Kobbie Mainoo continues to deliver for club and country, putting in a series of outstanding performances for England at Euro 2024.
England boss Gareth Southgate recognised after the Euro 2024 group stages that Kobbie Mainoo was deserving of a starting role.
Former Manchester United star Paul Scholes was calling for Mainoo to start. He backed Mainoo to ‘transform’ England’s performances.
Not everybody believed. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher expressed his doubts Mainoo would have an impact.
Jamie Carragher called Mainoo expectation ‘unrealistic’
Carragher told The Telegraph that he did not believe Kobbie Mainoo could do what Scholes had tipped him to do for England.
He said: “When I hear fans or fellow pundits demanding more control in midfield, or observations that England need a Toni Kroos or Luka Modric profile of footballer, my immediate response is: Who do you mean?
“England do not have such a midfielder, and even when Paul Scholes was in his prime – the kind of midfielder everyone is talking about – we never controlled games.
“That is why Southgate went with the Alexander-Arnold experiment in the first place. Now we are hoping youngsters such as Kobbie Mainoo and Adam Wharton will instantly emerge and transform the make-up of the side.
“Mainoo did well when he came on and should keep his place, but expecting him to dictate massive international games after barely half a season of Premier League football is unrealistic.”
Was this an attempt to helpfully play down the expectation on Mainoo? Or was it a sneering shot at suggestions he was good enough to dominate at international level?
If the latter, Mainoo’s fearless qualities have proved Carragher spectacularly wrong.
Mainoo’s unstoppable rise has showed no sign of slowing down. ‘Unrealistic’ for most players is simply ‘easy’ for the Manchester United wonderkid.
Carragher praises Mainoo
England’s win over Netherlands in the Euro 2024 semi-final was spectacular, and the national press quickly praised Kobbie Mainoo’s performance.
Carragher posted on X: “Foden & Mainoo have been fantastic!”
Mainoo is a special talent who Manchester United fans have never doubted. He takes everything in his stride and it is incredible to see him performing at this level.
United fans on social media were comparing Mainoo to Paul Scholes. After the FA Cup Final, Scholes said the Mainoo comparisons were a waste of time, as the teenager is 10 times the player he was at his age.
Let’s see if he can follow up the FA Cup win with a European Championship win. Whatever happens, he has done us proud.