Glad I wasn't the only one who noticed, Spain had the freedom of the midfield when he left the pitch. But wow that Spanish team is just brilliant, England can have no shame losing to that team.
Is Mainoo the real deal?
- Thread starter Samid
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He was bad, passing stats down at 72%, only Bellingham faired worse. It happens, England’s shit on the stick football and 3 at the back made it extremely difficult for everyone.
Didn't help that at times he was ignored, then Rice beside him having an awful game.
He had a bad night, as did Rice. But for me, when we had two number 10s, they were awful.
Stones and Guehi were livid with them throughout the game, not that Stones covered himself in any glory.
Stones and Guehi were livid with them throughout the game, not that Stones covered himself in any glory.
This is nonsense, watch him some more the boy sniffs danger like a veteran. He just lacks the physicality to contest the midfield with the intensity required at this level but it will come, he is just growing in the spotlight and it's easy to lose sight of the development he still has to undergo.
Don't think Walker and Foden were worse to be really honest.
Didn't do much wrong really, but struggled to get in the game. Which is very understandable, given how the senior players performed.
Foden was absolutely terrible.
Held his position and stayed disciplined whilst most of his team mates did whatever the feck they wanted, I felt for him tonight. The way we played was too chaotic for Mainoo.
He;s 19, gets to experience a big international tournament run to the final, is for sure going to get a big contract offer kickstarting what will be a career that sets him and his children and grand children for life, I mean... there are worse things.
Needs to be more dynamic showing for the ball in midfield. When he gets it he bursts into life and he’s consistently excellent but it off the ball he can be way too static.
I put most of that down to his age and lack of physicality, he’s still growing and needs to develop his endurance levels.
I put most of that down to his age and lack of physicality, he’s still growing and needs to develop his endurance levels.
This kid is absolutely the real deal but people need to chill on the hype, he's very overrated on here to the point anyone questioning him is a heretic and I get it, it's exciting when a player this special comes through the academy but don't set the guy up to fail.
Watching him in other games, I could imagine him balling in this Spanish midfield, he's very different to any players England have produced lately and he should absolutely be the man England build their midfield around if they are to move away from this shit on a stick football.
Mainoo is highly rated on just about every forum I visit, even rivals of United. You got a gem here and I'm excited to watch him back for United.
ps. will never happen but he'd fit our midfield like a glove
Watching him in other games, I could imagine him balling in this Spanish midfield, he's very different to any players England have produced lately and he should absolutely be the man England build their midfield around if they are to move away from this shit on a stick football.
Mainoo is highly rated on just about every forum I visit, even rivals of United. You got a gem here and I'm excited to watch him back for United.
ps. will never happen but he'd fit our midfield like a glove
Sadly did not play well today, oh well great experience for him and returns to us injury free!
Needs the right partner for us. Invisible tonight as we've seen before.
Struggled against a superior Spanish midfield in the first half.
No big deal, but personally I thought he would have done more and imposed himself on the match a little bit more…but it was a quiet night for him.
Shame.
No big deal, but personally I thought he would have done more and imposed himself on the match a little bit more…but it was a quiet night for him.
Shame.
he was very disciplined today and made sure that the Spain midfield didn’t have a free progressive pass. Tactically very sharp.
It’s not surprising that Spain scored and had 2 big chances for Yamal after he was substituted. Most of those chances were progressed through right midfield - where Mainoo was before being subbed off.
apart from his discipline today though, he had a poor game. Was always in and around Foden or Bellingham and the English players kept passing it to the others bypassing him in possession. So many times he had his hands up in space but didn’t get the ball. Probably an instruction from Southgate to progress the ball through the flanks and not the middle.
Get him on a beach. Don’t bring him back until the final pre season game.
Who is that?
Not a good game from him today, but bloody hell he’s a teenager let’s give him a break.
Hard to do much when the manager tells them to park the bus, essentially. He needs a manager who will tell them to dominate, like a Pep, or the Spanish national team. He's not made for the sit back and defend and have limited touches teams.
Doesn't bode well under Ten Hag then. For someone as good on the ball as him his touches are limited.
That's a ten hag problem. We should be striving to be a truly top team who will dominate most games we play. If we don't, that's on the manager, just like it's on Southgate. Most of Southgates team is coached in a way to dominate games, coached by Pep and Arteta, and yet he asks them here to play like this.
If Ten Hag can't get the best out of our players, get us controlling games, dominating the game, then he will be replaced before long.
Should have been replaced long ago.
He’s worked hard to get where he is. Don’t see that as a reason not to have some sympathy.
He is the real deal. But needs time. After Spain picked up their tempo in the second half he was nowhere. He isn't ready to be starting these sort of games but England don't really have many options
Van der Vaart knows who the real problem is.
That Steinberg cnut better not try and pin that shite England performance on our boy.
Came short and showed so many times only for it to be hoofed up field.
You can't have a good performance in central midfield if the MO of the team is to bypass central midfield.
Olmo started getting more joy after he came off as well.
You can't have a good performance in central midfield if the MO of the team is to bypass central midfield.
Olmo started getting more joy after he came off as well.
Our wonderkid is fantastic
He's definitely our future but looked out of depth against some of the World's best midfielders tonight . Just hope our fans are patient with him.
Good player but a bit quiet tonight. Physically very good though
Underrated comment, it's a miracle that Mainoo looked good last season in a midfield that can only be defined by the managers doing as being tactically suicidal.
Kobbie should only be used as an 8 or a 10. Anything deeper and it's blatant mismanagement of his talent, he shouldn't have a partner by rights but partners, playing either side of a three-man midfield where he can be the more advanced of the two.
United's best and most balanced midfield of the past decade subjectively for me at least was Pogba-Matic-Herrera so if it's Mainoo & Ugarte (potentially) there should be a third man in such circumstances.
Shame to see that he didn’t shine in the final. But let’s be honest here - it’s England. They play like uncoached wimps in every big knockout game. They’re simply not set up to control and dominate these sort of games. That culture isn’t there is the NT at all.
For his sake, a manager who genuinely cares about playing front foot dominating football will help. Anyway, come back home Kobbie, a place where you can actually win finals
For his sake, a manager who genuinely cares about playing front foot dominating football will help. Anyway, come back home Kobbie, a place where you can actually win finals
A problem is that he plays in defensive teams for both club and country. He needs to play in a team that prioritises possession and attacking in order to fully capitalise on his talent and develop. Teams that value the ball and midfield play.
I'm hoping ten Hag staying means he's agreed to play that way from now on. For England, the only chance of that happening is getting a new manager in.
I'm hoping ten Hag staying means he's agreed to play that way from now on. For England, the only chance of that happening is getting a new manager in.
This is think is the issue with Mainoo right now, there are plenty of defensive midfielders who aren't great passers (though they wouldn't be 100m, which I suppose is partly VdV's point) but then they are paired with one who can distribute the ball like that. Bayern have spent big to buy Palhinha, who is similarly not a great passer but they'll pair him with Kimmich or Pavlovic, both of whom play a lot of long passes to get the ball forward quickly. For Mainoo, he's fabulous at progressing the ball through dribbling but then lacks a longer passing range, which can be helpful in situations where the opposition are pressing high.
Long way to go buy honestly that's the only thing I would want him to improve on, other than that he's almost nearly the finished article.
I'm not sure it matters whether he plays 6 or 8 but a manager who sets up the use of a midfield as ridiculously badly as Ten Hag last season definitely won't get the best out of him.
I thought he was pretty good tonight. A few mistakes but nothing major. He's always so calm and composed on the ball and he got England out of trouble a couple of times. I noticed a few times he's running into space but nobody is passing it to him. The issue with playing in Southgates route 1 lump it forward England team I suppose.
Absolutely no point picking a player like Mainoo in a team instructed to hoof the ball at every opportunity. Wasn't terrible, wasn't great - didn't see enough of the ball to be much of anything.
Had a very good tournament but tonight wasn't the night for him.
Pretty rough when you're a young technical player and your team have no plan except soak up pressure. Not sure really what he could do in the game with Jonny Wilkinson in goal and a manager who is clueless about how to play modern football.
Pretty rough when you're a young technical player and your team have no plan except soak up pressure. Not sure really what he could do in the game with Jonny Wilkinson in goal and a manager who is clueless about how to play modern football.
Can't shy away from possesion when your teammates refuse to give it to you