Summary Manchester United have had a mixed season, currently residing in sixth place in the Premier League and eight points outside the top four spots. Academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo has been receiving praise for his performances, contributing to four goals in 14 appearances for the senior squad. Another academy graduate, Omari Forson, made his Premier League debut and has showcased his talent in U21 matches, contributing to ten goals so far. He provides versatility to the squad and has a bright future ahead.

Manchester United have had something of a mixed campaign this season. Finding themselves residing in sixth, eight points outside the top four spots.

The Red Devils have managed to win three out of their last five Premier League games, beating the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa.

Although their result against Wolves was a lot closer than they would've liked, academy graduate, Kobbie Mainoo, managed to give Manchester United all three points in the 97th minute.

This was even after Wolves managed to score an equaliser in the 95th minute to bring the game to 3-3.

Over the course of the season, Ten Hag's side have been brought under a lot of scrutiny due to their performances. However, youngster, Mainoo, has received many plaudits from pundits, fans and even his coaches.

The 18-year-old has burst onto the scene at United this season and seems to be performing ahead of his years. According to Transfermarkt, he has appeared a total of 14 times for The Red Devils' senior squad and has even managed to contribute to four goals during that time.

These stats alone showcase how quickly he is developing and why Ten Hag is trusting him with first-team appearances.

Kobbie Mainoo's season in numbers

As aforementioned, Mainoo has been among the first-team fold at Manchester Utd for the majority of the season. However, it isn't just his goal contributions which have allowed him to stand out.

For example, his average rating via Sofascore for this season alone is a solid 7.02. When comparing this rating to other defensive midfielders such as Scott McTominay, the Scotland international has only achieved a rating of 6.98.

Granted, he has played more games than the youngster, which obviously affects his average rating. However, these numbers alone showcase the positive effect he has on the side.

Mainoo's effect has been so beneficial to the squad that the youngster has even managed to bench McTominay in recent weeks. This further outlines the maturity that the 18-year-old possesses and shows why Ten Hag trusts him.

Games

9

Goals

1

Pass accuracy

85%

Touches per game

48

Tackles per game

1.8

Interceptions per game

0.9

Duels won per game

4.7

However, Mainoo isn't the only academy graduate who has made his way into Manchester United's first team this season.

Omari Forson is another player who Ten Hag chose to give his debut to this season. The 19-year-old was brought on in the 86th minute against Wolves in order to make his Premier League debut. Although the youngster wasn't on the pitch for too long, his quality shone through and he looks like a truly exciting young talent.

Why Omari Forson could be in line for a breakthrough season

Despite only just making his Premier League debut for The Red Devils last week, Forson has appeared twice in the FA Cup.

However, his U21 displays this season have been "exceptional," in the words of United Academy director Nick Cox, showcasing the talent the youngster possesses. According to Transfermarkt the winger has appeared eight times and managed to contribute to a total of ten goals thus far.

Although his natural position is on the right-wing, he can also play as an attacking midfielder or on the left-wing. His versatility is key to his game and his addition to the squad squad would allow Ten Hag to have more options on the bench.

Manchester United's Director of Academy spoke about how 'proud' he was to see Forson make his debut against Wigan Athletic in the 3rd round of the FA Cup.

"On Monday evening, everyone at Manchester United was proud to see Omari Forson making his senior debut as a substitute in the Emirates FA Cup win over Wigan Athletic," he said. Omari featured heavily in last season’s U21 programme and his development accelerated significantly. What a great way to start the year and congratulations again, Omari."

Also supplying an assist on debut, it's evident the future is bright for the teenager at United. He could just be set to follow in the footsteps of a certain Mainoo.