Kobbie Mainoo says Manchester United need to start seeing out games and iron out little mistakes after Erik ten Hag’s side went close to a stunning win against rivals Liverpool.
Few expected anything other than a victory for Jurgen Klopp’s title challengers on Sunday, especially after Luis Diaz gave the visitors a deserved half-time lead at Old Trafford.
United had not so much as registered a shot until the 50th minute but when it arrived it did so in style and Bruno Fernandes’ audacious 45-yard goal sparked a marked improvement.
Mainoo went onto put the hosts ahead with an exquisite first senior goal at Old Trafford, only for Mohamed Salah’s penalty to seal Liverpool a late 2-2 draw.
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“To score my first goal at Old Trafford, it’s unbelievable,” the 18-year-old United academy graduate said.
“But, you know, ultimately we didn’t come away with the three points, so it doesn’t leave the best taste in my mouth.”
It is little wonder Mainoo was frustrated after the Old Trafford outfit blew a late lead for the third time in nine days.
United were on course for a smash-and-grab win at Brentford last weekend, only for Mason Mount’s stoppage-time strike to be followed by an even later Kristoffer Ajer equaliser as it ended 1-1.
Worse was to come when the Red Devils returned to west London on Thursday, recovering from two goals down to head into second half stoppage time leading before losing 4-3 against Chelsea.
Salah’s 84th minute equaliser was nowhere near as late but represented another missed opportunity for a side whose faint Champions League hopes continue to fade by the game.
“Definitely (there are positives),” Mainoo said of Sunday’s draw with Liverpool. “I feel second half we pulled together and we figured things out and we were much, much better.
“But seeing out games is what’s going to get us points and that’s what’s going to get us higher in the table, that’s what’s going to win us games, so these are things that matter.”
Asked how important it is that the kind of standards driven into him in United’s academy are retained at the highest level, Mainoo told MUTV: “Yeah, 100 per cent.
“That’s what wins you titles and that’s what wins you games, having these standards, having players in the changing room that make sure the rest of the team keep up to them standards, which we do.
“And so, I feel like it’s just the little things that we need to iron out. That’s what’s going to help us win these games.”
Mainoo’s magnificent strike was his third of a stunning breakthrough campaign.
Having returned from ankle ligament damage sustained in pre-season, the 18-year-old has not looked back since making his first Premier League start on November 26.
Mainoo made his full England debut just four months on, with his man-of-the-match display against Belgium putting him in with a great chance of going to this summer’s Euros.
The United midfielder’s inexorable rise shows no signs of abating and he is trying to take it in his stride.
“Enjoyable, tough but it’s playing for my boyhood club on the biggest stage,” Mainoo said of the season to date. “To be able to adapt and to have these fans and everything around it, I mean, I can’t complain.”
Erik ten Hag says he does not care about speculation regarding his future as Manchester United manager.
A promising first season saw Carabao Cup glory followed by finishing third in the Premier League and runners-up in the FA Cup, but things have gone off track this term.
United face a fight for Champions League qualification as the campaign enters the final straight, with the stunning 4-3 FA Cup quarter-final extra-time win against rivals Liverpool breathing new life into the team.
A Wembley semi against Coventry is the reward but that result did not stop talk about Ten Hag’s future during the international break as ambitious Ineos consider their options.
England boss Gareth Southgate was linked to the United job but said such talk was “completely disrespectful”, although the Dutchman appears unmoved.
“You know when you are working at Man United there will always be noise, rumours around the club, the manager, the players, whatever,” Ten Hag said.
“There will always (an) issue – you like it, to talk about. Of course we have different interests, but we are not focusing on that.
“We are focusing on the process, we are focusing on the team to play better, to improve the way of play, so I don’t care about (it).”
Ten Hag came through intense pressure in the early stages of his time at United.
Having lost to Brighton in his first match after joining from Ajax, the Red Devils went on to suffer a chastening 4-0 away defeat to Brentford.
Ahead of returning to the Gtech Community Stadium for the first time since, Ten Hag said of the outside noise: “I was trainer at Ajax. Similar.
“You get used to it, so we don’t care. Players don’t care, I don’t care. We are together in the boat and we know we have to perform and get the right results.”
Before the recent Liverpool win, one of the only positives in a forgettable season was the development of youngsters like Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund and Kobbie Mainoo.
The latter was named man of the match on his full England debut against Belgium on Tuesday, just four months after making his first Premier League start.
Ten Hag had planned Mainoo’s opportunity to come far sooner, only for the midfielder to sustain ankle ligament damage in July’s pre-season friendly against Real Madrid.
“It was the plan, it was the intention,” the Dutchman said. “We thought he was capable of adjusting very quickly to high levels, so we had to delay that moment but for him and for us it’s good.
“Later in the season he proved that he can contribute highly to our team.
“We are happy we have a player like him who can really contribute and make us play the way we want to play.”
Ten Hag is hoping Mainoo is available to face Brentford having reported sick on Thursday.
“(Thursday) he skipped the training because he was ill,” he said.
“I don’t know (about Brentford) but of course we hope. (Friday) he is there, not fully recovered but we have still many hours I would say as we have a kick-off at 8pm.”
Mainoo’s performances have bolstered his chances of making England’s Euro 2024 squad but team-mate Marcus Rashford’s position looks more precarious.
“Of course he knows there is a lot of competition in his position,” Ten Hag said.
“And of course he will have a lot of credit because he contributes so many times fantastically for England and for us.
“Of course, he wants to be there but also he wants to win with us. He is in a position to win a trophy and he wants to be in the Champions League.
“Absolutely he wants to contribute and he wants to perform.”
Gareth Southgate praised Jude Bellingham’s never-say-die attitude after saving England from defeat against Belgium at the end of an international break that provides plenty of food for thought ahead of the Euros.
Among the favourites for glory this summer, the side third in FIFA’s world rankings stepped up preparations with a pair of high-level friendlies against the nations directly behind them in those standings.
Brazil are fifth and struck late on Saturday to inflict a first defeat on England in 15 months, which fourth-placed Belgium looked set to compound at rainy Wembley three days later.
Youri Tielemans opened the scoring after a Jordan Pickford error, with a Lewis Dunk mistake resulting in the Aston Villa midfielder scoring again after Ivan Toney had converted a penalty on his first senior start.
Fellow full debutants Ezri Konsa and, in particular, 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo also impressed in a friendly that ended 2-2 after Bellingham struck at the end of second half stoppage time.
“I liked it because I know the rubbish we would have got if we lost two games on the bounce,” the Real Madrid midfielder told Channel 4.
“These are two games that are going to stand us in good stead going into the Euros. I know people will be negative but you have to take these games for what they are.
“You’ve got to keep perspective. We had a lot of lads making debuts (this week) and a lot of lads I’ve never played with. We created a lot of chances. I should have scored (previously). I was happy I could make it up to the team.”
England boss Southgate told the post-match press conference: “Jude, of course, is the headline.
“That competitive spirit, that desire not to lose, desire to win in the end, was decisive in getting the late goal.
“But I thought the whole team showed that throughout the game and recovered from setbacks with a pretty inexperienced team, really, against a team that have got some very, very good players. Very pleased with a lot of what I saw tonight.”
Bellingham pulled the Euro 2024 hopefuls through at the end of a challenging international meet-up marred by injuries.
John Stones joined England’s eye-watering absentee list when limping off with an adductor issue within 10 minutes on Tuesday, when Mainoo’s man-of-the-match performance was among a number of impressive displays.
“The great thing is definitely some players have emerged positively from the opportunities they’ve had,” Southgate said reflecting on the Brazil and Belgium friendlies.
“We’ve perhaps got more depth in one respect, but the injuries are a concern. We’ve got so many players missing at the moment, and we’ve still got the real heat of the season to come, with the intensity of the games, what’s resting on the games.
“We’re not going to know what we’re left with until right until the end but we’ll just have to make the best decisions that we possibly can.”
Southgate praised Toney, Jarrod Bowen and James Maddison for their attacking impact against Belgium, while Anthony Gordon has also earned plaudits during the week.
Southgate has plenty to mull over ahead of announcing his provisional squad on May 21, which has to be whittled down to a 23-man group by June 8.
“In terms of knowing the 23, there’s so many unknowns at the moment in terms of who might be available,” Southgate said.
“So, yes, these performances were very important for players to be able to see whether or not they could play against high level opposition.
“But equally the way they play between now and the end of the season with their club, in big matches is going to have a high tariff as well so we will track all of that.”
Jude Bellingham struck at the death to salvage England a deserved draw against Belgium on a night of impressive auditions in the final match before Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 selection.
Three days on from the late loss to Brazil, the absentee-hit Euro 2020 runners-up faced another high-level test as the side third in FIFA’s world rankings hosted the team in fourth.
England were heading for another Wembley defeat after Youri Tielemans punished first-half errors either side of Ivan Toney’s penalty, only for Bellingham to secure a 2-2 draw in stoppage time.
Toney did well on his first start, as did fellow full debutants Ezri Konsa and, in particular, 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo in the final friendly before Southgate names an expanded Euros squad on May 21.
Kobbie Mainoo says a place in England’s Euro 2024 squad is the end goal after the Manchester United teenager’s whirlwind rise continued with a first senior call-up.
Long considered a future Old Trafford star, the 18-year-old midfielder has established himself as key part of Erik ten Hag’s side since returning from an ankle ligament injury sustained in pre-season.
Mainoo produced a man-of-the-match display as he made his first Premier League start against Everton in November and received his maiden England call-up just 114 days later.
Initially named in the under-21s set-up, he was promoted to the senior squad for the friendlies against Brazil and Belgium fresh from United’s jaw-dropping 4-3 FA Cup quarter-final win against Liverpool.
“It’s been a pretty mad couple of days,” Mainoo told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“Sunday obviously was a great game and a great win, then to get called up to the under-21s obviously I was excited to come.
“Then getting down here and realising that I was with the first team was amazing.
“I was shocked and happy and it’s been a whirlwind of emotions.”
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Mainoo was told he would be going up to the senior side for training, but assumed they just needed a player for the session until he spoke to Gareth Southgate’s assistant Steve Holland.
The Stockport-born midfielder’s family were “buzzing” when he called to tell them good the news as his ascent continues apace.
“The games have been coming so fast at United I’ve not really had the time to think about it,” he said of the potential of a senior England call-up. “I have not really thought about it too much.
“Obviously I knew the international break was coming up, so thought about it a bit but, still, we had so many big games that I couldn’t really take my eye off the ball.
“But now I’m here, obviously I am taking it all in and it’s been amazing.”
Mainoo says his goal for the March meet-up are straightforward, saying “good training camp and two wins”.
Making his England debut is the personal goal on top of that as he tries to prove to Southgate that he is worthy of a place on the plane to Germany.
“Yeah, I think that’s the end goal for the season, to get into that squad,” Mainoo said.
“But obviously I’ve got to focus on club football in the meantime, and hopefully that’ll figure itself out.”
What the papers say
Manchester United are set to triple the salary of 18-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo in order to keep him at the club until 2030, according to the Sun. Academy graduate Mainoo has played 19 games for the club so far this season, with two goals to his name.
The Mirror says Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe will reportedly approve a mega £100million deal for 19-year-old Benfica midfielder Joao Neves.
Liverpool have shortlisted Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann and Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim in their search for Jurgen Klopp’s replacement, according to Football Insider.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Kieran Tierney: Arsenal are reportedly ready to sell the 26-year-old Scottish defender but the club want £20million for his services.
Jakub Kiwior: AC Milan are in talks with Arsenal over the 24-year-old Polish left-back, according to reports in Spain.
What the papers say
The Sun reports that Gareth Southgate has his eye on three uncapped midfield players – Manchester United teen Kobbie Mainoo, Everton’s James Garner and Fulham’s Harrison Reed – as concern grows over the form of Kalvin Phillips.
Coach David Moyes’ future with West Ham looks fraught as the club is understood to be sounding out Julen Lopetegui, Steve Cooper and Graham Potter to lead the Hammers, writes the Daily Mail.
Steve Bruce is keen to move abroad, with the ex-Newcastle boss looking to become the next manager for South Korea, writes the Daily Mirror.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Kylian Mbappe: The Paris Saint-Germain star put pen to paper with Real Madrid weeks ago, reports the Daily Mail.
Liel Abada: According to the Daily Record, Celtic will speak to the winger’s agent this week to sort out his future.
Yann M’Vila: West Bromwich Albion has signed the former France international, but only until the end of the season, says the BBC.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag does not think a six-match unbeaten run means their season has turned a corner but he believes they are “back in the race” for the top four.
Having won just twice in nine matches and lost five in December, United have now won five and drawn one of their last six.
Last weekend’s victory at Aston Villa was important as it kept them within six points of fourth-placed Tottenham and with games to come against Luton, Fulham, Everton, Sheffield United and Brentford – not withstanding the Manchester derby in that sequence – maintaining that sort of form will push them closer to Champions League qualification.
“First of all I think it is too quick to say we turned a corner. We are not there yet. We are still not in a position,” said Ten Hag.
“We are back in the race but we are not in the position we want to be because this club definitely wants to be a minimum of top four so we have to catch up. But I think we are now in a good direction.”
The priority has to be securing Champions League football again as Ten Hag admits United are not at the level of Manchester City, Liverpool or Arsenal.
However, he knows taking the next step and re-establishing them as title challengers will take longer due to the investment they have made in young players with potential.
“In the summer I think we were in a very good moment: we were third, winning one final and in another final,” he added.
“Then you choose young players for the future and that has to do with FFP (Financial Fair Play – now Profit and Sustainability), then also you know it will take longer before you can go into the competition for the top position in the Premier League.”
The Dutchman was asked whether, during the toughest parts of the season, he had any doubts he would be able to get back on track a team which finished third last season and reached two cup finals, winning one.
He said: “I was convinced. Once the (injured) players are available then I knew the players have the quality to play for the top four and now we have to prove it. Across the whole season I was convinced of that.”
Contributing to their improvement has been the form of youngsters Alejandro Garnacho, 19, and 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo.
Ten Hag admits if they continue their current progress they could end up saving the club millions in the transfer window.
“Manchester United will always be a buying club but I think the club’s history, in its DNA, is to give opportunities to players from the academy,” he added.
“There are players with potential and we have given them the time to develop and progress and we are mentoring them too because we saw their potential was higher.
“We also take into account that they couldn’t bring the levels in that moment but you see when you give them the opportunity they progress so quickly and they bring the team to higher levels in the long term.
“You assess the potential of the player and we were convinced of those players and I think we still have in the back of our squad young players who can make the step, like Kobbie and Garnacho have made in the last couple of months.”
Erik ten Hag has urged Manchester United’s young stars to keep striving to improve.
There has been a sense of nascent optimism at Old Trafford in recent weeks, with new investment and improved performances and results on the pitch.
In their last four games, United have claimed Premier League wins over Wolves and West Ham, a draw with Tottenham and an FA Cup victory over Newport, scoring 13 goals in the process.
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At the centre of all those matches has been the young trio of Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, who have contributed eight of those goals, with 21-year-old Danish striker Hojlund scoring in all the games.
A picture of the youngsters sitting on an advertising hoarding together celebrating Garnacho’s first goal in last Sunday’s 3-0 victory over West Ham summed up the shift in mood.
“Players need time, especially young players like Rasmus and Alejandro,” said United boss Ten Hag.
“They need time but also they need a team, so those two facts were not there in the first part of the season. We had to make a lot of adjustments in our way of playing, so by stages it was difficult to serve the offensive part of the team.
“When that happens, it can go really quickly that players are going to develop and to progress, like we have seen. From the start I was confident they have the potential to do what they are now doing, and now it’s about keeping moving, keeping going, be hungry.
“I think they enjoy to play together. There is adventure. They are a danger. They want to do it together and to pass to each other so that everyone can play to their qualities and everyone can score goals.
“It’s great if they want to do it together because that is the key then we can have a lot of pleasure from this.
“They are young players and the future for Manchester United is quite bright with such talent on board, but you have to develop the talent.
“There is a lot of space for improvement and that is necessary if you want to go to the top levels. This club wants to achieve a lot, to win trophies, is very ambitious, so they then have to step up and bring higher levels and consistency.
“Also, against the best opposition they have to express the same threat, and it is about end product.”
Hojlund, 18-year-old Mainoo and 19-year-old Garnacho’s next chance to impress will come on Sunday against Aston Villa.
Unai Emery has earned huge plaudits for the work he has done to elevate Villa into a team challenging for the Champions League and United will almost certainly need to overhaul them if they are to finish in the top four.
Ten Hag is an admirer of Emery, saying: “I think it is very good how he developed this team and it’s very clear how they want to play, in and out of possession.
“I think the players know exactly what they have to do, their jobs and how they have to cooperate with each other. They are really a team, they absolutely have weapons in their team, so we have to play our maximum levels to get the right result.”
Erik ten Hag heaped praised on Kobbie Mainoo after the teenage star’s stunning stoppage-time winner sealed Manchester United a needlessly stressful 4-3 win at Wolves.
The misfiring Red Devils produced their best first half performance of the season at Molineux, where Marcus Rashford struck inside five minutes of his first match since last week’s reported Belfast escapades.
The returning star then played a part in Rasmus Hojlund’s bundled second, before United bounced back as substitute Scott McTominay scored shortly after Pablo Sarabia had converted a softly-awarded penalty.
But United wobbled and looked set to blow a much-needed win as Max Kilman scored before Pedro Neto equalised in stoppage time, only for Mainoo’s moment of magic.
The 18-year-old showed skill and courage to take on the Wolves backline, before bending home to win it at the death and spark wild United celebrations.
“To be honest, I had mixed feelings,” boss Ten Hag said after the breathless clash. “One side very pleased, of course it’s a massive win this.
“I think for a neutral fan, spectator of this game, it was great to see but as a manager when you see you dominate a game for an hour, you should go 3 or 4-0 by the hour, because we had the chances and we conceded nothing.
“But then the way we concede the goals we should manage that better on the pitch, this can’t happen.
“But then you see the spirit of the team and the resilience and especially in Kobbie Mainoo, that is great to see.
“We have the right character, the spirit in the dressing room is very good when you can show this.”
Mainoo was part of the United team that won the FA Youth Cup in 2022 and caught the attention of Ten Hag shortly after he arrived that summer.
The midfielder has made 13 appearances so far this term and would have played more had it not been for an unfortunate injury sustained against Real Madrid in a Houston pre-season friendly.
“I think very quickly I saw him,” Ten Hag said. “I think last autumn I saw him for the first time and at that moment I thought he was playing a little bit too comfortable in the Under-21s, he should be much more dominant.
“We pushed him a lot by that side, by pushing him in training and you see he makes such good progress and he is almost progressing from game to game.
“And of course, it’s wonderful to see and I hope he stays calm like he is, as he did with his goal as well.
“He is determined, he is a good character and I hope he keeps going with this progress.”
Ten Hag also praised Rashford as the United forward produced an impressive response to days of negative headlines and an internal disciplinary.
“I think the whole team played very good, Rashy as well,” the Dutchman said.
“Maybe you know that, you see the last games, there is coming about in the front line and if they get the service in the back they are a threat for every opposition.”
As for opposition manager Gary O’Neil, the last-gasp defeat was compounded by Wolves’ inability to bring in a striker on deadline day.
They made an approach for Chelsea’s Armando Broja but could not make the loan signing within the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, with the striker instead heading to Fulham.
“We couldn’t afford to do it financially, where it ended up,” O’Neil said.
“But we haven’t been deducted 10 points, we’re still together, we’re still putting in performances that show we’re all together. We’ll try and keep it moving that way.”
Kobbie Mainoo’s dramatic late winner fired Manchester United to a stunning 4-3 win at Wolves as Marcus Rashford shook off any Belfast blues.
The 18-year-old midfielder’s first Premier League goal shocked Molineux in stoppage time after Pedro Neto’s leveller looked to have snatched a point for the hosts just two minutes earlier.
Pablo Sarabia’s penalty and Max Kilman’s close-range strike had given Wolves – who initially came back from 2-0 and 3-1 down – hope either side of Scott McTominay’s second-half header.
Rashford had earlier scored and helped assist Rasmus Hojlund after being disciplined by boss Erik ten Hag.
He called in sick on Friday and was omitted from the squad for Sunday’s FA Cup win at Newport having reportedly gone drinking in Belfast last week.
But it was an excellent comeback from Rashford, with United – who climb to seventh in the Premier League – inflicting Wolves’ first home defeat since September to end their seven-game unbeaten run.
Rashford was reportedly doing tequila shots during his Belfast bender and those in charge of the music on Thursday clearly saw the funny side, playing the Terrorvision hit Tequila before kick-off.
But the England forward enjoys Molineux and last season the 26-year-old was benched for being late for a team meeting before coming on to score the winner.
This time he took just four-and-a-half minutes to start his new redemption arc.
When Bruno Fernandes dummied Alejandro Garnacho’s low delivery Wolves were in trouble, and it got worse when Hojlund held the ball up and teed up Rashford on the edge of the box.
The striker then curled a fine effort beyond Jose Sa for his third goal in his last four games.
United, with two wins in their previous eight league matches, belied their poor form with an energetic start and Casemiro shot wide.
Wolves, though, managed to find some momentum – with Matheus Cunha threatening – only for the visitors to snuff out any recovery with a second goal after 23 minutes.
Again, Rashford was involved when he collected Garnacho’s pass and slipped in the overlapping Luke Shaw to deliver a low cross for Hojlund to bundle in ahead of Craig Dawson.
It sparked the United fans into chanting ‘Rashford’s on the p***’ as they cheekily saluted the striker.
Casemiro nodded Fernandes’ free-kick wide and Hojlund almost embarrassed Sa when he charged down his clearance, only for the ball to rebound wide.
The openings kept coming with Raphael Varane firing over and Hojlund’s celebrations were cut short a minute before half-time when he had a goal disallowed by an offside flag.
In stoppage time Casemiro also had a header ruled out and the one-way traffic continued after the break when Dawson blocked Fernandes’ effort.
It had been Wolves’ worst display of the season but they almost pulled a goal back after 49 minutes, only for Lisandro Martinez to clear Kilman’s header off the line.
Yet United remained on top and Wolves survived when Toti lost possession to Garnacho but Sa spared his blushes by saving Holjund’s effort.
There looked no way back for the hosts when Andre Onana saved Dawson’s deflected strike with his face but they grabbed a lifeline after 71 minutes when Casemiro clipped Neto in the box.
Sarabia buried the penalty – after a long VAR check – but United hit back just four minutes later when McTominay, with his first touch, nodded in Fernandes’ corner.
The hosts refused to go quietly, though, and Kilman hooked in from close range to make it 3-2 with five minutes left after Dawson’s shot was blocked.
There was belief Wolves could level and they did in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Neto fired in on the break.
But a chaotic ending was capped by Mainoo’s stunner when he rode two challenges and curled into the bottom corner in the seventh minute of added time.
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