Ten Hag urges patience on Mainoo after FA Cup final strike

Erik ten Hag wants people to be patient with Kobbie Mainoo, despite the Manchester United youngster quickly developing into a star.

Mainoo’s meteoric rise reached its highest peak yet as he netted in Saturday’s FA Cup final against Manchester City, with his fine finish and Alejandro Garnacho’s goal nine minutes prior ensuring United claimed a 2-1 victory over their rivals to lift the trophy.

Mainoo, aged just 19 years and 36 days, was the first English teenager to find the back of the net in an FA Cup final since 1981, while he is also the youngest to do so since John Sissons for West Ham in 1964.

Mainoo’s cup final goal came in the same week he was named in Gareth Southgate’s 33-man provisional squad for Euro 2024, and he looks a surefire bet to be on the plane to Germany next month.

MAINOO MAKES IT TWOOO!!! #MUFC || #FACupFinal pic.twitter.com/PodCppPdnD

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 25, 2024

Yet, Ten Hag believes people mustn’t expect too much, too soon from the midfielder.

“I think we have to keep it calm,” Ten Hag told the BBC. “You are very good here in England to push players and managers very high, and then you hammer them after one or two bad performances. I think we need to keep it very calm.

“He was [magnificent]. It was really so enjoyable to watch Kobbie at his age.

“But he’s also an example [of problems]. We wanted to play him in the second game [of the season], but then he got a bad injury. It was a long time until he came back.”