After an impressive cameo late in the game during England's 1-0 loss to Brazil this past weekend, calls for Kobbie Mainoo to start against Belgium only increased.
Many were highly impressed by Mainoo's temperament during his cameo and how he was able to deftly align with the state of play as soon as he had his first touch of the ball.
In the fifteen minutes that he had, Mainoo displayed the qualities that have made him an indisputable starter for his club - effective shielding of the ball, power in his carrying, a forward-thinking attitude when passing and astute positional awareness offensively and defensively.
Many fans instantly noticed the contrast in control of the middle 3rd when Mainoo came on, as him, Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham were able to combine with an increased frequency and better understanding of each other.
England may have unceremoniously lost the game to a goal from another young international debutante in Endrick, but the silver lining (for Manchester United fans especially) was that Mainoo's cameo had given Gareth Southgate food for thought.
Many wishes were granted on Tuesday when the lineup dropped an hour before kickoff and a Bellingham, Mainoo and Rice midfield was confirmed to be on the cards.
There were high expectations of the midfield, and those expectations were met. A noticeable strength of the midfield during the game was its dynamism, as Bellingham and Mainoo were clearly given license to roam wherever they felt necessary, and this made it easier for the midfield to play through Belgium.
Mainoo playing higher also gave England a calmer head in the final third and during play that lead to final third entries, as evidenced by Mainoo's bravery and positivity in the buildup to the first goal in which he confidently carried the ball into a tight space and played an incisive pass through the lines into Bellingham, who then played the pass into the box that lead to Ivan Toney being fouled.
Mainoo's maturity and confidence to always want to play forward was refreshing, and was supplemented by how good he was at breaking lines with his passing, as well as how adept he was in his dribbling through contact.
Mainoo also displayed how hard he was willing to work off the ball, as whenever he lost the ball he was always quick to track back and try to win it back. Mainoo's ability to quickly forget mistakes and want to automatically rectify them is a clear sign of maturity and is a testament to his drive at such a tender age.
Mainoo must start at the European Championships
Mainoo's performance was impressive enough to earn him the Player of the Match award, but really his performance only reinforced how important it is that Mainoo starts for England at the European Championships this summer. What Mainoo provides England with is a calm, composed, technically proficient, and positionally sound pivot partner for Rice, an archetypal midfielder that England has lacked for years.
As the pace of games at international tournaments tends to be slightly slower than in the Premier League for instance, a lot of games tend to be won in midfield. Starting Mainoo with Rice and Bellingham at the Euros will inevitably be conducive to England being able to control games better against top opposition with strong midfield's like Germany and France.
There is of course the question that hangs in the air of what that would mean for sensational players like Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold for example, but if England want to win the Euros this summer then it is imperative that Southgate prioritises the balance of the team over appeasement or attempting to force players into the starting eleven.
Not only did Mainoo's performance on Tuesday give Southgate a lot to ponder over regarding the starting eleven at the Euros, but it also exemplified how much potential Man United's double pivot in midfield could have if they signed a certain 22-year-old Belgian midfielder who shared the pitch with Mainoo on Tuesday.
Mainoo and Amadou Onana's performances exemplified how well they would work together
Mainoo wasn't the only young midfielder with eyes on him on Tuesday, as it has been widely reported throughout the season that Amadou Onana, currently at Everton, has many admirers across Europe from the likes of Man United (who reportedly wanted to sign him last summer but couldn't due to monetary restrictions), Arsenal, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
There has been scepticism regarding whether Onana had the ability and the temperament to play as a single pivot should he secure a move to a European heavyweight club, but all doubts were largely assuaged as Onana managed to hold his own and then some against England's midfield.
His performance showcased his impeccable ball-winning ability (7 out of 8 duels won and 4 interceptions), his underrated range of passing (100% long ball pass completion), and his ability to retain possession (94% pass completion and only losing possession 6 times in 90 minutes).
Man United missed out on the opportunity to emulate England's double pivot on Tuesday by securing the services of Rice last summer, but now the Red Devils have another opportunity at securing the next best thing in a Premier League proven, all-action 6/8 hybrid midfielder in Onana.
By bringing Onana to Old Trafford in the summer, Man United would be forging one of the most complimentary double pivots in the league, not only making it easier for United to control games, but also giving their captain Bruno Fernandes further freedom to focus on what he does best: volume creation.
The signing of Onana would be crucial for the technical ceiling of Man United, as well as the development of both Mainoo and Onana themselves as players.