Is Mainoo the real deal?

Is Kobbie Mainoo the real deal?

  • Total voters
    1,149
  • Poll closed .
For all this glorifying Mainoo (and don't get me wrong, so far he has deserved the plaudits) - but how often have we not have threads about players bursting onto the scene only to recede into a shell of their former great first showings?

The biggest reason why I think we may have that staying power here is because of the maturity and composure so many of you have highlighted - but I do worry we once again put too much collective pressure on what in essence still a kid.
I really hope the club shields him from some of this chatter.
 
One of our biggest issues...IMHO...this season has been our individual players seem to flat out panic under the press. I have no idea if the numbers back it up, but I can't remember a team that loses possession under stress more than we have this season. Having a MF like Mainoo these last few games that just doesn't succumb to this has been a god send.

I really feel like he has been the central key to our turn of form. Like, if you're a solid vet and you look more panicky on the ball than a freaking 18 year old...maybe you need to get your stuff together immediately. I think he's set a tone (at 18!!) that the team has taken to heart.
 
Redplane said:
For all this glorifying Mainoo (and don't get me wrong, so far he has deserved the plaudits) - but how often have we not have threads about players bursting onto the scene only to recede into a shell of their former great first showings?

The biggest reason why I think we may have that staying power here is because of the maturity and composure so many of you have highlighted - but I do worry we once again put too much collective pressure on what in essence still a kid.
I really hope the club shields him from some of this chatter.
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If he reads some of the shit being posted in the main forum then that’ll certainly make him turn to the laughing gas.
 
I don’t know how you share things from the United app (or even if you can?) but was watching the Access all areas video they put on today… about 8 mins of highlights of the game but from the end of the pitch near the United away fans.

Our winner starts about 5’ 15” in when Varane chips a ball to Mainoo. With a Villa player closeish by, he brings the ball down on his outstep and gently nudges it away from the other player to give himself a yard.

He then does a little drag back then a VERY quick right left to shift the ball a bit then Dalot takes over.

It’s only about five seconds but the speed of thought, technique (quick, couple of yards of pitch), the calmness (two players close, final minutes) is lovely.

(also liked when he got subbed and walked around the pitch… seemed to get a few shouts (understandable) but just calmly smiled and kept walking… maturity as a player and person).

https://www.manutd.com/en/videos/detail/access-all-areas-aston-villa-v-man-utd-premier-league
 
Redplane said:
For all this glorifying Mainoo (and don't get me wrong, so far he has deserved the plaudits) - but how often have we not have threads about players bursting onto the scene only to recede into a shell of their former great first showings?

The biggest reason why I think we may have that staying power here is because of the maturity and composure so many of you have highlighted - but I do worry we once again put too much collective pressure on what in essence still a kid.
I really hope the club shields him from some of this chatter.
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If an 18 year old comes onto the scene and is immediately winning matches or showing himself to be able to run the midfield at his age, then he’s going to be hyped to no end. It happens every time and not just at United. The ones destined for greatness won’t care and will just plug on, the ones that fail won’t fail because the club failed to shield them or protect them in some way.
 
I'd like know who put the psilocybin mushrooms in the scrambled eggs of the 45.7% of posters here who voted that we must be patient with Mainoo.
 
He certainly has the talent. He's 18 so will become stronger as he grows and hopefully with that will come another yard of pace which would be good. As others have said, just hope he keeps a level head on him and doesn't succumb to the star disease of too much too soon.
 
Offsideagain said:
He certainly has the talent. He's 18 so will become stronger as he grows and hopefully with that will come another yard of pace which would be good. As others have said, just hope he keeps a level head on him and doesn't succumb to the star disease of too much too soon.
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There is that and from the distance we observe professional footballers it's hard to say who will and will not keep a level head. But it's also up to the club to help their their young players keep a level head, which we can say now clearly wasn't the case with several of our most talented young players in the past, one of whom is best not mentioned here.
 
He lacks physicality and speed. But he is young so there is room to improve. Other than that he has a whole lot going for him.
 
Marcus said:
He lacks physicality and speed. But he is young so there is room to improve. Other than that he has a whole lot going for him.
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He really doesn't, lacks a bit of pace but that's about it.
 
I'm at a point where I'm happy to get carried away with Mainoo praise now.

There's a big difference in seeing the likes of Januzaj/Macheda burst through, have a few good moments but fade away quickly and Mainoo coming into a decimated midfield, with no consistent defence behind him, and dictate the tempo of games for a sustained period.

I would like to see him rotated a bit more so that we aren't exhausting him at such a young age but I suppose we don't have that privilege currently as the squad is ravaged with injuries.

I understand people are hesitant to praise ETH for playing him consistently and allowing his game to develop given his limited choices but I think he's here to stay now and I'm really excited to see where his game goes from here!

A rare bright spot this season and some hope for the future.
 
Remember the geese said:
He isn't 6ft 4, but he isn't particularly short. Also, Mainoo is quite strong. Perfectly adept at using his strength to shield the ball and hold off opponents.
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I mean Modric ,Kroos are not hercules ..
As long as you can shield the ball .. and have good technical skills you should be good .
 
Agree with the responses to my comment about his physicality and speed. But he is young and growing so I really have no issues. His passing, is press-resistance, awareness and goalscoring abilities are a joy to behold. Silky smooth.
 
You’d have to be blind not to realize that this lad will be star for us. He’s only scratching the surface and he’s already one of our most consistent performers. Who’s down that 18 for us? Very, very few.
 
jackal&hyde said:
Very early. Looks good but so did 1000 before.
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true but I’ve never seen a United youngster look this good in CM before at this age

Don’t think I’ve seen any of them look this good at 21/22 either

he’s way ahead of the curve as far as central midfielders go
 
lex talionis said:
I'd like know who put the psilocybin mushrooms in the scrambled eggs of the 45.7% of posters here who voted that we must be patient with Mainoo.
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Yoda can have that effect on (older) people. Poll is rigged by design.
 
We need to get him on the ball more. He's not dictated a single game yet but gets gimps off what could be in nearly all of them.
 
Marcus said:
Agree with the responses to my comment about his physicality and speed. But he is young and growing so I really have no issues. His passing, is press-resistance, awareness and goalscoring abilities are a joy to behold. Silky smooth.
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Physicality is overrated. So many good midfielders never had it, and never needed it as long they have other strong skills. Scholes, Kroos, Modric were never strong and never needed to be
 
Escobar said:
Physicality is overrated. So many good midfielders never had it, and never needed it as long they have other strong skills. Scholes, Kroos, Modric were never strong and never needed to be
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I guess it depends on his role. If he is supposed to be our DM, then that is a role different from what Scholes, Kroos and Modric were performing. For a DM physicality is important. I am not saying he need to be a towering giant, but maybe have a engine which allows him to comfortably close down attackers and shield his defence for the whole game. A Kante kind of player, for instance.
 
I have to laugh when I see the messages about Mainoo not been fast, its not a racehorse we need in midfield. Kobbie's brain is lightening fast, its his ability to sense danger, ability glide by the tackler. Hugh talent, just needs to keep the head down and listen to the coaches and he'll be world class.
 
Marcus said:
I guess it depends on his role. If he is supposed to be our DM, then that is a role different from what Scholes, Kroos and Modric were performing. For a DM physicality is important. I am not saying he need to be a towering giant, but maybe have a engine which allows him to comfortably close down attackers and shield his defence for the whole game. A Kante kind of player, for instance.
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Makelele wasn't quick ir tall, he was all about positioning and reading the game
 
Marcus said:
I guess it depends on his role. If he is supposed to be our DM, then that is a role different from what Scholes, Kroos and Modric were performing. For a DM physicality is important. I am not saying he need to be a towering giant, but maybe have a engine which allows him to comfortably close down attackers and shield his defence for the whole game. A Kante kind of player, for instance.
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But Kante was never a DM , he hardly played as one through out his career his best work was as box to box with him being better at defensive side of the game .
 
Escobar said:
Physicality is overrated. So many good midfielders never had it, and never needed it as long they have other strong skills. Scholes, Kroos, Modric were never strong and never needed to be
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Those players all have good strength on the ball. Scholes and Modric for example were much better midfielders once they physically matured. Scholes was barely involved at Mainoo's age, let alone getting a regular run in CM.
 
Tarrou said:
Those players all have good strength on the ball. Scholes and Modric for example were much better midfielders once they physically matured. Scholes was barely involved at Mainoo's age, let alone getting a regular run in CM.
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What was physical about them? Modric especially was always very skinny and lightweight, yet he never needed anything else
 
Escobar said:
What was physical about them? Modric especially was always very skinny and lightweight, yet he never needed anything else
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you need a base-layer of strength to do what Modric, Scholes etc.. do in midfield. They all have decent strength. Look at Scholes in his early 20s and Modric in his early days at Spurs, they clearly weren't as strong on the ball back then. If physicality wasn't important there would be a lot more technical players dominating midfields from an earlier age than there are (which is hardly any).
 
He’ll be incredible when we surround him with some actual central midfielders.
 
He’s just immense. What a player. Aside from Varane and Casemiro, out of respect for what they have achieved in the game, he’s our best player by a mile. At 18.
 
Could you imagine him alongside a proper ball playing DM. Kids immense
 
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