoo has held and covered underneath. But McTominay is also useful when supporting and contributing to deeper passing combinations, especially in tight areas in the double pivot. This has helped Mainoo express his own passing abilities, as the pivots support each other to create passing lanes into Fernandes as the 10.

Defensive strength

No matter who Mainoo has partnered as a double pivot, his defensive output has remained the same. As a double pivot in a block or a sustained high press, his cover for the advancing full-backs has been important. This is especially the case as the wide pairings have created and progressed so much of United’s attacking play. 

His ability to screen and protect the central spaces, then jump into wide areas as cover, has been consistently evident. A next step will be to contribute more defending high up the pitch, in the central areas, to help the wide pairings attack after high losses of possession.

To learn more about the technical and tactical aspects of football, and gain insights from coaches at the top of the game, visit CV Academy