Casemiro has publicly urged Manchester United to retain faith in Kobbie Mainoo, stressing the teenager’s potential to be a long-term midfielder for the club. The academy graduate was largely overlooked by former United manager Ruben Amorim, not starting a single Premier League game in the first half of 2025–26. After a minor Christmas injury, Mainoo has been a fixture since Michael Carrick took charge in mid-January, playing all but 14 minutes of the 900 available in the league and starting alongside Casemiro on each occasion.

“Kobbie is the present and the future,” Casemiro told ManUtd.com in a fan Q&A. “I think that he is one of the best eights and can be for that for the next 12 years. He is a player I really like—he always wants the ball.

“It is true that football can’t change your mentality, but Kobbie demonstrated that he hasn’t changed his focus once. He has to continue focusing like he is now and continue playing the important role he is now. But what a player he is, he is a great player. He has demonstrated this, in the Euros final with England, he has demonstrated it in finals, he scored in the [2024] FA Cup final.

“He is the present and the future.”

Mainoo forced his way into England’s midfield after establishing himself in United’s first team at 18. He had only three caps when Euro 2024 began but won a place in the starting lineup after the group stage as England reached the final. His international involvement then stalled; he played only once more for his country in September 2024 before a club resurgence prompted a recall last month. Mainoo appeared off the bench in England’s draw with Uruguay, started the defeat to Japan and will be targeting a place in Thomas Tuchel’s XI for the Group L opener against Croatia in Arlington on June 17.

Steven Gerrard has urged restraint over calls to dismiss Arne Slot, arguing the former Feyenoord coach should be allowed time to resolve Liverpool’s problems despite a run of poor displays.

There have been widespread calls among Liverpool supporters for the club to sack the ex-Feyenoord coach, but Gerrard has issued caution over parting ways with a manager that helped the Reds clinch only their second ever Premier League trophy.

“He has [got credit in the bank] with me because more than anyone on the planet, I know how difficult it is to win a league,” Gerrard told the Stick to Football podcast . “And for him to come in and win a league in his first season, being asked questions in the media a long time, what do you think, does it need to change and blah, blah, blah … He’s got a lot more credit with me.

“You know how difficult it is. Jamie [Carragher] will tell you, the Liverpool demand, they expect to win it every year. So I think he needs the opportunity to sort of play himself out of trouble and fix the issues and try and get himself back in a good place.”

The 45-year-old added: “I think someone who’s won a league deserves at least a full season to try and get out of the problems and the issues that they’ve got.

“I’m certainly one of those people, but I have to understand what the fans are saying as well, because it has been dire in certain games and performances. Really dire.”

Liverpool will hope the March international break offered a reset after the Reds were beaten by Brighton & Hove Albion just before the hiatus. The need for a swift recovery is underlined by a testing week ahead that could shape Slot’s immediate future.

Liverpool begin by visiting Manchester City in an FA Cup quarterfinal on Saturday. Defeat at the Etihad Stadium eliminates another route to silverware, and the Reds then travel to reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal tie. As Liverpool know all too well from last season, PSG are a formidable foe, and a hefty defeat at the Parc des Princes would leave Slot’s side on the precipice.

Michael Carrick suffered his first defeat in charge as Manchester United were beaten 2-1 by Newcastle United on Wednesday. William Osula produced the decisive moment in the 90th minute, cutting inside from the right and bending a clinical strike into the far bottom corner.

Newcastle set the tone early, pressing with intensity that unsettled United. The visitors squandered a number of openings in the first 20 minutes, flashing the ball wide, before United gradually established more control. The match turned in first-half stoppage time when Ramsey was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for simulation in the penalty area. Moments later the game saw quickfire goals at either end as Gordon and Casemiro both found the net.

The second half lacked rhythm at first but opened up as the match progressed. Leny Yoro missed a significant opportunity at 1-1 and had a header denied by Aaron Ramsdale. Ramsdale also denied substitute Joshua Zirkzee shortly before Osula’s winner.

United remain third in the Premier League, ahead of Aston Villa. The defeat was a missed chance to increase the cushion on Liverpool in sixth in the race to the Champions League, after the Merseysiders lost on Tuesday.

Casemiro, already confirmed to be leaving at the end of the season, again showed his on-field value. The Brazilian glanced a header beyond Aaron Ramsdale despite registering just 0.06 in xG across his 61 minutes. He produced numerous defensive contributions, searched for forward passes and was strong in the air. That headed equaliser was recorded as his 36th goal involvement since joining the club. Elsewhere, Elliot Anderson scored a late equaliser for Nottingham Forest against Pep Guardiola’s City. Anderson has been linked as a possible replacement, with reported figures that could climb to $133.7 million (£100 million).

Player ratings

GK: Senne Lammens—6.8: Stood little chance on either goal and didn’t have to do that much else.
RB: Noussair Mazraoui—6.7: A first start since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in January and put in a hard shift. Appeared to leave the game with a knock.
CB: Leny Yoro—6.8: His game is ultimately judged on defending, but a big miss at 1–1 might have been costly.
CB: Harry Maguire—6.7: Overcame recent illness to start just hours after his retrial in Greece ended in a second conviction. Arguably hesitated as Osula was shaping to shoot.
LB: Luke Shaw—6.4: Another who passed a late assessment to make this game.
CM: Casemiro—7.3: Made an important block early on, before his headed equalizer was a remarkable 36th goal involvement since joining the club. Off after just over an hour.
CM: Kobbie Mainoo—6.7: Barely misplaced a pass but didn’t have enough of the ball in the right areas to hurt Newcastle.
RM: Bryan Mbeumo—6.5: Not his night, unusually. Guilty of firing his only shot over the bar from a good position.
AM: Bruno Fernandes (c)—8.1: Gave away the penalty when he caught Gordon in the box, yet made up for it moments later with the free kick that set up the equalizer. Created eight chances.
LM: Matheus Cunha—7.6: Asked questions of the Newcastle defense, even though the left wing is not his preferred position. Made defensive contributions too.
ST: Benjamin Šeško—5.8: Actually saw a bit more of the ball than he did against Crystal Palace, but that big chance he needed to keep his scoring run didn’t come this time.

Subs

Manuel Ugarte (61’ for Casemiro)—6.6; Diogo Dalot (61’ for Shaw)—6.3; Amad Diallo (76’ for Mainoo)—6.1; Joshua Zirkzee (76’ for Mbeumo)—6.6; Tyrell Malacia (85’ for Mazraoui)—N/A. Subs not used: Altay Bayındır (GK), Ayden Heaven, Goodwill Kukonki, Tyler Fletcher.

Match statistics

Possession: Newcastle 45% — Man Utd 55%
Expected Goals (xG): Newcastle 2.22 — Man Utd 1.28
Total Shots: Newcastle 12 — Man Utd 14
Shots on Target: Newcastle 5 — Man Utd 5
Big Chances: Newcastle 2 — Man Utd 4
Passing Accuracy: Newcastle 77% — Man Utd 82%
Fouls Committed: Newcastle 15 — Man Utd 16
Corners: Newcastle — Man Utd