Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho are shining to help Manchester United set new standards at the club.
Manchester United tried their best to win against Wigan in the FA Cup third round. The 2-0 victory showed that Kobbie Mainoo showed composure and maturity far beyond what an 18-year-old young star brings. Meanwhile, Alejandro Garnacho provides energy and boldness on the right wing, something the striker lacked when Antony started.
The recent praise for Mainoo and Garnacho is not simply because they outplayed their less effective teammates. This duo has both become elite talents that the club possesses.
However, one cannot ignore the fact that, if everything goes according to Erik ten Hag’s plan, they won’t actually be playing as much as they have recently. The reason is because Jadon Sancho, Antony or even Mason Mount can all move to the wing. But for personal reasons, everyone had to sit out and then Garnacho took the opportunity. The same thing happened with Mainoo, who came into the light after the injuries of Christian Eriksen or Casemiro and the lackluster performance of Sofyan Amrabat.
Their reaction demonstrated the special spirit of the players who grew up from Carrignton. Both are hardworking, dedicated, professional and have special traits that set them apart from the rest. When the club needs them, they not only stand up but also perform excellently.
Mainoo and Garnacho have now established themselves that even the core group are completely healthy and ready to play. They performed well enough to earn Ten Hag’s trust. In the process, they have also set the standards for any future young talent. Ten Hag once expressed that young players who do not meet his very high standards will not be given a chance and only tomorrow’s stars with world-class potential will have the opportunity to play.
The Old Trafford team has been very ruthless with their youth team transfer policy since the Dutch coach arrived at the team. Anthony Elanga, Zidane Iqbal, Matej Kovar, Teden Mengi, Axel Tuanzebe, Ethan Laird, Charlie Savage, Noam Emeran and Marc Jurado were all allowed to leave last summer.
Man Utd is aiming to become “smarter” in selling academy graduates and with Mainoo and Garnacho, they have more freedom in their decisions. Any young player now has to show promise like Mainoo and Garnacho. If they cannot do that, the Old Trafford team will no longer hesitate to get rid of everyone. The standards brought by Mainoo and Garnacho should not only apply to the youth team, but it should also be established in the first team, thereby creating a growing rivalry at Old Trafford.