[didz]

He might have quietly played his best all-round game of the season yesterday. Such a clever player, and having someone in midfield who can dribble and retain the ball as well as he does is a treat.

 

[Sylar]

The only semblance of having a functioning midfield and link between defence and attack

 

[Fortitude]

Very good today. I also despise that he is being told to play that high up the pitch and make off the ball runs, it's a complete misprofiling of what he's good at.

This concerns me more than anything else about ten Hag potentially staying. These are vital years of development, and the lad will not get any education on the vital tenets and principles of what he is if this nonsense persists.

From the sheer POV of his excellence, he needs to be brought up playing the best, most technical brands of football that make him even better and refined. Doesn’t have to be Pep, just anyone who respects midfield control and development - imagine the mischief for Mainoo slotting in Arsenal's or Leverkusen's midfields, or Madrid's or... etc. etc. We need to be playing football that is conducive to extracting the very best out of him.

 

[Cassidy]

Very good today. I also despise that he is being told to play that high up the pitch and make off the ball runs, it's a complete misprofiling of what he's good at.

It isn't really

 

[flameinthesun]

Class as always, I do believe for him to take that next step up he needs to be more active/clever in his positioning. When watching other similar midfielders their understanding of when to drop into space and little movements to open angles is an aspect that sets them apart. I feel like Mainoo still gets lost in the midfield sometime for portions of the game. Hopefully its just a combination of experience and general fitness (it is his first full season after all). Technically he has everything, just need to see whether he can develop that dominating side to his game.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

It isn't really

It is

 

[Pericles]

It is

It definitely is.

ETH is trying to turn him into a VDB type midfielder

The horror!

 

[Oranges038]

He's a wonderfully gifted footballer, that pass to Bruno was just a glimpse of his vision and passing quality in attacking areas. That's the sort of pass Scholes and Carrick were brilliant at picking out.

 

[JPRouve]

Very good today. I also despise that he is being told to play that high up the pitch and make off the ball runs, it's a complete misprofiling of what he's good at.

Agreed, I keep wondering why he pushes forward when there are pockets of space in midfield where he can use his technical abilities and also where the team actually need someone that can move the ball smoothly. I don't understand how it helps the team or the player.

 

[Bobski]

Rest this kid, little to play for in the league, get him fresh and ready for the FA Cup final, been running in sand since the internationals, low involvement in the games, flashes of real quality but this insane midfield set up is giving him far too much to do physically.

Having said that he needs to work on his stamina and running power, hopefully as he physically matures that is a natural process.

 

[Sylar]

Rest this kid, little to play for in the league, get him fresh and ready for the FA Cup final, been running in sand since the internationals, low involvement in the games, flashes of real quality but this insane midfield set up is giving him far too much to do physically.

Having said that he needs to work on his stamina and running power, hopefully as he physically matures that is a natural process.

I'd agree withthis. I think the latter will come but another one, like garnacho, that needs some rest and freshening before the city final. These games coming up are nothingness now

 

[golden_blunder]

Looks physically wrecked. This setup will break him if his time isn’t managed properly

 

[FootballAI]

His passing and ball control are good as usual, the issue is he needs to learn where to move and get into good position to have a lot of actions.

 

[Oranges038]

Looks lost at times, but that happens with young players when they don't have an older head to guide them through games.

Wasn't his best game, but he definitely needs someone with experience and legs beside him.