Mainoo has specific skills but not the physicality (yet). But we have no one else to push him for a first team spot. We need to plug this midfield gap (amongst many gaps) after addressing our wingback positions.
FA Premier League
Manchester United 1:3 Brighton & Hove Albion
Old Trafford
- Kick-off
- Sun, 19 January 2025 @ 2:00pm GMT
- Status
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Finished
Discussion Your Lineup Prediction
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Hojlund - 2 PL goals.
Zirkzee - 3 PL goals.
In reality, both stats are pretty shit for a striker at Manchester United. Both players have some strengths, and both having glaring weaknesses. The one redeeming feature (and why Zirkzee will play more games) is that he can actually control the ball and bring others into play. With Zirkzee offering this, it allows Bruno and Amad (and the likes of Garnacho) to get on the ball more, and potentially increasing the amount of goals that they score. The downside with Zirkzee is that he's not terribly mobile, he's pretty slow, and his shooting is very lacklustre.
Hojlund's flaw is that he doesn't get on the ball enough. It's hard for our players to find him because he makes very poor runs, and he isn't very aggressive or good at holding the ball. We lose the ball more with him on the pitch. He is a better shooter than Zirkzee and he is quicker, but it takes a lot more effort to get him into good goal scoring areas. On top of that, it feels like we're playing with a man less due to his ineffectiveness when he is on the pitch, further putting pressure on the midfield and other attackers to do more to pick up the slack.
Ideally, you would ask both players to run at each other super quick and hope that their atoms collide when they crash into each other, because you may end up with 1 effective striker rather than 2 semi/quasi-effective ones.Are we there yet as a team to control the game and pin opposition in their own half? Hell no. But I think Ruben is starting to make the defence a bit better, and if we can start making it difficult to score against us, we will have the talent in the team to score an odd goal or two during the game.
It's crazy when you think about it. The few changes we get are based on the pressing we do/mistakes from opponent.
Our football doesn't produce any form of chances
It's not the defenders a header across the goal beats or is intended to beat, it's typically the keeper. Maguire did probably as he was instructed. The failure to put the ball in the net lay at the players incapable of tapping a ball into the net.
Guaranteed loss with those changes.Refs sitting in the changing room right now, planning how to give Brighton a penalty whilst sending Utd player off!Terrible start but got better after that. Not bad given what we saw in first half vs Southampton. My worry is we could have a slow start in 2nd half (as we did in some games). If it goes like in first half then we've got a chance.
Referee really poor so far. Think many will agree - it's perhaps more frustrating when ref is constantly fecking you over during the game (like fouls not given, corners and other little things) than when he's decent for most of the game and then gets a big decision wrong. Probably worse for the team.
Maguire should've headed it towards goal. Don't think he was offside so goal would've stood.
I don't think he has. He looks lost, especially when we're on the ball. He's so slow in making a decision or moving the ball with the thought of a pattern. People like that he can dribble, but he always seems so individual in his play, never really thinking of how to progress play as part of the team. At the moment, we don't have the team to carry him as part of our 11, and he's playing in a critical no.8 role, where Ugarte is already tasked with the lionshare of defensive work. We need a lot more from him and we aren't really even getting a basic display. I genuinely believe if we had a another midfielder in the team playing instead of him, who is more used to playing in midfield, they would do significantly better. For now, I'd test him as a 10 or even a wing back on the left side where he can use his athleticism. But in the middle, he's a bit of a hinderance at the moment.
Does he smoke hookah ?
I see you too like to live dangerously
Haha I’m not so sure. But as well never see it, it’s not guaranteed.
Getting 8 Mile vibes from that.
You'll first need to answer if you're a cop or not
Except we need a striker, and Z definitely is not one. Top priority in this window, for me.
Hojlund as a 10
I’d like to see Mainoo as a 10.
He doesn’t have the physical attributes for 8. He’s strong enough but really quite slow. Players just breeze past him
I think the truth is somewhere in-between. Talented youngster but not ready to be a starter for a top-half PL team. Should be finding minutes off the bench. We need a more dynamic and better passing partner for Ugarte.The more I see of de Ligt the more I am unimpressed with his general passing and making himself as an option for the pass. It's so bad.
It'd catch Brighton and everyone else completely off guard!Hojlund as a 10
Aye, the red. I'm not too fussed about Minteh kicking the ball away there, those things sometimes slide. But yes, they should be down to 10. I'm also not sure about that challenge on Dalot from behind, certainly a yellow.We really need to bring a top quality midfielder who can give us some Control in the middle of the field. Not sure what's happening with Maino this season but seems to have dropped off so much. Isn't anywhere near as nimble and seems to move so slow compared to last season.
Absolutely, Hojlund and Garnacho running off Zirzkee would be good to see.At home vs Brighton it is simply not good enough. Need to be much better this second half.Blimey, that PL table .I know we don't talk about other games in the Matchday thread, but, l o l
More a 3-4-3, he can’t hold the ball up so may as well use his pace for something! Revolutionary!Hojlund as a 10
I am part of my neighborhood watch, does that count ?
He is not Zidane...but he is definitely not panicking, and reasonably comfortable and fast on the ball, for someone deployed in his role.Lack of threat from the wingback spots is so evidently a huge issue. Dalot has been sprung a handful of times and cocked it up. Mazraoui offers nothing as a runner. Add in that Bruno is shoehorned into the front 3 and there's your issue right there.For those of you who enjoy the ref conspiracy
https://www.liverpoolfa.com/news/2019/aug/01/best-of-luck-peter
Rather just bring Garnacho onCollyer in for Mainoo if he doesn’t pick up.
Far more in attack than a player who doesnt do anything
We need a new wingback and left forward and this this team will look much better.
Yes to me it seems obvious it's where he should be. The link up with him, Zirkzee and Amad would be great. Do worry if it would negatively impact the high press though.
Pained him to give us that pen
Worked well the last couple of times, can see it happening
Far more ?? We're talking about Antony ??
Dalot kept cutting inside when he needed to run into the space. So frustrating to watch!They're scared of Amad, nice to see
Man of the Match
Provisional results
Runners-up
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18%
Joshua Zirkzee
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9%
Matthijs de Ligt
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6%
Bruno Fernandes
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5%
Toby Collyer
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4%
Andre Onana
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2%
Diogo Dalot
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2%
Harry Maguire
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1%
Manuel Ugarte
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1%
Leny Yoro
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1%
Kobbie Mainoo
Player Ratings
Provisional results
Total Average Rating
Highest Rated Player
Lowest Rated Player
Compiled from 213 ratings.
Score Predictions
96,43,22
- Man Utd win
- Brighton win
- Draw
Detailed Results
- 40% Man Utd 2:1 Brighton
- 13% Man Utd 1:2 Brighton
- 10% Man Utd 2:0 Brighton
- 7% Man Utd 1:1 Brighton
- 6% Man Utd 2:2 Brighton
- 5% Man Utd 0:2 Brighton
- 5% Man Utd 1:3 Brighton
- 4% Man Utd 1:0 Brighton
- 2% Man Utd 3:2 Brighton
- 2% Man Utd 0:3 Brighton
- 2% Man Utd 3:1 Brighton
- 1% Man Utd 2:3 Brighton
- 1% Man Utd 0:1 Brighton
- 1% Man Utd 3:3 Brighton
- 1% Man Utd 4:1 Brighton
- 1% Man Utd 4:2 Brighton
Match Stats
- Man Utd
- Brighton
- Overall possession
- 51.2% 48.8%
- Shots
- 10 6
- Shots on target
- 1 3
- Total touches in the box
- 28 26
- Fouls
- 13 12
- Corners
- 4 2
Referee
Peter Bankes
Man Utd Lineup
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replaced by Antony
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replaced by Toby Collyer
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replaced by Alejandro Garnacho
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replaced by Rasmus Hojlund
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