Roy Keane still has a doubt over Kobbie Mainoo at Manchester United, although admits he now only has one issue with the midfielder.
The 21-year-old was the hero at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon as he netted the winner in a 3-2 victory over Liverpool.
It was a rollercoaster game, with the Red Devils comfortable at 2-0 ahead at half-time, before falling apart and quickly finding themselves level before the hour-mark.
The sport could have gone either way and it fell to Mainoo to win it, firing within the winner on 77 minutes from the sting of the box.
The England international doesn’t rating many, with that being his first of the season and his first within the Premier League since May 2024.
Ahead of the sport on Sunday, Keane said he’s waiting to be fully convinced by Mainoo, telling Sky Sports: ‘I’m still not convinced with him. I feel he’s a extremely good young player, he’s still a child, he’s only played 70-odd first team games.
‘He’s obviously been involved within the England squad, but he still hasn’t convinced me. I hope he does next 12 months.
‘I generally is a harsh critic of midfield players, I used to be very critical of myself. I still think the child has to do so much more.
‘Has he got a likelihood? In fact he’s got a likelihood. He’s still learning.’
Following his performance against the Reds, Keane feels Mainoo has improved after his outing of the team under Ruben Amorim, as has been proved by his form under Michael Carrick.
Nevertheless, the previous Manchester United captain stays concerned that he doesn’t have the pace to be a top level midfielder.
While he can learn so as to add other strings to his bow, Keane isn’t sure Mainoo can develop acceleration required within the engine room.
‘The last six months will probably be quite good for him. For a young player at an enormous club, he comes on the scene and getting all of the headlines, doing well after which getting involved with England,’ said Keane.
‘The previous few months, people have been talking about him going out on loan, but I all the time said that sometimes you will have to sit down and learn, watch the sport and the team.
‘In football, there are good and bad experiences and I’ll think he’ll learn from this previous few months than when he first got into the team.
‘He’s needed to mature, he’s got his recent deal, he’s needed to learn his trade. He’s a young player, he’s still learning, he’s got years before he even peaks.
‘He’s surrounded by experienced players, hopefully they’re helping him, so it’s been no bad thing.
‘The one problem is, when people speak about if he’s explosive enough, are you able to improve on that in case you’re not quick off the mark?’
The connection between Mainoo and Carrick is clearly an excellent one, with the present England midfielder stuffed with praise for the previous one.
‘He’s played an enormous part in it, all the arrogance he gives all of the players,’ Mainoo told Sky Sports of his and Manchester United’s resurgence. ‘You would like to follow him and fight for him and die for him on the pitch.’
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