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Rio Ferdinand says something is happening to Kobbie Mainoo at Man United which should never occur
Rio Ferdinand has now been voicing his concern over what’s happening to Kobbie Mainoo at Manchester United right now.
In his breakthrough season under Erik ten Hag, 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo has now played 15 matches in the Premier League.
And when you consider Mainoo has only made 21 senior appearances for his club in all competitions, it’s remarkable to think that the midfielder now has two England caps as well.
Mainoo’s rise has been incredibly fast, a result of his rich ball playing ability and maturity – a rarity at his age.
There’s no doubt that the Englishman will be a fixture of both United and England’s midfield for years to come, and he might even be earmarked for a starting spot for his national team as soon as this summer.
That being said, Rio Ferdinand was discussing Mainoo’s situation at Man United on the ‘’ podcast.
And although Ferdinand was delighted to see ‘magnificent’ Mainoo doing so well, he did also have a big concern.
Rio Ferdinand is worried that no one is protecting Kobbie Mainoo at Manchester United
Ferdinand simply couldn’t believe that United had been leaving Mainoo so exposed in midfield recently.
And the pundit thought that Erik ten Hag or the senior players in the team, perhaps like a Bruno Fernandes, needed to take some responsbility to change things promptly.
He explained: “When you look at Kobbie Mainoo everyone is raving about him and rightly so, he has been magnificent since he came into the team, but I don’t see anyone trying to protect him.
“He’s a kid. You see a young kid coming into one of our teams and you try and protect him, there’s only the odd one like Rooney you don’t have to protect, but in the main you make sure there is bodies around them, don’t leave them exposed.
“How many games do you see him get left exposed? For a young kid he shouldn’t be.
“Imagine that feeling being exposed in midfield, it’s a lonely place in there.
“There has to be older players and leaders or the coaches in there saying make sure you tidy up in that area.”
Is Mason Mount the solution for United’s midfield?
Of course, the gaps in United’s midfield are worrying enough even without considering the effect it could be having on Mainoo’s progress.
Some are dubbing Ten Hag’s formation as the ‘doughnut’ right now, a team with a huge hole in the middle.
And if any positives derive from a woeful Brentford performance, it has to be a change in the middle.
Perhaps Mason Mount can help, a Manchester United player who is both industrious and versatile in the midfield three.
The players do seem to be there for Ten Hag to solve the issue, but it needs to be soon rather than later.
All that being said, it seems like United were close to losing one signing to Arsenal last summer.