Kobbie Mainoo's transformation as a midfielder has been stark. In January 2025, then-Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim said: "The Kobbie position, we need time to understand the players, he was struggling a lot defending as a midfielder." By August 2026, teammate Harry Maguire described a different player: "I think without the ball now, [Kobbie's] becoming a real monster in there, and I think he wins a lot of second balls. He wins a lot of duels. You won't want to play against him in there."
From Centre-Forward to Midfield Doubt
So little faith did Amorim have in Mainoo as a midfielder that a few days after that quote, he started the academy graduate as a centre-forward. Amorim wanted Mainoo close to the opposition box because of his quick feet and ability to play in the half spaces. He has a catalogue of goals that would suggest that wasn't the worst idea, but Amorim's ulterior motives were also clear: he didn't want Mainoo near his own penalty area.
Eventually, with two No.10s and a centre-forward in the building, Mainoo disappeared from view. He was a substitute every week under Amorim, and his Manchester United career was hanging by a thread until the Portuguese head coach was dismissed.
Return to the Starting XI
Now 21, Mainoo was back in the starting XI on Sunday and delivered another all-round display that marked out his burgeoning talent. His off-the-ball work improved last season, when he was immediately restored to the side by Michael Carrick and formed an impressive midfield partnership with Casemiro. But with the Brazilian having left and Carlos Baleba not yet fit, Mainoo played the deepest role against Ipswich and looked every bit an elite-level No. 6.
While Youri Tielemans and Bruno Fernandes both played 28 passes into the final third, Mainoo had only half that tally. But that wasn't his role. He was combative, physical, won his battles and was aware of the danger around him. He certainly wasn't struggling to defend as a midfielder.
Maguire's Praise and the Road Ahead
Mainoo won nine of his 13 duels and won possession 10 times, both highs among his United teammates. There were also three tackles, two interceptions and two fouls won, a vital skill for a deep-lying midfielder to ease the pressure on his team.
Centre-backs can often be the best judges of those playing directly in front of them, because they see when they are being well protected, and they notice when they are not. The fact that Mainoo's contribution won so much praise from Maguire felt telling. "I think his work without the ball has improved so much since Michael's been in. That's probably credit to Michael and his staff," Maguire said.
It was evident last season that, towards the end of the campaign, Mainoo's defensive work was getting better and better. He has bulked up and improved his physicality, but his positioning and awareness have improved immeasurably as well. You don't win possession and win duels as often as Mainoo did against Ipswich without putting yourself in the right position, which is half the battle when playing that role.
In fairness to Mainoo, he was chucked in at the deep end as a teenager by playing in midfield in Erik ten Hag's second version of United. Having built a stable and defensive side in 2022/23, Ten Hag tried to move through the gears but left huge holes in midfield that Casemiro and Mainoo struggled to fill. It's not a coincidence that that same partnership looked so much more secure under Carrick when the positioning was better, the gaps in the team were smaller, and there was more control.
Now United have lost the experience of Casemiro, and while Baleba looks like the natural No.6 in this midfield, there should be no concerns around Mainoo filling that role either.
