Is Mainoo the real deal?

Is Kobbie Mainoo the real deal?

  • Total voters
    1,149
  • Poll closed .
Heard an interview on the radio this morning, with the coach at Mainoo's very first football club, at the age of 4/5. Even then, they knew he had something special and they were unable to give him enough challenge to keep hold of him.

Turns out he hails from my manor, where I grew up, which is pretty cool.

His coolness on the ball, his vision, the way he gets out of trouble under pressure, how he finds space and always asks for the ball, reminds me of Scholes. He doesn't (yet) have his eye for goal, long range passing and inability to make a clean tackle.

Yes, the real deal. :drool:
 




Officially announced himself on the big stage, what an exciting time for the lad. Surely going to be on the plane to Germany for the Euros after this break...
 
Last edited:
How’s he doing for England? Don’t like young players coming in like this, should be introduced in friendly when there one or two up
 
He is looking good, a great boost for us. Hard to find this type of midfielder that's comfortable under pressure. You can spend all year scouting for that and still get it wrong when they end up in a United shirt playing the PL. So to have the talent already that just needs experience is going to really help our tenth rebuilding in as many years.
 
He basically created the chance that won the penalty. Most players would have played it safe in that position being covered by two players and passed it back but having the confidence to drive forward was very impressive.
 
the way he has his head up and scans in situations where most players are just trying not to lose the ball is crazy . even felt like bellingham was reluctant to give him the ball because he was stealing his thunder .
 


First time ever starting, already 1 MOTM in his case

Sky's the limit with the lad
 
TheRedHearted said:
Does anyone remember Januzaj? Just have patience. Although I believe he is, we don’t know!
Click to expand...

Mainoo is nothing like Januzaj, the better comparison would be Garnacho last year.

Mainoo just started for England and was MOTM. Januzaj never showed this level.
 
Regulus Arcturus Black said:
We have Bernardo in the league, winning titles every season, a treble last year, you can’t get the ball off the fecker…

But hey, he’s no Moussa Dembele.
Click to expand...

Dembele under Peps management would have been sensational too. Pep elevates players.

Anyways Mainoo is the real deal.
 
TheRedHearted said:
Does anyone remember Januzaj? Just have patience. Although I believe he is, we don’t know!
Click to expand...

You just have to look at Rashford. He was 18 when he burst onto the scene with United and England.... and we thought he was going to be the new global superstar.

Many here think Rashford is washed up at the age of 25; when, in theory, he has not peaked yet.


Things are never in a straight line.
 
TheRedHearted said:
Does anyone remember Januzaj? Just have patience. Although I believe he is, we don’t know!
Click to expand...

Januzaj had an "entourage" which has a terrible influence on him. I'm pretty sure the talent was there to have a much better career if he had the right mindset. Mainoo seems a lot more down to earth.
 
Mainoo looks made for international football doesn’t he. What a player. The Dutch commentator was drooling all over him yesterday. Well done lad! Keep it up and keep working your socks off to get even better.
 
sglowrider said:
You just have to look at Rashford. He was 18 when he burst onto the scene with United and England.... and we thought he was going to be the new global superstar.

Many here think Rashford is washed up at the age of 25; when, in theory, he has not peaked yet.


Things are never in a straight line.
Click to expand...

I don't remember thinking that about Rashford at all. Was delighted we had an exciting young lad coming through, and then even happier when he established himself as a quality starter. But nah, never expected him to be one of the best of the best if I'm being honest. And his limitations were always quite glaring if you're comparing him to the elite forwards of this generation.

With Mainoo it feels like we have a very rare gem on our hands. A player doing this at 18 in CM is obviously extremely rare. Whereas young strikers bursting on to the scene happens more often.

Sure, it's still early days and we don't know where it all goes from here. But I'm way more excited about his future than I was about Rashford's, without question.
 
Dion said:
This is such a weird sentence that I can't even tell if you're being sexist or not.
Click to expand...
No. I’m not.

There was a tweet posted of one of them, claiming to be a Liverpool fan, posting a load of Tom Kite for clicks.

This is what I was referring to. On reflection I can appreciate you may not have seen, therefore making the reference less obvious.

Posting things that don’t make sense on the interweb is an equal opportunities activity as far as I’m aware!

Should probably get back on topic :)
 
He was absolutely brilliant last night. It's rare to see a player so young look that comfortable and mature beyond his years. As exciting a talent as United have had in decades.

He's got to go to the Euro's with England but his emergence should hopefully see the back of Henderson and Phillips.
 
Can’t believe what I see when I watch him!

let’s hope he gets a proper shirt number this fall. 18?????
 
glazed said:
This morning is the first day of Kobbiemania. Reminds me of Gazamania in 1990. That didn't end too well but he was a different personality.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/26938638/kobbie-mainoo-england-euros-belgium-gareth-southgate/
Click to expand...
I’m worried for him, he’s only 18. They are going to overhype him and then complain when he can’t hit those heights consistently. He’s a kid, his performances will be up and down, he will need to be managed well so they he doesn’t suffer burnout
 
While the players around him huffed and puffed, mainly to little avail, Kobbie Mainoo, at just 18, was a beacon of calmness and composure amidst a bunch of headless chickens. Kobbie stood out and was the stand out England player while others were busy showing off and trying to win the game by themselves; a certain Jude Bellingham in particular. To be fair the moment Southgate took Kobbie off I stopped watching so I didnt see Bellinghams equaliser, but what I did see of this England team in both friendlies was enough to make me think that the wait for another England triumph will go on beyond the next European Championship and probably beyond the 2026 World Cup.
 
nice thing is that he's under contract until 2027 and he's a homegrown lad that only has said he dreams of playing for United
 
The only concern about Mainoo is fans needlessly overhyping him such that if he doesn't play at a very high level all the time, will be perceived as disappointing.
 
Raoul said:
The only concern about Mainoo is fans needlessly overhyping him such that if he doesn't play at a very high level all the time, will be perceived as disappointing.
Click to expand...

I have many concerns about him.

- In his debut season, he is being thrown into almost every fixture in every competition for which he is eligible, after recovering from a long-term injury. Garnacho's introduction last season was sudden but, by comparison, it seems graceful relative to what's happening with Kobbie.

- Tangential to the above, he looks visibly tired after 60-70 minutes in most matches. Still questions about how his fitness and physique will develop, especially if injuries hamper him further in the next season or two - which our integration strategy is risking.

- Also probably connected to the above, his off-the-ball work isn't always there. He sees far fewer touches than his midfield peers and it looks like some combination of fitness, (current) ability, and tactics.

- It's not clear what he is right now. People say he's not a #6 or a #10, but I'm also not sure he's demonstrated the combination of physical and technical abilities to be classed as an all-action #8. He isn't a highly progressive passer, isn't as fast as genuinely progressive ball carriers, and isn't as athletic as combative midfielders who chew up the ground. He has a delightful touch, close control, and unbelievable awareness, but is that a role in a title-challenging starting lineup? A combination of strengths, some of which he does not possess today, will need to come together to be a world-class player in the long run.

- He has a very good head on his shoulders but extreme and sudden fame at his age can pressure test a player's focus and development in unforeseen ways.

I love watching him play with the knowledge he's young and shows potential, but I think there is a wild hype cycle happening right now as though he's a mature player already where he will need to be. The way he is being introduced to the team and to the world poses many challenges for a player who still has much to do. Onward...
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: golden_blunder
You must log in or register to reply here.