Robbie Savage believes it’s too early to talk about replacing Casemiro with Kobbie Mainoo while praising the youngster’s talent.
There’s been a lot of talk about Kobbie Mainoo ever since he made a mark during Manchester United’s pre-season. The academy star has been a composed presence in Erik ten Hag’s midfield and continues to put in mature performances despite his young age.
Mainoo recently partnered with Sofyan Amrabat in the heart of Manchester United’s midfield at Anfield and came out with a point. While he continues to rise in stature, the direct effect has given rise to talk about the youngster replacing Casemiro.
The Brazilian had a horrendous start to the season and has since been out through a severe injury. The midfielder could return soon, but there are suggestions he could leave Manchester United in January. Those rumours come after persistent stories about the club keen on selling him.
Robbie Savage has a different opinion on this whole debate. Some fans are convinced that Mainoo is the future of the club and should come in place of the Brazilian. Manchester United spent £70 million on the former Real Madrid star, but Savage believes talk of the youngster replacing the multiple Champions League winner might be premature.
Savage’s comments appeared on Team Talk as he praised Mainoo for his talent but warned Ten Hag about making a hasty decision to replace Casemiro with him.
Savage said, “It’s a little bit early to say that considering Casemiro has won five Champions League titles so far,”
“But what I will say about Kobbie – and I watched him a lot when he was coming through the United academy alongside my son, Charlie – is that he has got great composure, he can receive and play the ball in tight areas, and is highly confident in his ability. You can also see the admiration that he has for United’s senior stars and the confidence they have in him.”
“And, if he keeps his feet on the ground, he listens and learns from those around him, which is the most important thing as a youngster; he will do exceptionally well. United are pretty rightly very excited, and he could become an enormous success.”
“But let’s be realistic for now and not heap too much pressure on his young shoulders! And I do think it’s a little bit too early to suggest that he’s already a replacement for Casemiro.”
Savage makes some sense with his comments. There were multiple problems with Casemiro ahead of the season, and that might have crept in as he put in some terrible performances. However, the £70 million star deserves another chance for his pedigree alone.
He showed last season how influential he could be in Ten Hag’s system and might undoubtedly recreate that in the second half of the campaign. As for Mainoo, the sky’s the limit for the youngster, and he has already shown he could become a massive star of the future, but at times, a club like Manchester United will feel the need for the Brazilian’s experience.
