Man Utd want Elliot Anderson. Does he work in a midfield pair with Kobbie Mainoo?

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It was a partnership that seemed born of necessity, rather than an official test drive ahead of an upcoming World Cup campaign. England did not have the most successful March international break, drawing 1-1 with Uruguay before last Tuesday’s defeat to Japan. In Tuchel’s own words, the team “lacked a lot of players who are responsible for that pattern of play” due to injury-related dropouts to Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and other England stalwarts. The absence of captain Harry Kane led to a scenario where England “do not have the same threat” in matches, but the coach remains bullish about future World Cup hopes. Barring injury or an unforeseen football disaster, England will line up with a midfield pivot of Rice and Anderson for their opening group game against Croatia on June 17. But did 70 minutes against Japan provide enough glimmers for United to start predicting their midfield future? One is an all-action Swiss Army knife; the other is a press-resistant ball carrier. Together, Anderson & Mainoo made for a pairing best described as “tidy” against Japan. The majority of their time together resembled United’s midfield construction under Michael Carrick. Mainoo would operate on the left-hand side of the pivot, taking up more advanced positions when out of possession, while Anderson was stationed on the right, anchoring things. When working against the ball, the couplet’s best moments came when they hunted the ball as a pack. A moment early in the first half saw them set a corridor for a prospective Japanese counter-attack, before collapsing on the ball carrier and recovering possession. The majority of the moves on Tuesday would see Anderson make the more decisive defensive actions of the pair. In the above action, Anderson makes the tackle before Mainoo shields the ball, ensuring possession is won for England.  There is a brief window where he tries to carry the ball forward, before he elects against running into another corridor and lays a pass off to Ben White. When England were in possession, the pair were again most effective when working in close proximity. Mainoo’s quick feet and ball-carrying allow him to be a connector between the side’s defence and attack, and the United man would often defer progressive passing duties to Anderson. England spent the majority of the first half playing short passing triangles between Mainoo, Anderson and Nico O’Reilly at left-back. It was a model not too dissimilar to some of the in-possession principles seen at United across Carrick’s 10 matches in charge. These methods encountered some of the same problems United have experienced in recent games, too. The majority of England’s performance on Tuesday saw them play in too narrow a fashion (80 per cent of their attacks were directed through the centre of the pitch), making it easy for Japan to slow any attacks before they became threatening. Tuchel’s decision to play with Phil Foden as a nominal centre-forward, rather than Dominic Solanke or another number nine, also left the side looking lightweight in the final third. Anderson and Mainoo were tidy at the base of midfield, but lacked that certain something that comes with playing alongside a creator such as Bruno Fernandes or a finisher with the confidence of Benjamin Sesko. There was also another problem…. Japan’s solitary goal on Tuesday came from Anderson and Mainoo being unable to wrestle past their natural defensive tendencies. The move starts when Cole Palmer loses the ball while trying to break into the final third. England are caught between defensive structures, with Anderson temporarily wrong-footed by Japan’s quick passing. The Nottingham Forest man can usually bail teammates out of situations like these by making an early, aggressive tackle, which has become one of his trademarks throughout the 2025-26 season. However, the brief slip you can see below was enough to throw off the timing in his intended tackle. Things are exacerbated by Mainoo’s lack of intensity to close down the player in possession. He is far too easily bypassed as Japan begin to transition into attack. The ball is eventually played out wide to Keito Nakamura on the left, who then hits an excellent pass back inside for Kaoru Mitoma to finish. Mainoo attempts a last-ditch block, but is unable to cut out the assist. Anderson and Mainoo operated as a decent partnership when both men were operating within a short distance of each other, allowing each player to focus on their best bits. Individual fragilities were revealed in moments when the game was stretched. In September 2025, Ruben Amorim was asked about where he believed Mainoo could improve if he wished to work in his version of United. “Kobbie Mainoo is really good at controlling the game, but if he plays as an eight (box-to-box player), he has to reach the box, returning (track back), and sometimes he has to cover a lot of space with just two,” said the then-United head coach. “Bruno is doing that job. And then sometimes it’s bad luck. “Kobbie Mainoo could play as a six (defensive midfielder), but sometimes he passes the ball and goes away, and it’s not a reference as a six, so we have to balance everything. “I think he needs to have the technical ability that he has, but he needs more pace. He needs to understand the position better. He needs to play in different speeds. Sometimes it’s lower. Sometimes it’s faster, and I think he can improve on that.” The 20-year-old in 2026 is a different physical prospect from the player who made his starting Premier League debut at Goodison Park in November 2023, but he is unlikely to develop the sort of athleticism and straight-line speed of Anderson, Rice, or indeed, James Garner (who replaced him in the 71st minute against Japan). Against Japan, there were moments where he attempted to progress play with line-breaking passes or long balls out towards the wings. However, his passing over longer distances currently lacks the precision or potency of United teammates like Fernandes and Casemiro. Jorginho and Youri Tielemans are two recent examples of midfielders who have used their excellent passing range to compensate for their lack of explosive speed when playing for a top-half Premier League club. If Mainoo is to be a long-term starter for a United side with (eventual) trophy-winning aspirations, he will have to improve his progressive passing in a similar fashion. A stronger grasp of defensive positioning (which admittedly improved under Amorim) would also make a partnership with Anderson — or any other prospective defensive midfielder — a more compelling package. For Anderson, his relationship with Mainoo, Rice (for England), or a potential new central midfield partner at another Premier League club will ask him to further refine his timing in the tackle. The 23-year-old has the energy to make multiple ball recoveries in a match, and his next step will be to reduce the number of times he loses the ball himself. Both men typically play on the left of central midfield for their Premier League clubs. If United were to make a move for Anderson, some time on the training field would be needed to prevent the two from stepping on each other’s toes. Anderson and Mainoo have potential when they play close together, but if they stand too closely, they could make it easy for opponents to play around them. Admittedly, 70 minutes in an international friendly is not a large enough sample size to change any of United’s potential transfer plans for the summer. Did Anderson and Mainoo work as a midfield pairing for England? Sort of. Would it work for United next season? That’s a question best answered by the coaching staff and recruitment team. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Carl Anka is a journalist covering Manchester United for The Athletic. Follow Carl on Twitter @Ankaman616