Is Kobbie Mainoo the key to unlocking England’s attack?

Nothing sums up a tough England camp better than a teenager who was initially overlooked and ended up making an almost irrefutable case to go to Euro 2024. Kobbie Mainoo was initially fast-tracked into the Under-21 set-up before that manager Gareth Southgate does not select the Manchester United midfielder. in the seniors amid concerns about the lack of cover in midfield.

Jude Bellingham may have scored the stoppage-time goal that salvaged a 2-2 draw against Belgium on Tuesday, but it was Mainoo who stole the show with the kind of performance that dramatically accelerated his improbable late run into Southgate's latest 23-man squad. Summer. Former England captain Gary Lineker suggested Mainoo had “not only played his part in the squad for the Euros, but quite possibly in the starting line-up” after a display in which he played a key role in the first England's goal, completed 42 of his 47 passes and came off as a 74th-minute substitute to a warm ovation involving a long hug from Southgate.

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“He seems very mature, very calm, he knows he’s moving forward,” Southgate said. “We are absolutely delighted with what he has done, first and foremost. But there is still a big part of the season to play with his club, so it is of no use to me… I had a plan on Saturday night for Tuesday which was destroyed. in 12 hours so to be expected [the Euros squad] in two and a half months, it's frankly ridiculous.

“So we know some of the essential elements of that, we know who has been able to play at this level, who the best players are. And the rest, we have a much clearer picture of what people are capable of. games we played [against Belgium and Brazil] and we're just going to see how people do when they get back into shape, if they can do that in terms of fitness with their clubs.

Kobbie Mainoo, 18, was named England Player of the Match on his first ever start for the Three Lions 🏆

The start of something special ✨ pic.twitter.com/fcCKum18vX

–ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 26, 2024

Southgate's initial aim during this camp was to advance England's goal of becoming a possession-based team capable of dictating big games, but instead faced complications at almost every turn . Injuries to several players, including captain Harry Kane, were compounded by the revelation that Ben White had rejected a call-up, before a row involving the St George's Cross on England's new Nike kit created an exhausting spectacle for field pursuits.

Further withdrawals due to fitness concerns – Kyle Walker, Harry Maguire and Sam Johnstone returned to their clubs on Sunday – only added to the patchwork feel of Tuesday's training. Yet somewhere in the middle of it all, Mainoo was added to the group and immediately impressed in training, taking his final rise with the same composure that accompanied his rapid rise.

Mainoo made his Premier League debut for United just 121 days ago. In January, he scored his first professional goal, netting a dramatic stoppage-time winner as United beat Wolves 4–3 at Molineux. A promising 15-minute cameo in Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Brazil preceded his full debut here at 18 years and 342 days, becoming the third youngest United player to start a match for England behind Duncan Edwards and Marcus Rashford. And it was his progressive overtaking that triggered the movement that allowed England to cancel out Youri Tielemans' opener in the 11th minute.

Mainoo's quick feet and quick thinking allowed him to feed Bellingham who in turn played in Ivan Toney who was too quick for Jan Vertonghen and initially got a toe on the ball before being fouled in the surface. Toney, winning his second cap exactly a year after his first, converted the penalty with customary aplomb, becoming the first Brentford player to score for England.

England's defensive errors continued to hamper their performances. Jordan Pickford gifted possession cheaply for Belgium's first goal before Lewis Dunk managed to clear his lines under pressure from Romelu Lukaku, who produced a sublime cross for Tielemans to put Belgium back in front in the 36th minute .

Declan Rice, captain of the evening for his 50th cap, engaged in a lengthy dialogue with Mainoo as the players waited for the second half to kick off and the Arsenal midfielder supported him throughout the evening, allowing for the 18-year-old to drift forward trying to affect the game in the final third.

Amadou Onana's Nutmeg will be doing Mainoo's YouTube compilation videos, as will Tielemans' spin-off. More fine play on the edge of the box from Mainoo led to Joe Gomez – replacing John Stones as injuries continued to pile up – to cross to Bellingham, who inexplicably planted a header wide. His failure in the first half when Mainoo pressed Onana high up the pitch was even worse. Bellingham eventually saved the day with a low finish in stoppage time after good work from substitute James Maddison, but it was Mainoo who left the most pronounced impression.

England have not had the kind of composed midfield that Mainoo has been developing for years. Southgate has often spoken about his lack of options at number six, but Mainoo appears to be able to offer real guile as a number eight, refreshing and different from the more physical attributes of Conor Gallagher or Jordan Henderson.

It would be a huge ask for Mainoo – with just 20 senior United appearances under his belt – to anchor the England midfielder at the Euros, but he has emerged as an intriguing alternative and an unexpected positive in a camp that has required no more improvisation. than the fastidious Southgate would like given they are not playing again until he picks his Euro squad, likely to initially include a long, expanded list.

“The injuries are worrying,” Southgate said. “We're missing so many players right now and we still have the real heat of the season coming up. The intensity of the games, what's riding on the games – we're not going to know what we've got left until 'in the end, but we'll just have to make the best decisions we can. There are so many unknowns at the moment as to who might be available.

There are still questions that need to be answered. England did not improve their record against the top 10 FIFA ranked nations. Concerns persist over England's defensive durability, particularly at centre-back. Stones and Maguire certainly look to be Southgate's first-choice duo for a fourth consecutive tournament, but are they good enough and are the understudies a considerable drop-off?

Kane's absence was felt less against Belgium than against Brazil, meaning Toney has put forward his case better than Ollie Watkins did last weekend. But arguably England's biggest problem for a long time has been a lack of control in midfield against top teams. It would be premature to declare Mainoo as the answer, but a camp of surprises has brought welcome consideration.