Paul Scholes believes Kobbie Mainoo has the potential to become part of Manchester United’s long-term midfield future, but says the 21-year-old will need time to regain his rhythm after a disrupted spell.
Speaking on a podcast produced in collaboration with SPORTbible, former Manchester United midfielders Scholes and Nicky Butt discussed Mainoo’s development and what he must do to establish himself more consistently.
Scholes remains confident in Mainoo’s ability and believes the player can continue improving if he is given the right midfield partnership.
“I think Mainoo has the potential to be the future of Manchester United’s midfield. He will only get better, he is still very young, and he missed many games before due to losing his position. When he actually played last year, he performed well, but he missed many games before, so it will definitely take some time to readjust. But I think if he has the right partner beside him, I have no doubt about his ability.”
Mainoo’s progress has been affected by a lack of a sustained run in the team. Scholes said that, although the midfielder had performed well when selected last year, his previous absences meant he would need time to settle back into regular football.
Butt also offered an encouraging assessment of Mainoo’s prospects, while identifying goals and his ability to cover more of the pitch as two areas requiring improvement.
“I like Kobbie because we know his ability through the youth team and we know the talent he possesses. It’s just that he doesn’t seem to have had a consistent run of games. Towards the end of last season under Michael, he did get a consistent run of games, which silenced some of his previous doubters, but I still think he needs to do more. He needs to contribute more goals, and he also needs to cover the pitch better. But I do think he should have been given playing time at the beginning of this season (compared to the beginning of last season).”
Butt’s comments reflect his belief that Mainoo’s talent has already been evident from his time in Manchester United’s youth system. However, he feels the midfielder has not yet had enough consecutive matches to show his full potential at senior level.
According to Butt, Mainoo’s run of games towards the end of last season, under Michael, helped answer some of the criticism previously directed at him. Despite that progress, Butt believes the player still needs to make a greater contribution in attack and improve his coverage across the midfield.
Both former Manchester United players therefore expressed optimism about Mainoo’s future, while stressing the importance of regular opportunities. Scholes’ assessment focused on the midfielder’s long-term potential and the benefit of playing alongside a suitable partner, whereas Butt highlighted the need for greater consistency and a more complete contribution.
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