[Champ]

Nope. They drew 0-0 with Mainoo in the midfield.

And from what I see, I have big doubts about that.

I guess the result of a game doesn't matter if he only plays a half, will use that excuse for McT next time he comes on when we're losing.

The simple fact remains he is a young player with minimal senior experience.

There really hasn't been anything to suggest that he would do better in the senior setup then those already there.
No one has yet given a better answer other than 'might as well chuck him in and see', which really isn't something that we can do right now.

 

[Remember the geese]

I guess the result of a game doesn't matter if he only plays a half, will use that excuse for McT next time he comes on when we're losing.

The simple fact remains he is a young player with minimal senior experience.

There really hasn't been anything to suggest that he would do better in the senior setup then those already there.
No one has yet given a better answer other than 'might as well chuck him in and see', which really isn't something that we can do right now.

No idea what you are arguing about. You were attempting to criticise Mainoo because the under 19's lost to Copenhagen, but he only participated in the first half which ended goalless.

Now you're criticising him because he's a kid who hasn't played much?

Well, no. You play him because he is a special talent. I'm sick of seeing average cloggers like McTominay starting matches for us.

 

[AltiUn]

I guess the result of a game doesn't matter if he only plays a half, will use that excuse for McT next time he comes on when we're losing.

The simple fact remains he is a young player with minimal senior experience.

There really hasn't been anything to suggest that he would do better in the senior setup then those already there.
No one has yet given a better answer other than 'might as well chuck him in and see', which really isn't something that we can do right now.

Feel free to use it for whoever you want, you don't blame a player for a loss if they weren't losing when subbed. McTominay also shouldn't be blamed for a loss if it's 0-0 when he goes off or if we're losing 2-0 when he comes on the pitch. Like the other poster said, I'm not even sure what the feck you're arguing about. The people acting like he's going to be our saviour when they've barely seen him play are ridiculous but your point is equally ridiculous.

 

[Champ]

Feel free to use it for whoever you want, you don't blame a player for a loss if they weren't losing when subbed. McTominay also shouldn't be blamed for a loss if it's 0-0 when he goes off or if we're losing 2-0 when he comes on the pitch. Like the other poster said, I'm not even sure what the feck you're arguing about. The people acting like he's going to be our saviour when they've barely seen him play are ridiculous but your point is equally ridiculous.

That's precisely my point.

He's a young talent who hasn't shown anything to warrant being ahead of any of our current midfielders as of yet.
People who are claiming otherwise are talking nonsense.

 

[Marwood]

Didn't the U19s lose last night with Mainoo in midfield?

What conclusion are you taking from that though? In a game where there are 10 other players inba team and he only played half of?

 

[evil_geko]

That's precisely my point.

He's a young talent who hasn't shown anything to warrant being ahead of any of our current midfielders as of yet.
People who are claiming otherwise are talking nonsense.

And what is your point exactly? Because no one thinks he is our savior, people being excited about young talent doesn't mean they think he will be our savior, that is your personal conclusion. Bloody hell, you can't even be excited about young talents anymore without being called out, fecking madness!

How about we don't ever be happy about anything and just wallow in constant misery, because that way you will never be disappointed, that would be for the best!

 

[MadDogg]

I guess the result of a game doesn't matter if he only plays a half, will use that excuse for McT next time he comes on when we're losing.

The simple fact remains he is a young player with minimal senior experience.

There really hasn't been anything to suggest that he would do better in the senior setup then those already there.
No one has yet given a better answer other than 'might as well chuck him in and see', which really isn't something that we can do right now.

You've had some extremely strange few posts here.

People aren't criticising McTominay for playing in a game that we lose. He gets criticised when he's played poorly in that game, especially if he's been one of the worst (which he regularly is unfortunately). It'd be ridiculous to criticise a player simply for his team losing with no judgement on how the player himself actually played. Which is what you did with Mainoo.

Nottingham Forest once got relegated in a season that Roy Keane played every match. I guess there was no sign that he'd improve us... (obviously I'm not comparing Mainoo to Keane, but just at how ridiculous the comment is).

In reality nobody knows if Mainoo will end up being good enough. Some people definitely have gone overboard in praising him. However at the end of the day he's a very talented young player who looked very good in preseason against good opposition, has been praised quite a bit by the manager, seems to have an all-round skillset that we are missing in the first team, and plays in a position where many of the first team players aren't playing well and even at the best of times aren't very good. With that context, it's not exactly surprising that people want to give the youngster a significant opportunity ahead of players that we know aren't good enough.

 

[Champ]

And what is your point exactly? Because no one thinks he is our savior, people being excited about young talent doesn't mean they think he will be our savior, that is your personal conclusion. Bloody hell, you can't even be excited about young talents anymore without being called out, fecking madness!

We have people clamouring for him to start senior games, based on what? Promise?

In the current malaise that United find themselves in, chucking a young player into that side would not help either Mainoo nor the team in general.

Give him game time for sure, but to start him over Eriksen, Casemiro, McT or even Mount straight away is a big risk and a gamble that I'm not sure United or EtH can afford right now.

 

[Champ]

You've had some extremely strange few posts here.

People aren't criticising McTominay for playing in a game that we lose. He gets criticised when he's played poorly in that game, especially if he's been one of the worst (which he regularly is unfortunately). It'd be ridiculous to criticise a player simply for his team losing with no judgement on how the player himself actually played. Which is what you did with Mainoo.

Nottingham Forest once got relegated in a season that Roy Keane played every match. I guess there was no sign that he'd improve us... (obviously I'm not comparing Mainoo to Keane, but just at how ridiculous the comment is).

In reality nobody knows if Mainoo will end up being good enough. Some people definitely have gone overboard in praising him. However at the end of the day he's a very talented young player who looked very good in preseason against good opposition, has been praised quite a bit by the manager, seems to have an all-round skillset that we are missing in the first team, and plays in a position where many of the first team players aren't playing well and even at the best of times aren't very good. With that context, it's not exactly surprising that people want to give the youngster a significant opportunity ahead of players that we know aren't good enough.

Fair comments, however the whole team looked pretty decent in pre season, yet here we are.

I'm not saying don't give him an opportunity, just don't think he should be starting over the players we already have in the senior team just yet, unlike some on here who do.

 

[Sarni]

I guess the result of a game doesn't matter if he only plays a half, will use that excuse for McT next time he comes on when we're losing.

The simple fact remains he is a young player with minimal senior experience.

There really hasn't been anything to suggest that he would do better in the senior setup then those already there.
No one has yet given a better answer other than 'might as well chuck him in and see', which really isn't something that we can do right now.

It truly is baffling. He hasn't even played any proper first team football yet his absence has been quoted many times as a major absence, with people expecting him to play an important role after he returns. There's very little to indicate that.

Considering how we utilize our youth players (not at all) I don't really expect him to start any PL games this season. Casemiro, Amrabat, Eriksen, Mount, McTominay are all ahead of him in midfield and we are probably also more likely to use VDB.

 

[IncyWincySpider]

I remember when it was announced we'd bought Amad people had him in their starting lineups before he'd even left Italy. People are always waiting for the next Giggs or Ronaldo youth superstar to burst onto the scene, just like waiting for the next Fergie as manager.

 

[Grande]

I remember when it was announced we'd bought Amad people had him in their starting lineups before he'd even left Italy. People are always waiting for the next Giggs or Ronaldo youth superstar to burst onto the scene, just like waiting for the next Fergie as manager.

I still have him in my starting line-ups. I have all injured players there.

 

[Grande]

It truly is baffling. He hasn't even played any proper first team football yet his absence has been quoted many times as a major absence, with people expecting him to play an important role after he returns. There's very little to indicate that.

Considering how we utilize our youth players (not at all) I don't really expect him to start any PL games this season. Casemiro, Amrabat, Eriksen, Mount, McTominay are all ahead of him in midfield and we are probably also more likely to use VDB.

Well, you know, an absence of someone usually present is very noticeable and visible. An absence of someone who’s never really been there is more of an invisible absence, and absence of absence, and thus a double absence. Which means the hole in midfield is twice as big.

 

[Remember the geese]

Some people need to get a grip. No, Mainoo isn't any type of saviour for us, nor should we expect him to be. However, he's a very talented young player and there is no problem in wanting to see him play matches for us instead of many of the underperforming dross who currently occupy our midfield. Some posters don't want us to have talented teenagers. Very sad.

 

[MadDogg]

Fair comments, however the whole team looked pretty decent in pre season, yet here we are.

I'm not saying don't give him an opportunity, just don't think he should be starting over the players we already have in the senior team just yet, unlike some on here who do.

Obviously I wouldn't just throw him in against City when he's just returned from injury, but we should absolutely be looking to give him opportunities when possible in the next few weeks. Whether that is a decent amount of minutes off the bench or perhaps starting a couple of matches against weaker opposition. And that does mean getting on the field ahead of some of the current first team. And if he does well in those opportunities, then that can be the springboard to move further up the pecking order.

In November we face Newcastle in the EFL Cup, Fulham, Copenhagen, Luton, Everton and Galatasaray. I'd be disappointed if he hasn't had a decent opportunity in that period. I'm thinking at least one start (hopefully two) and two or three appearances off the bench. Although it does also depend on how quickly he gets back up to speed after his injury.

 

[AlexUTD]

Well, you know, an absence of someone usually present is very noticeable and visible. An absence of someone who’s never really been there is more of an invisible absence, and absence of absence, and thus a double absence. Which means the hole in midfield is twice as big.

I am pretty sure the midfield the last games would have alot more control with Mainoo in central midfield instead of Mctominay.

Mctominay does not have the quality to play in central midfield, he is much more suited as a no 10 in a smaller club where the consistency standards arent as high.

 

[Mingus]

It truly is baffling. He hasn't even played any proper first team football yet his absence has been quoted many times as a major absence, with people expecting him to play an important role after he returns. There's very little to indicate that.

EtH said that he would have used him at the end of last season but for his injury and also said that he was in line for significant minutes this season.

He appears to have the skillset to be the complete midfielder but obviously, until he gets that gametime, it's only a theory.

 

[Champ]

Some people need to get a grip. No, Mainoo isn't any type of saviour for us, nor should we expect him to be. However, he's a very talented young player and there is no problem in wanting to see him play matches for us instead of many of the underperforming dross who currently occupy our midfield. Some posters don't want us to have talented teenagers. Very sad.

Haven't seen anyone say he shouldn't be getting minutes?

 

[Remember the geese]

Haven't seen anyone say he shouldn't be getting minutes?

So your issue is that he shouldn't be starting matches for us? He's been out injured all season, so he will obviously be eased in via sub appearances. Every chance he can earn himself some starts once he is back to full fitness because he is a quality young player.

 

[Champ]

So your issue is that he shouldn't be starting matches for us? He's been out injured all season, so he will obviously be eased in via sub appearances. Every chance he can earn himself some starts once he is back to full fitness because he is a quality young player.

My issue is people stating he should be starting ahead of the current group of players.
He starts showing how good he is and can be in his sub appearances then for sure throw him in, but until that happens people shouldn't be contemplating starting him..

 

[Remember the geese]

My issue is people stating he should be starting ahead of the current group of players.
He starts showing how good he is and can be in his sub appearances then for sure throw him in, but until that happens people shouldn't be contemplating starting him..

The current group of players aren't pulling up any trees. Quite the opposite in fact, so Mainoo starting matches is hardly unfeasible. Nothing wrong with contemplating starting a quality young player.

 

[Champ]

The current group of players aren't pulling up any trees. Quite the opposite in fact, so Mainoo starting matches is hardly unfeasible. Nothing wrong with contemplating starting a quality young player.

It's a huge gamble and a big risk given the situation United are in currently.

I'm not sure throwing him straight in based on some pre season minutes is really wise.
We've seen with Garnacho that sometimes they are just not quite ready to start games, he looks far better currently as an impact sub.

Admittedly however you have outliers on the likes of Rashford who hit the ground running.
As I say, a big risk to start Mainoo anytime soon.

 

[Remember the geese]

It's a huge gamble and a big risk given the situation United are in currently.

I'm not sure throwing him straight in based on some pre season minutes is really wise.
We've seen with Garnacho that sometimes they are just not quite ready to start games, he looks far better currently as an impact sub.

Admittedly however you have outliers on the likes of Rashford who hit the ground running.
As I say, a big risk to start Mainoo anytime soon.

He's a footballer. He's supposed to play football. He won't be thrown in, as he's only just returning from injury. Make no mistake though, he's not here just to make up the numbers. He's a very talented young player and that isn't based on how he played in pre season.

No risk at all in starting Mainoo once he is fully fit. If he struggles, then he won't start the next game. Though it's unfortunate that policy doesn't apply to the the likes of Bruno, Rashford and Antony. Anyway, like I said, it's not as if the more experienced players are offering you anything worth getting excited about.

 

[luke511]

My issue is people stating he should be starting ahead of the current group of players.
He starts showing how good he is and can be in his sub appearances then for sure throw him in, but until that happens people shouldn't be contemplating starting him..

You made it a goal to play down Amad’s potential and worth in the current team in defence of Elanga when he first joined and now you’re doing the same with Mainoo and McTominay. It’s such a boring outlook. He’s got what our midfield needs, just be excited we have a player like him coming from our academy.

 

[Brightonian]

I expect when he does get some game time, he will not look out of place but nor will he tear up any trees. If it's a game we're going to perform poorly in (let's face it, odds-on for every game at the moment), he's not going to change that.

Young forwards get to burst onto the scene and save the day. Young midfielders can only really hope not to feck it up.

The nice thing about him is that his 'not looking out of place' tends to be very obvious because his style of play is so classy. He shone obviously in pre-season without having to actually make much impact on the result. In the same way he (and Gore) looked obviously better than everyone else on the pitch yesterday despite the fact the team narrowly lost.

 

[Grande]

I am pretty sure the midfield the last games would have alot more control with Mainoo in central midfield instead of Mctominay.

Mctominay does not have the quality to play in central midfield, he is much more suited as a no 10 in a smaller club where the consistency standards arent as high.

Like Newcastle?

 

[TheReligion]

@Champ you’ve had a bit of mare here.

You should have just said your true thoughts initially rather than trying to have a dig at the player in this first instance then having to backtrack when you got it wrong.

 

[AlexUTD]

Like Newcastle?

Mctominay being rumoured to be a target for Newcastle does not automaticly make him a good central midfielder.

 

[Ekeke]

Didn't the U19s lose last night with Mainoo in midfield?

What suggests that Mainoo, as promising as he is, will improve the first team currently?

Ability to control and pass the ball and hold off opponents. Better than McTom, Amrabat and Mejbri on the ball and he likes to put in a tackle too so hopefully he can do the same as them in that area too.

He may not be better especially coming back from injury. But preseason suggested he is ready to be given a try and our other midfielders arent playing well enough for him not to get one.

 

[FriedClams]

Ability to control and pass the ball and hold off opponents. Better than McTom, Amrabat and Mejbri on the ball and he likes to put in a tackle too so hopefully he can do the same as them in that area too.

He may not be better especially coming back from injury. But preseason suggested he is ready to be given a try and our other midfielders arent playing well enough for him not to get one.

not sure he’s better than any of those on the ball. We just want him to be.

 

[Carl]

This thread is so funny, and has followed the same pattern for months.

There's general chatter between posters debating whether he should start or not. Someone will the wade in, without actually quoting any posts, saying that "this place" is ridiculous for proclaiming Mainoo as some sort of savior. The normal chatter will then carry on again for a few days, then the "saviour" post is repeated. It's weird. I've only ever seen one person make a ridiculous post about him, and it was some daft comparison with Bellingham. Aside from that I've just seen fans a little excited about giving a promising talent an opportunity in an underperforming team.

 

[Champ]

@Champ you’ve had a bit of mare here.

You should have just said your true thoughts initially rather than trying to have a dig at the player in this first instance then having to backtrack when you got it wrong.

How so?

He's a promising player, haven't said anything contradictory to that.
I don't seem him to be ready to start over any of our current midfielders however.
Not sure why that's 'having a mare', personally I'd call it 'being realistic ', but each to their own I guess.

 

[noodlehair]

May be he will maybe he won't but what ever we are doing currently with first team midfield has not been working for sure , So what do we have to lose by giving chance to a highly talented youngster to showcase what he can bring to the table Isn't that used to be One of United's strength .

He can't play in Casemiro's role and that is currently the only midfield position in our team.

I'd rather he didn't play until Ten Hag remembers what a midfield is. No good will come of sending him out to drown in a broken system.

 

[AltiUn]

How so?

He's a promising player, haven't said anything contradictory to that.
I don't seem him to be ready to start over any of our current midfielders however.
Not sure why that's 'having a mare', personally I'd call it 'being realistic ', but each to their own I guess.

You did come in heavily implying the U19 loss was due to him when he went off at HT after playing a pretty good half, whether that was your intention or not that’s how it came across.

 

[Grande]

Mctominay being rumoured to be a target for Newcastle does not automaticly make him a good central midfielder.

This is true. But if he actually is suited to them, it could make a case for calling Newcastle a smaller club.

 

[NZT-One]

He can't play in Casemiro's role and that is currently the only midfield position in our team.

I'd rather he didn't play until Ten Hag remembers what a midfield is. No good will come of sending him out to drown in a broken system.

Thats actually my stance as well. I don't know much about the player but I think, he is emerging in a tricky situation. The team is a bit of a mess, the last two golden boys from the academy either went out for disciplinary reasons or are seriously out of form and the midfield is one of the main areas of concern for quite a while. It is understandable that fans are desperate to have at least one positive thing to look forward to but hyping up a player (which is understandable if people really are convinced of him) has good chances of not doing anything good. Lets face it - U19 football is miles apart from Premier League. Pre season is miles apart from pre season and from what I remember, last pre season wasn't one of the better ones. If the fans are fidgy about him, media will pick it up, the hype will be accelarated and if he doesn't hit the ground running, doom will be right around the corner. If he hits the ground running, too much success too early is also not the best thing that can happen to a footballer. He for sure should get minutes but I personally don't see any reasons why that should be more than Mejbri. Both of them should get regular minutes, every minute for McTominay and probably Eriksen is already a minute lost (but that is my personal view and me not expecting much of the rest of the season, which I wouldn't have too much of a problem with IF that means youngster get time to potentially have them ready for next season).

 

[Ekeke]

not sure he’s better than any of those on the ball. We just want him to be.

He was in preseason. Thats all I can base it on. That and seeing lots of our first team midfielders on the ball.

 

[r0663664]

I cannot understand why some people is posting rubbish in the forum. What saviour? Behind other people? U-19 is different from Premier League? Mainoo is a talent and he deserves a chance. What you telling me that he needs to play in youth until he is early twenties before he is allow to start in the actual XI. From what I see, he is ahead of McTominay at least. If McTominay is starting games now, I don't see why Mainoo isn't consider. Who knows? We might have better control in midfield. I rather see Mainoo start at City than McTominay.

 

[Jeppers7]

Everybody else plays at the pace Kobie decides.

 

[Adnan]

Hopefully it won't be long before we see a first phase of the players below. And then ten Hag will look to play through the thirds imo or else I'm going to be worried.

To exert control in possession in the build up phase you need players who are comfortable playing under pressure. Casemiro isn't that player hence at Real Madrid, he would at times be pushed up with Kroos and Modric dropping deeper to act as the first receivers in the build up phase. And when the ball was progressed forward, Modric and Kroos would take up more advanced roles in midfield with Casemiro the holding midfielder. The EPL is stronger than La Liga right now and it requires players who can evade, resist and shield the ball against teams who defend aggressively from the front. McTominay, Casemiro and to a lesser extent Eriksen are not good in that regard.

So it seems like ten Hag is instructing the team to play a lot more direct than how he wants them to play. Which doesn't play to the strengths of Onana and Amrabat. Amrabat because he's someone who can receive the ball on the half turn against the press and progress the play from a deeper lying role and we aren't playing through the midfield. I personally think that is due to who is playing at CB currently and the lack of ability those players have in confined spaces. Mourinho once said that he himself was very good when it came to passing the ball around but he couldn't pass the well when under pressure. So in that scenario it's better to go direct than cause yourself even bigger problems by asking players to do something that puts them out of their comfort zone.

When we're talking about Kobbie Mainoo, we're talking about potential. A young midfielder with the potential to evade, resist and shield the ball against the opponent's high pressure tactics. And that is potential that McTominay never showed at youth level and Casemiro was never that type of player to begin with. So it's on ten Hag to decide if he feels Mainoo is good enough to contribute in the team and everything points towards ten Hag believing in the ability of Mainoo. He's a coach with a history of selecting young players only if he believes they can contribute towards the collective.

Casemiro obviously has experience and has been a great player in his time. But if ten Hag wants to implement his methods then he needs players in possession in the first phase who can play under pressure. And every single player in the first phase needs to be very good against the opponent's press if we're to exert control in possesion and progress the play effectively.

The quicker I see the team below the better. I think in possesion there's potential here that can develop over the course of the season which can then be improved further in the transfer window.

You control the middle field by having elite players in possession and not just having good midfielders.


-----------‐‐-----------Onana---
Dalot-----Varane-----Martinez-----Shaw
--------------Mainoo----Amrabat---