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ESPN pundit cannot believe what Erik ten Hag said about Kobbie Mainoo after Manchester United loss
Craig Burley has issued his verdict on the reasoning Erik ten Hag gave for replacing Kobbie Mainoo at half-time as Manchester United were beaten by Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Kobbie Mainoo🎃 has arguably been one of the only positives in what is proving to be a miserable campaign for Manchester United supporters.
The 18-year-old only made his full Premier League debut towards the end of November. ༒But Mainoo has been so impressive in the middle of the park.
Craig Burley baffled by what Erik ten Hag said about Kobbie Mainoo
🍨So it would have come as a big surprise to many when Erik ten Hag took him off at half-time against Nottingham Forest. At the time, the game was goalless. And of course, Forest would go on to win 2-1.
♎Ten Hag subsequently suggested that he felt that Mainoo looked to be lacking the energy to play the full 90 minutes after playing a number of games in a short space of time (via ).
ꦆAnd speaking on , Craig Burley admitted that he was in a state of disbelief at hearing that Mainoo came off at half-time at the City Ground due to tiredness.
♓“That’s incredible, ‘he was tired’,” he said. “He played him, he didn’t know he was tired before the game. He didn’t talk to the boy, ‘how you feeling?’ ‘I’m feeling great, gaffer, I want to play, I’m [18]. I’m confident, I’m a good young player’. You talk to him. It took you 45 minutes at Nottingham Forest.
ꦐ“It’s not Man United Liverpool. It’s not end to end, it’s not that big pressure cooker atmosphere. It was a good atmosphere. But it’s a game they should dominate.”
Manchester United remain in big trouble when two teenagers provide only reasons for optimism
♐It potentially says everything about how poor Manchester United have been that fans are scratching their heads wondering why Mainoo was not playing beyond half-time.
🐬The youngster had to wait until November for a run in the side – admittedly, he was injured for the large part of the early season.
ꦡAlong with Alejandro Garnacho, Mainoo now seems to be one of the only bright points for Manchester United fans to cling to right now.
🐻So much needs to change at Old Trafford in the near future if United are going to get back on track anytime soon.
ꦯThe worry is that that has been the case for almost a decade now. And they only seem to be drifting further and further away.