Is Mainoo the real deal?

Is Kobbie Mainoo the real deal?

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I would say more like unreal.

Truth is, everyone is blown away by how good Mainoo already is and he's still only 18. You normally this kind of exceptional talent in attacking players, not midfielders, but here we are with an exceptional 18 year midfielder who would be at home in any club or NT on the planet. He wouldn't start for City or Real, but he would be a regular starter on any other club in Europe for sure.

But we've been here before with exceptional young talents and what we're all worried about is his psychological strength to handle fame and fortune. Januzaj, Martial and Greenwood all cracked. Rashford to a certain extent as well. The club needs to take extra care to make sure young Kobbie doesn't crack either. Exactly how I don't know but he needs to be looked after not only in his development as a footballer but also as a young man.
 
TempusFugit said:
Need to see how well he can ping a long range pass. He rarely does it
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Yeah, his range of pass needs to expand a little. He values ball security first and foremost but he needs to take the next step and balance that with being more adventurous in his passing. I'm sure he has it in his locker as I believe it was a strong point at youth level.
 
CasaStreets said:
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...
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Great post. I think it's the stamina issue that is holding his off the ball game back. I'm not worried about his pace even though it would be nice if he had the extra yard on players when going past them.

Hopefully next season he can resolve the stamina issue and we can see him get around the pitch a little more.
 
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CasaStreets said:
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...
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Yep, great post. I agree with everything there.
 
Scholesey was not even playing central midfield at 18. He was still a forward. I expect Mainoo to learn, absorb and hone his craft on the next few years. I will answer this question only when he turns 23-24.
 
He needs to be properly managed. Under SAF young superstar player were protected. No interview, play down all the hype, keep them focus and train hard.

After SAF, we had so many talented young players that fame and hype went to their head like Januzaj, Greenwood, even Rashford and etc.

Mainoo is only 18 and hope the club can protect him properly.
 
Teja said:
Yep, great post. I agree with everything there.
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On the other hand ETH nearly always takes him of after 60 minutes or so. And so did Southgate, despite chasing the game. I assume that was the deal.
 
Mosdef is my Answer to OP,

He's beautiful to watch.
 
Yakuza_devils said:
He needs to be properly managed. Under SAF young superstar player were protected. No interview, play down all the hype, keep them focus and train hard.

After SAF, we had so many talented young players that fame and hype went to their head like Januzaj, Greenwood, even Rashford and etc.

Mainoo is only 18 and hope the club can protect him properly.
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I think the club tried to protect Greenwood. I remember at the time the word was that Ole didnt want Greenwood doing any interviews/promos.

With Mainoo, the hype on social media is crazy, I hope he isnt reading twitter.
 
In an ideal world, ETH takes Mainoo out of the spotlight for a game or two until the hype dies down. Unfortunately we do not have the luxury of bringing in another midfielder into the team without a drop in quality so we don’t really have a choice other than play him. The hype will continue I guess.
 
How good is this kid? Transformative for our midfield, England's best against Belgium and plays with maturiry well beyond his years. This kid is the face of the next generation of Man Utd. He's an exceptional player.

Slight concern at how much he is being played and how much pressure will be put on him going forward, but so far he's taking everything in his stride.
 
I actually thought he was below par today. Same against Chelsea actually, but his goal was special.

Going forward, I really want to see him as a 6. He was hardly involved today and he's our best ball player.

But yeah, special player and special goal today. A shame it didn't win the game!
 
Barely in the game today because of the idiotic role the non Cas/Bruno midfielder plays but one moment of exceptional quality.

When we get a manager who wants to play a midfield he will excel.
 
He is quality. Not great today but i don't know how he could have been with the way he was deployed.
 
Have him in a settled midfield that can actually retain possession and he’ll jump up levels. I’d love to see Kobbie - case replacement - Mount next season. But Bruno is a bit of a poisoned chalice if you want to have a midfield that controls games.z
 
He's a worldie of a talent. Love Garnacho and think he might reach the tier just below world class, Mainoo is without a doubt a world class talent. So mature, calm, composed, and all that talent in the world
 
if he was playing for someone else doing what he is doing at his age we would be eyeing up a 100M swoop for him. Insane quality and potential if he keeps progressing.
 
The boy is insane talent. I worry about the same thing we all worry about -- Real coming in for him.
 
Oozes class, but he’ll still very young and has a lot physical development ahead of him.
We’ve had to play him more than we should, out of necessity, but he’s done himself proud.
If we can bolster that CM with a quality, pacy CDM, it should allow the manager (whoever that’ll be.) to use Kobbie more sparingly and give him some much needed developmental protection.
 
Despite a truly awful by the club , I think he’s been excellent . So composed and intelligent on the ball and he’s only 19. Can’t wait to see him progress next season
 
We are blessed to have him.
 
What a break-out season he’s had. Never flustered, smooth on the ball, wise beyond his years in his decision making. Wonderkid.
 
He is going to be one of the best.

What a player! What a big game player!

Only 19..Nineteen!!!!
 
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He is probably the real deal. I hope the next manager uses him correctly (ie, not every game) and continues to improve.
 
He plays with such composure and calmness, it's unbelivable that he's only 19 and playing his first season as a senior player.
 
That's Arsenal fan on here that claimed he's nothing special :lol:
 
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