Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw against Burnley in the Premier League yesterday.
The Red Devils seemed to have won the game after a 79th-minute strike from Brazilian winger Antony. However, they conceded a penalty late on in the game and the Clarets managed to snatch a point away from home.
Former Premier League manager Tim Sherwood was unhappy with the performance of the Manchester United midfield and he tore into the likes of Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo. Mainoo has been particularly impressive for Manchester United this season since breaking into the first-team scene, but he put in a pedestrian display against Burnley.
The former Tottenham manager highlighted the Manchester United midfield’s lack of willingness to work hard without the ball. Sherwood suggested that Mainoo has probably picked up the lacklustre attitude from his teammate Casemiro, who has been indifferent in the middle of the park this season. The Brazilian is clearly not at his best and his performances have been heavily criticised.
The former Real Madrid star is one of the leaders of the Manchester United dressing room and he needs to set better examples for young players like Mainoo to follow. Sherwood feels that the talented young Manchester United midfielder’s agent should have a chat with the player, explaining that he needs to show more determination, effort, and desire on the pitch.
“The worrying thing is the midfield does not run, they are alright chasing when the ball is in front of them and going to put the press on – when the ball gets played behind them and someone beats the press, all of a sudden their heads start wobbling, they can’t run as quick towards their own goal as the opposition. That is down to the manager.”
He added (h/t Mirror): “I like Kobbie Mainoo I really do, but I see him, he’s caught the Casemiro bug, he’s just jogging around the pitch, can’t just play when you get possession of the ball, Christian Eriksen the same and he’s one of the most honest players you are ever going to find.
“I think it is a culture there, they aren’t willing to run, we know Bruno doesn’t want to do that, but Bruno is an exceptional player as a 10, they need to keep him and use him up there, conserve his energy, but they need to be able to run.
“If I was Kobbie’s agent, or youth team coach, I’d say to him ‘listen when you first got in the team you ran around with identity, determination and desire, you are not doing that at the moment. Do not fall into the trap of what they’re doing, you haven’t got good examples there. Something needs to change there, it wasn’t good enough.”
Kobbie Mainoo must work harder
There is no doubt that he is an exceptional talent with a bright future ahead of him. He will look to establish himself as a key player for the Red Devils in the coming seasons. He will need to work harder in the middle of the park and put in consistent performances if he wants to start regularly for one of the biggest clubs in the world.
