Kobbie Mainoo is the only England midfielder who hasn’t touched the pitch at this World Cup. Not one minute. Not even in garbage time. And the people running Manchester United are not happy about it.
According to Pete Hall of The i Paper, there’s genuine bewilderment inside Old Trafford over Thomas Tuchel’s handling of the 21-year-old. The England boss has rolled with Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, and Jude Bellingham as his go-to trio, and even brought on Jordan Henderson ahead of Mainoo against Panama. That one stung.
Mainoo earned his spot on the plane with a monster second half of the season under Michael Carrick. He was the engine that dragged United back into the Champions League, finishing third in the Premier League and ending a two-year exile from Europe’s top competition. United rewarded him with a new contract. Club legends Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt have both admitted they don’t get why Tuchel keeps looking past him.
Darts sensation Luke Littler — who has become an unlikely celebrity voice on this — publicly demanded an explanation for Mainoo’s benching. That’s how far the frustration has spread beyond football circles.
England faces Mexico in the Round of 16 on Sunday night. Mainoo is hoping for a chance. Gary Riley, the former scout who discovered him and still keeps close with the family, told the outlet that the kid isn’t fazed by any of it.
“Nothing overawes Kobbie,” Riley said. “That’s what makes him so special. It is all well and good having lots of talent, plenty do, but it is his calm temperament, and how he approaches any game the same, whether a youth match or a World Cup final, that sets him apart.”
Riley added: “He is so quiet and unassuming that he just doesn’t think about the occasion. Anything is in a day’s work. He would love to play in Mexico. Thomas Tuchel has a tough decision, but if he is needed, Kobbie would be ready.”
Tuchel has a midfield that hasn’t exactly dominated games so far. England have looked disjointed at times, and the passing through the middle hasn’t been clean. Maybe Mainoo’s composure is exactly what they need. Maybe not. But the fact that United’s top brass are openly wondering the same thing, and that sources are willing to talk about it, says a lot about how this is being viewed back in Manchester.
Mexico vs. England kicks off at 11 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. Mainoo will be on the bench again unless something changes. The question is whether Tuchel finally trusts him when it matters.
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