From rejection to redemption, Mainoo’s journey
The young midfielder is a perfect example of why trying to shoehorn players into a system does not work
Their narrative arc is related. You cannot speak of Kobbie Mainoo and not mention Michael Carrick. If Mainoo can dream of times like these, it is because in him Carrick trusts. Manchester United may take their time to decide on Carrick as a fulltime head coach (more on that later) but Mainoo’s new five-year deal is one of the few things in recent memory that the club has got right.
A giant leap
And it showed on Sunday. From no starts under Ruben Amorim in 2025-26 and no Premier League goal in nearly two years to the winner against Liverpool is proof of why trying to shoehorn players into a system does not work. On way to unleashing the shot before Domink Szobiszlai could slide in a tackle, Mainoo ran a few small steps that felt like a giant leap from rejection to redemption.
Against Liverpool, Mainoo, 21, had the most successful passes (48), regained possession seven times both more than any other player on the pitch. And he covered 11.1km. He also had an excellent game against Chelsea. Months earlier, the 21-year-old had asked to be loaned for more game time.
There will be more than one reason for this turnaround after an injury earlier this year. He has worked really hard to overcome a difficult period, says Diogo Dalot. Brilliant attitude, especially when he was left out, was what stood out for Daniel Sturridge. Being an England player who has played big games life on the bench cannot be easy, said Sturridge. It could leave the player thin on confidence but that didn’t happen with Mainoo, he said.
Most players his age are scared to make decisions, said Thomas Tuchel. “But he is playing like he’s been doing it for years. It’s so hard to pressure him. He made so many tackles and blocked many shots.”
The “lift” from Carrick
But had Carrick, a midfielder who played for Manchester United and England with distinction, not believed in the player born in Manchester and who came through the club’s academy, nothing written in the paragraphs above would have mattered. Carrick’s done that for Casemiro and what a season he’s been having. From being told to leave football before football left him, the Brazil star is being asked to stay on for at least another season. By the fans and by Eric Cantona, also a fan.
Carrick’s done that for Bruno Fernandes by getting him to play in a more forward position. Result: over 50 chances created in 14 league games. Amorim’s rigidity with 3-4-2-1 didn’t allow this because United did not have the players for that. The idea looked good on paper but on the pitch, the team was confused, said Thierry Henry. “At Manchester United, what I saw was a team constantly thinking instead of reacting. And when players start thinking too much, especially in the Premier League, you lose speed not just in legs, but in decision-making.”
Amorim’s formation also meant that Fernandes had to play alongside Casemiro because Mainoo was ignored. Yes, Mainoo may still struggle to recover but now he knows Casemiro will have his back.
“New manager comes in, the players get the lift they needed and then, Champions League football next year (after two years),” said Dimitar Berbatov. Under Carrick, appointed till the end of the season, United have beaten City, Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea and Liverpool. Roy Keane said the impression he got is that Carrick gets along well with everyone. And has been able to create a changing room that smells of team spirit. “We want a team to be proud of, and the boys have certainly gave us that,” said Carrick. Take Carrick’s 14 matches in charge (10 wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats) and with 32 points, United would have been champions.
Carrick has said he feels like a natural in what is a difficult job. He gets the club, a point United may have missed in most of their appointments, interim and permanent, since Alex Ferguson. To be sure, he is a frontrunner for the job. But it is also true that his ability has not yet been tested. This was the fewest games United have played in a season over a century. How will he cope with the Champions League and all domestic competitions simultaneously? Manchester United have hurried to appoint a successor and it has not gone down well.
Giving him the job now would be like the FA extending England coach Tuchel’s tenure. What happens if England fail at the World Cup? What if Manchester United can lure Luis Enrique away? Or any of the top coaches who will be available after the World Cup? Carlo Ancelotti?
PLAY OF THE WEEK
GRAPHICS BY PRIJIT SASHIDHARAN
IN OTHER NEWS
$50,000 to watch the World Cup
The best job in America this summer will pay one individual $50,000 to watch all 104 World Cup soccer games, says Reuters. Fox Sports has teamed up with job site Indeed to find a “Chief World Cup Watcher” – what they’re calling the best summer job on the market – who will watch every match from inside a custom-built glass cube in the heart of New York City’s Times Square. The chosen fan will also need to create and share social content, turning every game into a live watch party for thousands of tourists and commuters passing by. Fans can apply for the role through Indeed. Do you have it in you?
Bruzon to leave after season
Oscar Bruzon has announced that he will step down as East Bengal head coach at the end of the current Indian Super League season, citing the absence of long-term planning and clarity over the club’s future. As things stand now, May 31 is set to be his final day in charge of East Bengal, reports PTI. The Spaniard joined in October 2024. With 21 points from 10 rounds, East Bengal lead the standings having played a match more than Mohun Bagan Super Giant who have 20 points. Full standings here
Mixing celebration with business
Most players kiss the badge or point to the sky when they score a goal, but Canada’s Tomasz Skublak, 28, whips out his business card, says Reuters. The Inter Toronto striker, who doubles as a real estate agent, turned his goal celebration into a marketing opportunity during Friday’s 4-1 victory over defending champions Atletico Ottawa in the Canada Premier League. After a goalless first half, Skublak scored the opener five minutes after the restart when a long ball was launched behind the defence and he struck the ball past the keeper. Skublak then rolled down his socks, pulled out his business card to show the camera and held up his hand like a phone, encouraging viewers to call him about their property needs in Ontario.
Iran’s Gholizadeh out of World Cup
Iran winger Ali Gholizadeh will miss the World Cup after suffering a serious knee injury playing in the Polish league, his club Lech Poznan has said, reports AP. The 30-year-old Gholizadeh played in all three of Iran’s games at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and in both of the squad’s warmup games in March in Turkey. He tore an ACL on Saturday in league leader Lech’s 1-0 win at Motor Lublin. On Monday, Gholizadeh was named the league’s player of the month for April.
Bridging the North-South divide
A North Korean women’s team is scheduled to play at a regional tournament in South Korea later this month, in a rare sports exchange between the war-divided rivals, says AP. The South’s Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said in a statement Monday that the Pyongyang-based Naegohyang Women’s FC is expected to face Suwon FC Women on May 20 in the semi-finals of the Asian Football Confederation Women’s Champions League in Suwon, south of Seoul. The Korea Football Association, South Korea’s soccer body, said North Korea would be fined by the AFC if the team failed to compete in the semi-finals.
Five-year ban for sexual harassment
FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) general secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members, reports Reuters. FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
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ICONIC MOMENT
Manchester City end 10-year wait
Manchester City were crowned Women’s Super League champions for the first time in 10 years without playing after Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw at Brighton on Wednesday, reports AP. “Helping guide this team to the WSL title is something I will never forget,” said City coach Andree Jeglertz for whom this was the first season in charge. “In the good moments and the bad, they’ve always stuck together and found a way to win – something that all great champions do.”
THEY SAID IT
That’s all for this week. As always, I look forward to your feedback. You can either write to me at dhiman@htlive.com, or reply to this mail.