Kobbie Mainoo and Scott McTominay (Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Kobbie Mainoo has the ‘perfect’ tutor in Casemiro and can learn how to score goals from midfield from Scott McTominay.
That’s according to Paul Ince, who isn’t getting carried away by the teenager’s recent performances.
Mainoo was impressive during United’s 2-0 win against Wigan on Monday, when he was making just his seventh start for the club.
The 18-year-old was United’s standout player in pre-season before an injury that left him sidelined for three months.
Erik ten Hag signed Sofyan Amrabat on loan on the final day of the transfer window, in part because of his faith in Mainoo.
And, while Ince admits he’s been impressed with Mainoo, the former United midfielder says he can learn from team-mates Casemiro and McTominay.
Mainoo has made just seven starts for United (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
‘(Casemiro) is the type of person you’re looking at to play alongside him with his experience, Champions League medals, and playing at Real Madrid,’ Ince told The Manchester Evening News.
‘He’ll be perfect for Mainoo, but you’ve got to get Casemiro on the pitch first. That’s the worst issue.
‘Even with Scott McTominay, you can learn from him. Sometimes people have this kind of designated situation where you are a holding midfielder and you just have to sit there and don’t move. Sometimes you can get into the box and make things happen and that’s probably the next port of call for him. It’s not just about getting it and giving it.
‘Sometimes, you have to make an impact. So there will be little things he can learn from Scott McTominay, who gets into the box really, really well and gets his goals. There’s loads he can learn from. He can even watch some old videos of me if he wants!”
‘Listen, he’s a good player. I think it’s early days and I think sometimes we can get a little bit ahead of ourselves when we see a young player come into the team.
“What I’ve seen of him so far, I really, really like. He made a couple of mistakes against West Ham but that’s good for him. It’s good that he makes those mistakes because it is a learning curve. I’ve been through that process as a young kid. You’ve got to make mistakes to learn. There is a long way to go.
‘I don’t like to get too excited about young players. He needs to be nurtured right. You look at someone like Declan Rice. He’s done it the right way. He needs to play his games and he will play his games for United. But it’s always tough when you’re a young player coming into an inconsistent team. When I went to United, I had Bryan Robson alongside me, Neil Webb, and people like that.’
‘I could learn on the job. He is going to a team that’s switching and changing the midfield. It’s tough, but at the end of the day, when he’s played, he’s been outstanding. He’s got to keep his feet on the ground, keep practising, keep learning, keep listening to the right people. I’m looking forward to seeing where his path takes him.’
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He’s made an impressive start.
