During Erik ten Hag’s reign at Manchester United, the Dutchman has given opportunities to some of the club’s brightest young talents in the academy. Alejandro Garnacho was one of the first youngsters he gave a chance to, and this season, the Argentine has been thriving.
19-year-old Garnacho has scored nine goals and registered four assists this season in all competitions, leading manager Ten Hag to commend his performances so far in the 2023/24 season.
Aside from Garnacho, Ten Hag has given first-team chances to Hannibal Mejbri, who featured off the bench and started away at Burnley in the first half of the season, before his loan move to Sevilla in January. Omari Forson was also given a first-team debut against Wigan in the FA Cup and has since played five times for the first team.
However, arguably the most prominent opportunity that Ten Hag has given this season is to 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo. In a tough season so far for Manchester United, Mainoo’s rise to one of the club’s key players has been a huge positive.
What Mainoo has achieved in 2024
It has been an astronomical rise to the top for Mainoo, who, within five months, made his first start for both United and England at senior level. The youngster has become crucial for United this season and is now a pivotal part of Ten Hag’s midfield.
Mainoo is everything you would want from an elite prospect in the centre of midfield, and, in many ways, he is the answer to some of United’s glaring issues in the middle of the park.
He is a superb ball carrier, able to break an opponent’s press with ease and glide through the midfield, progressing the ball in the process.
Mainoo is a wonderful progressive passer, too, and loves to pick the ball up in deeper areas and switch play out wide. Off the ball, Mainoo is a tenacious tackler, able to use his long legs to hook the ball away from an opponent. He presses well, and his impressive reading of the game is prevalent when watching him off the ball.
Not just adept defensively, the teenager has shown his true colours in forward areas too, notably scoring a delicious curling effort in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool last weekend.
However, Mainoo might not be the last youngster who will make a quick rise under Ten Hag this season and become a crucial player at the end of 2023/24.
Man United's next best prodigy
The youngster in reference here is United’s exciting new centre-back prospect, Willy Kambwala. The Frenchman joined the Red Devils as a 16-year-old from French side Sochaux and has faced many injury setbacks on his way into the first team.
Amid an injury crisis in central defence this season, Kambwala has made eight first-team appearances, which included a first start away to West Ham and a first Old Trafford start in United’s most recent game against Liverpool.
Football presenter Stephen Howson described Kambwala's performance as "monstrous" against their big rivals last Sunday. He won three out of his four duels and completed 81% of his passes, making two clearances and two interceptions along the way, courtesy of Sofascore.
Minutes played
90
Touches
46
Accurate passes
29/36 (81%)
Long balls
2/5
Fouls
1
Interceptions
2
Tackles
1
Ground duels won
2/3
Aerials won
1/1
Kambwala also showed his searing pace, at times needing to make recovery runs and managing to reach the ball ahead of a chasing Liverpool player. It was an excellent way to introduce yourself to the Old Trafford faithful on your first start.
Sunday’s game meant a lot to Kambwala; it was an opportunity that he has worked hard to earn, and though his injury issues have somewhat set him back in the past, this was a fine outing. As he explained in a post-match interview with Manchester United, defending is his “passion” and that is an attitude that will no doubt stand him in good stead in the coming weeks, should more opportunities present themselves.
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Should that be the case, it is not impossible to see Kambwala becoming a regular starter for the rest of the season for United next to Mainoo and Co.
With question marks over the future of many of their centre-backs, including Raphael Varane, who is reportedly said to be leaving Old Trafford, Kambwala may be able to seize an opportunity to get more first-team minutes at Old Trafford.