Agreed. But, it is pretty amateur for a journalist or any kind of public figure to not clean up their social media history in 2024. If you've made embarrassing or shameful posts when you were a kid then it's going to be found.
37
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 32
- Goals
- 5
- Assists
- 1
- Yellow cards
- 4
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
Not comparable in terms of what they’ve done off the pitch, but both have had problems coping with life off the pitch. Sancho as well. All different problems, without question.
He just gave him a 4, the article at half time (which wasn't a full article anyway really) was by Jason Burt. The desire to try and get a journalist fired based on things they posted on social media when they were probably a teenager because they gave a player (who is still very young and does have plenty of developing to do despite being really promising) a bad rating for their performance in a friendly is really silly.
Oh I thought that's who we was talking about. Nvm.
I think there's a bigger issue about the way black players are often treated more critically (a lot of the articles from Friday night have pictures of Saka accompanying them despite him only playing 25 minutes) but I just don't think a negative rating is specifically worthy of the outrage it seems to have caused.
I don't buy it. The only time you've bothered to come into this thread is to defend the media trying to turn Mainoo into a scapegoat, and I don't think it's a coincidence that he's in competition with Wharton.
You don't actually post that much in general unless it's about Palace. You post this during the game:
and you try to play it off with theMainoo’s crap, get Wharton on ffs
but the intention is clear. I just don't believe you'd be defending the guy who wished cancer on someone, and hoped someone else would lose a limb, on Manchester United forum had he said the same things about Wharton.A young player can have tremendous potential, be regarded as one of the elite breakthrough players in the world, and still not be as good as Mainoo. The term generational has been so overused that when an actual generational talent comes along they become underrated.
This is the wrong way round, Mainoo needed Rice to be more disciplined.
Found myself saying the same thing during Mainoo's first few games for Utd - Just give Kobbie the fecking ball.
Thank God you’re on hand to forensically dissect my use of emojis and uncover their sinister intentions. The truth is I have a shrine to Adam Wharton in my garage and pray to him twice a day.I don't buy it. The only time you've bothered to come into this thread is to defend the media trying to turn Mainoo into a scapegoat, and I don't think it's a coincidence that he's in competition with Wharton.
You don't actually post that much in general unless it's about Palace. You post this during the game:
and you try to play it off with the
Here’s a baseless assumption for you in return, I reckon you’re under 30. If not then you will certainly get on with a relatively large part of the latest generation who wish to see people cancelled for having a differing opinion. I don’t remember any outrage when he put this article out:
https://amp.theguardian.com/footbal...-spark-but-englands-defensive-frailty-remains
Steinberg’s facebook comments were awful - no doubt about that - but I am also sure it wouldn’t take 5 minutes to find inappropriate sh*t in most of the groupchats of people that have piled on because fundamentally, he gave Kobbie Mainoo a bad rating. There’s Whataboutery in that statement yes, but it’s also 100% true. We have a criminal justice system in the UK where offenders can literally kill someone and be out of prison after 18 years and resume a normal life. I am pretty sure he no longer wants Graham Poll injected with cancer and yet here people are advocating for someone to lose their livelihood because they’re upset that he gave a Man Utd player a poor rating, when he actually played poorly.
I don’t get it.
Last edited:
I stand by the above. Rice isn't a tempo dictator, nor is he a able to consistently pass between the lines, neither is Gallagher. Mainoo could be, he also has that dribbling abilty, and is able to did the unexpected. he's just too young to be giving that license. If he continues on this path of progressing, come world cup 2026, Rice will be seen as the anchor with Mainoo dropping deep occasionally to help with ball progression.
This tournament is too soon.
The problem is the England manager doesn't get to decide this. Of course if you're Southgate you'd want to lock Rice in as a pure DM for the rest of time, because our options there are so limited. But that's not what Arsenal have done. Hard for him to play box-to-box (even sometimes from quite an advanced starting position) 50 games a season and then do something very different for England.
Likewise Mainoo could be moulded into a Verratti type. He's more than got the skill for it. But there's a fairly slim chance that's actually going to happen at United. Certainly not if ETH stays.
Tricky problem for a national manager.
Thing is though, I don't think you sacrifice too much of what Rice's game by playing him as a DM. He spent years playing there for westham and previous competitions for England. Rodri played at CB for Spain when they needed him to. Its about getting the best out of the team. Rice is the best DM England has.
By DM do you mean someone who hangs back and plays the holding midfield role?
Yes, he has all the traits.
Hard disagree this this. I really rate Rice, think he is a very good player, but the reason he has had his best season is not just because he has gone to a better team. It’s because he is being deployed high up the pitch.
His biggest strengths in my eyes are ball carrying, and elite pressing and interceptions high up the pitch.
He definitely has the positional nous and discipline to play the DM role, but for me he doesn’t have the metronomic pass selection required to be elite there. It’s why England often look so slow and ponderous in possession when he plays deep.
I think Wharton ends up being that player if he progresses as expected. It may just be a tournament too early for him. If Wharton ends up becoming the 6 of this generation, I think Rice and Mainoo end up competing for the 8 position over the next few years, and Foden and Bellingham the 10.
This assessment of Rice is pretty accurate IMO. The thing is, however, that international sides will never play like Arsenal or City. You don’t practice together enough for a tactically complex system. So almost all international managers are likely to keep it relatively simple and that tends to mean a double pivot with a defensively minded ball winning, physical player and a ball progressing player. International teams are also all about hierarchy and continuity and Rice is a core member of the side who is currently probably most likely to become captain when Kane retires, which could be after the next World Cup.
In sum, in the abstract you can argue for him coming out of the side but in reality he is almost certainly the 6 for the next 5-6 years and Mainoo and Wharton will compete for the spot next to him.
So who do you think is the most capable 6 England have at this moment in time then? Like how do you think Gareth should setup?
I am fine if he doesn't play in the Euro as well. Being in the squad is good enough but if he plays and England fails again then they will pile up all the blame to the youngster/United player just like they did in the past. The abuse of those pundits will not help his development, but just being in the squad getting the experience but not being played is good enough, like Ronaldo 1994.
Tweet
— Twitter API (@user) date
Finally the grandmaster himself recognizes great. And I think he's totally right about himself - it took Seedorf years before he developed the composure Mainoo is already showing now. I think it's only because he had someone like a madman in Davids alongside him that took the pressure off. He obviously grew immensely after that but I remember him being a liability when pressed. Missing that PK at the Euros in England I'm sure didn't do his mental fortitude any favors either.
So thats just Scholes and Seedorf fawning over him.
The main problem for any midfielder playing for England in the Euros is the CB pairing behind them!
Rice can't play like he has Saliba and Gabriel behind him.
One of Rice or Mainoo (probably both) is going to have to sacrifice themselves and sit back a little.
Rice can't play like he has Saliba and Gabriel behind him.
One of Rice or Mainoo (probably both) is going to have to sacrifice themselves and sit back a little.
Scholes absolutely loves Kobbie.So thats just Scholes and Seedorf fawning over him.
Surely Rice should be the one sitting? I mean he is a DM after all. Let mainoo play a bit further, we’ve seen what he can do all season when he gets closer to the opposition goal. His dribbling aswell is insane.
England’s social media team had Mainoo and Palmer on their youtube interview show and they pulled out a tape measurer and Mainoo clocked in at 6 feet even, had on Nike trainers that maybe has him at 5’10 without trainers.
Wiki has Palmer at 6’2 and Kobbie 5’9 and Kobbie was standing clear of Palmer. Goes to show how accurate these reported heights are.
Wiki has Palmer at 6’2 and Kobbie 5’9 and Kobbie was standing clear of Palmer. Goes to show how accurate these reported heights are.
Tweet
— Twitter API (@user) date
Last edited:
cock out
Tweet
— Twitter API (@user) date
Who are these basic people still asking questions like ‘biggest joker in the team’? Boring.
Indeed. More or less the same questions every year.
Palmer is so clearly not 6’2 where’s that come from, hilarious.
They're not gonna show the one where they asked who has the biggest dongus or who creeps you out now are they.
The basic and boring because they have to be.
To be fair I would’ve probably guessed Palmer is at least taller than Kobbie. The skinny and lanky build of Palmer vs the more stocky build of Kobbie throws you off in that regard.
Mainoo giving an interview here, he's wise beyond his years.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c3ggypxd429t
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c3ggypxd429t
I would actually have loved it if he was kept away from such a clueless manager as Southgate.
I'd prefer him to be doing no interviews and just be there for the experience and a few minutes if I'm honest.
Why?
Why do England do this? I remember Ole and United making a big deal out of England putting Greenwood out for a press conference. I especially remember Ole saying Mason didn't even know what day it was that's how mentally fatigued the young players are by the end of the season.
Ferguson had a philosophy about this too. I genuinely wonder what England's justification of this is. They clearly study those things, so it must be that they feel exposure to the media from a young age is better than trying to baby them. Personally I would prefer the more experienced players to talk to the press only. Experience based on appearances, not by age.
Ferguson had a philosophy about this too. I genuinely wonder what England's justification of this is. They clearly study those things, so it must be that they feel exposure to the media from a young age is better than trying to baby them. Personally I would prefer the more experienced players to talk to the press only. Experience based on appearances, not by age.