Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince has urged Ghanaian midfielder, Kobbie Mainoo to develop his game by watching Scott McTominay in his breakout season as well as Casemiro.
Mainoo has seemingly leapfrogged McTominay in Erik ten Hag’s midfield pecking order, but Ince believes there is a lot to learn from his fellow academy graduate.
The 18-year-old’s impressive performances and United’s injury issues have made him a regular fixture in Ten Hag’s side.
He has played nine times since returning from injury in late October, starting the last four Premier League games.
Mainoo has shone as a holding midfielder in Casemiro’s absence, with Bruno Fernandes, Christian Eriksen and McTominay ahead of him in recent weeks.
Casemiro is expected to return this month, though, which should push Mainoo into his natural box-to-box role.
And as he prepares to inherit a more advanced position, Ince has told the Stockport-born starlet to take some notes from McTominay, United’s joint-top goalscorer this season with six strikes.
“Even with Scott McTominay, you can learn from him [as well as Casemiro],” Ince told the Manchester Evening News.
“Sometimes, people have this kind of designated situation where you are a holding midfielder, and you just have to sit there and don’t move”
“Sometimes you can get into the box and make things happen, and that’s probably the next port of call for him. It’s not just about getting it and giving it”
“Sometimes, you have to make an impact. So there will be little things he can learn from Scott McTominay, who gets into the box really, really well and gets his goals”
“There is loads he can learn from [McTominay]. He can even watch some old videos of me if he wants!”
The 56-year-old – who has the privilege of learning on the job alongside the likes of Bryan Robson – believes United must nurture him the right way, similar to Declan Rice in recent years.
He also slightly played down the hype surrounding Mainoo’s emergence despite admitting he is a fan of the midfield starlet.
Ince added: “Listen, he’s a good player. I think it’s early days, and I think sometimes we can get a little bit ahead of ourselves when we see a young player come into the team.
“What I’ve seen of him so far, I really, really like. He made a couple of mistakes against West Ham, but that’s good for him. It’s good that he makes those mistakes because it is a learning curve.
“I’ve been through that process as a young kid. You’ve got to make mistakes to learn. There is a long way to go. I don’t like to get too excited about young players.”
