Paul Ince makes Kobbie Mainoo plea as Man Utd woes boil down to midfield issue

13 January 2024 , 05:45

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Kobbie Mainoo has impressed in recent weeks

Paul Ince is pleading for Manchester United to be patient with Kobbie Mainoo but the former midfielder concedes their current engine room sorely lacks the tenacity the 18-year-old can provide.

With Casemiro and Mason Mount injured, plus Sofyan Amrabat at the Africa Cup of Nations, Mainoo has impressed in recent weeks. Yet that has meant expectations have rocketed and Ince would like to see head coach Erik ten Hag use him sparingly.

“When I look at the midfield I don’t see a lot of pace,” Ince, speaking to Mirror Football on behalf of luckyblock.com, said. "When teams attack them they are so open in the middle of the park and don’t have a natural sitter. There’s a lot of technical ability but I don’t see the pace or the understanding of a defensive midfield player.

Ten Hag] has tweaked around it and Mainoo has come in looking a really good prospect but they have to be careful with him. They need to take him in and out.”

As for what Mainoo can do to protect himself from the hype, Ince added: “He needs to listen and learn, cling on to the right people. Suddenly a young kid plays a couple of games and everyone gets really excited. Next thing he’s out on the town with his mates. That stuff you can’t do.

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“[Assistant coaches] Steve McClaren and Darren Fletcher, they are the ones to keep his feet on the ground and make sure he hangs around with the right people. He’s only 18 and we have this habit at the moment of getting overexcited about people right away. Give him time. Let him play, let him enjoy his football and take him in and out.”

Erik ten Hag's team remain inconsistent, former Man United midfielder Paul Ince says (PA)

United face Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford tomorrow having lost nine of their 20 league games so far. Ten Hag's side are nine points off fourth spot with the head coach under increasing pressure over inconsistent results and performances.

Ince added: "Ten Hag did ever so well last year but this has been disappointing. To go out of the Champions League at the group stages was very disappointing and in the Premier League, they have been very inconsistent. When you think about the players they've brought in, a lot of them have been injured or sitting on the bench.

"There are a lot of players who are not on their games and when that happens you get inconsistency. One day you think they've turned a corner, the next they are being beaten."

Paul Ince was speaking to Mirror Football on behalf of luckyblock.com

Alan Smith