Kobbie Mainoo said on Monday that he is trying to take on more responsibility at Manchester United, with the team needing to be behind the manager on the pitch and off it during a tough season. He also said the team have not had the results they wanted, with big games ahead.
Grateful for the manager's trust
Mainoo told the official Manchester United website on Monday: "I’m very grateful to the boss for putting the trust in me as soon as he came in, putting that belief in me and giving me all the advice that he has."
He added: "Knowing he’s a player who’s been at this club and knows the history of this club and knows what it takes to win, I take those words to heart and I try and apply them every day in training and in games."
Responsibility for club values
Mainoo said: "United’s a huge club, so I think a lot of people know the values that this club holds and that have been passed down through the people who’ve worked and played here."
He added: "I feel like I take some responsibility in that and in spreading the word of what is Manchester United, coming up through the academy. I plan to send that message for hopefully as long as I can."
Mainoo also said he has been at the club for a long time.
Trying to impose himself more
Mainoo said: "I’ve tried to take on more responsibility in the team. I want to impose myself more in games and they’ve definitely helped to do that, giving me more responsibility with taking the ball. There have been ups and downs, but I have to have belief in myself even in these tough times."
He also said: "I feel like in every period of my career so far, I’ve tried to take positives from them. Even, you know, times that I’m not playing I’ve learned things and I’m still applying them to this day."
Backing the manager in a tough season
Mainoo said: "I feel like our way to repay that is to also be behind the manager on the pitch and off it, and fight for us as a team."
He added: "In these tough times you can’t expect the fans 100,000 per cent of the time to be happy and cheering when we’re not putting out results, you know. We owe it to them to put the results out there for them to cheer again."
Mainoo said: "Of course, it’s been a tough season. We’ve not had the results we’ve wanted, but you know we need to look forward now. There are big, big games ahead and I feel like we’re one win away from changing that."
He added: "I’ve been at this club for a long time and I know there’s always going to be ups and downs. It’s never going to be plain sailing and smooth to the top. So you expect bumps and the best thing about them is you’re able to bounce back from them."
