Just 74 minutes might be all it takes.
After making his first senior start for England at just 18 years old, Kobbie Mainoo’s performance against Belgium on Tuesday night just might have secured him a seat on the plane to Germany for this summer’s European Championship.
Mainoo was not even in the squad for this camp initially, but last week he was promoted from his first call-up to the under-21s and given an opportunity to show Gareth Southgate his quality up close — not just at Wembley, but on the training pitches of St George’s Park.
“He’s completely at ease with the environment,” Southgate said before the Belgium friendly. “He’s very comfortable receiving the ball and progressing it up the pitch, and it’s an easy group to settle in with, so they’ve made it more comfortable for him.”
GO DEEPER
Kobbie Mainoo, an 18-year-old playing like a seasoned pro
The plaudits have been rolling in from his subsequent man-of-the-match performance, but what was so impressive about Mainoo’s performance on a wet and windy night in north-west London?
Kobbie, we've got something for you… 🏆 pic.twitter.com/wjEN4cSzPd
— England (@England) March 26, 2024
How to follow Euro 2024 on The Athletic…
- Euro 2024 news and features
- Euro 2024 fixtures and schedule
- Euro 2024 favourites: How are they shaping up?
Starting with possession, it was expected that Mainoo would play alongside Declan Rice at the base of midfield — screening the back four and starting England’s attacking sequences. However, he frequently pushed ahead of Rice and into Belgium’s defensive block, looking to receive the ball in tight areas and trusting his ability to then wriggle out of pressure.
Below, you can see him scanning his options should he receive possession from his midfield partner.
Just as he has for Manchester United since his Premier League debut 13 months ago, Mainoo was confident in venturing forward into advanced areas. The rotations in England’s midfield meant Jude Bellingham, playing the No 10 role, occasionally dropped to collect the ball and Mainoo intelligently looked to expose the space this vacated.
Mainoo showed he is equally capable playing with his back to goal as when facing the play — a trait not to be underestimated among England’s stable of midfielders.
It was clear Bellingham and Phil Foden were enjoying playing with England’s new No 21.
As two of the most technical players in the squad, Bellingham and Foden will pick up pockets of space to receive the ball and drive at the opposition. The trouble is, their movement has not always been utilised in international football. But with Mainoo frequently daring to make driven, incisive passes between the lines, the pair were visibly more confident they would receive the ball in dangerous areas.
It was a theme of Mainoo’s play all evening, showcasing the same skills that have earned him a regular spot in the United starting XI.
Crucially, when a penetrating forward pass did not find its intended target, the teenager was quick to counter-press, hound the escaping Jeremy Doku and make a crunching challenge on Orel Mangala. The two team-mates to praise him for his work rate and endeavour? Superfans Bellingham and Foden, of course.
The bravery to attempt such progressive actions is what was so impressive from Mainoo, who turns 19 next month.
With his head constantly up, Mainoo was the catalyst for England’s first equaliser.
Facing away from goal with Youri Tielemans tight to him, the obvious thing would be to drive further back into space or play a simple pass to his centre-backs (slide 1 — black arrow, below), but a quick scan of his options (slide 3) is followed by a sharp drop of the shoulder to expose the space in behind — slaloming between Tielemans and Romelu Lukaku before finding Bellingham with the outside of his foot.
As The Athletic’s Carl Anka has noted, these are actions that remind you of a prime-years Thiago.
A change of pace, a body feint, and some twinkling toes — Mainoo’s performance was visibly irking his Belgian counterparts, and his purposeful running led to Amadou Onana bringing him down after he tried to wriggle out of two challenges and nutmeg the Everton midfielder.
The same was true in the second half where Timothy Castagne got too tight, with Mainoo backing in and rolling him to break free, forcing Belgium into another foul.
“His attributes are there for everybody to see,” Southgate said after the game. “That ability to receive under pressure, ride challenges, manipulate the ball in tight areas. He gives us a different profile of a midfield player to anything else we’ve got and we’re really pleased with what he’s done.”
Advertisement
High praise indeed, but Mainoo’s performance did not come without a small “room for improvement” comment in his school report — pertaining to England’s game out of possession.
“We were a little bit more open,” Southgate said. “We wanted to press aggressively and there were times where we turned the ball over on the edge of their penalty area. But on the flipside, we had some problems with Belgium’s midfield and struggled with that a little bit.”
Just as they showed three days earlier in Wembley defeat against Brazil, England have not quite found the perfect formula to eradicate gaps between their midfield and defensive line.
GO DEEPER
Mainoo, Hamilton and the Manchester Futsal club that helps develop Premier League stars
This was surely due to the demands of the manager, though, as Mainoo was tasked with pushing high on Onana when England pressed man for man.
Either way, there were a couple of occasions where he was caught on the wrong side of the ball when his side were out of possession.
The first came as early as the second minute, where a lofted ball from goalkeeper Matz Sels bypassed the home side’s high press — and resulted in Lukaku cushioning it into the path of Tielemans, who had peeled off the back of England’s midfield pair.
There were similar examples in the second half (see below), where Mainoo’s advanced role was exposed as Belgium broke from their own penalty area and left him chasing back.
This was at odds with the defensive protection England fans expected Mainoo to offer on his debut, but, given Southgate’s post-match comments, it seemed clear this was by design rather than due to ill-discipline from the youngster.
Naturally, the discussion will turn to the likelihood of Mainoo making the squad for this summer’s European Championship in Germany but, for now, let’s simply celebrate his performance on Tuesday night.
GO DEEPER
The making of Kobbie Mainoo, United's 'special' teenage talent
Beyond Euro 2024 though, one thing is for sure.
The relative dearth of options in Southgate’s midfield means England have been crying out for a player who is willing to take risks, be brave on the ball, and catalyse attacks.
In Mainoo, they may well have found him.
(Top photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images)