It wasn’t in his previous teams. I understand why Casemiro chooses to play that ball, he’s never been one to turn with the ball and take a risk, but de Jong certainly didn’t play like that for Ajax.
37
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 32
- Goals
- 5
- Assists
- 1
- Yellow cards
- 4
- Status
Which is totally fair for an 18 year old playing in a disjointed messy team.
The boy turns 19 in a few weeks. Outstanding stuff from again considering his age. That he’s even on same side as Casemiro and performing at a higher level than Casemiro consistently now is mind-boggling.
He's 18 and being hung out to dry due his manager's tactical ineptitude and inability of his teammates to keep possession under any type of pressure.
Yeah, we can't depend on an 18 year old in midfield. But the others are so poor so he's actually first in the pecking order already
Yeah, we can't depend on an 18 year old in midfield. But the others are so poor so he's actually first in the pecking order already
That's the problem, he's going to have to play more than he probably should.
Hopefully we sign two midfielders this summer. And hopefully Ten Hag don't get to pick them.
Would be better if ETH wasn't here tbh. If he is, then transfers certainly have to left to other people.
Yeah, I'm leaning the same way. Today he had 3 of his "own" central midfielders + Mainoo who he promoted + Evans, Onana (and the experience of Varane). And still we can't string two passes together. That's honestly on him. Martinez and Shaw can't be THAT crucial.
It's no surprise that he is weaker every game after his debut. During his first few games he played the style of football he was coached at younger level, but with every passing game he is instructed by Ten Hag what to do and of course he is not that Bruno type of player Ten Hag likes so it will not suit him.
It will rub off on him, definitely. He’s at the most impressionable point in his footballing career and all around him are midfielders who want to bypass buildup play. Factor in the manager who doesn’t want to bother controlling central areas of the pitch too, and well…
Looks a real talent, if we keep giving him plenty of game time he could progress to be really shite within a year or so.
He's a technical possesion-based player in a hideous footballing side that cannot keep the ball and lacks ball carriers in midfield. McTominay and Casemiro just do not complement him, partly because of the tactics, and also because of their clear limitations. He needs quicker and more dynamic players around him.
The midfield needs to be rebuilt around Mainoo with players that will enhance his strengths. We have to stay patient and see what we come up with in the summer, but the likes of McTom and Casemiro are holding Mainoo and us back.
The midfield needs to be rebuilt around Mainoo with players that will enhance his strengths. We have to stay patient and see what we come up with in the summer, but the likes of McTom and Casemiro are holding Mainoo and us back.
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Yeah this worries me. The team is not set up for him to play his game, which I want to see more of, rather than the helter skelter chaotic football of Bruno Fernandes.
We've seen enough to know he's going to be class. He could drop a few poor performances from now until the end of the season and I wouldn't be remotely worried, considering the players he has around him. Sell Casemiro and Mctominay for a combined 70m this summer and use the funds to buy a cool head to play next to Mainoo.
Hopefully well have a proper number 6 next season, which will release Mainoo to do what he's best at. Casemiro is not up to it.
He’s massively exceeded my expectations so far.
My major concern is that he looks very slow.
My major concern is that he looks very slow.
As I've said before he needs to learn how to move into the spaces where he becomes the right pass. This is what Casemiro does in order to get lots of touches. And perhaps he shouldnt do the exact same thing if Casemiro is doing it - usually offering himself deep to the backline, but he needs to learn to do something similar instead of waiting for the ball to come to him because often it wont and it will lead to having 34 touches like today. When Casemiro is playing and getting on the ball that much and doing the majority of the ball winning Mainoo's job tends to end up just running around doing the extra bits and we know he can do more than that which is why we ask to see it.
You can blame the tactics but for all their faults and weaker areas Casemiro and Fernandes know how to get on the ball and make lots of passes and get lots of touches. Those 2 and Lisandro average the most for us this season in those categories per 90 mins. And other than Fernandes the other 2 have been out with injury where even then our other players dont do the same. So they just arent as good with it or dont work as hard to get on the ball
You can blame the tactics but for all their faults and weaker areas Casemiro and Fernandes know how to get on the ball and make lots of passes and get lots of touches. Those 2 and Lisandro average the most for us this season in those categories per 90 mins. And other than Fernandes the other 2 have been out with injury where even then our other players dont do the same. So they just arent as good with it or dont work as hard to get on the ball
Exactly. He is a schoolboy. People his age are in their final year of school before going to university.
He's a dead cert starter in the best league In the world.
Mainoo not strong aerially and doesn’t make himself available enough to pick the ball up - both problems for playing deepest of the 3.
Casemiro has to win a lot of headers in front of defense and has been able to free himself up to receive more off the defense - even if his quality upon reception is lower
On that note, Mainoo will need to work on finding spaces and demanding the ball from the back line. Without that, I think we’re putting too much on Casemiro to be the sole outlet for the defense when playing out
Wow, hadn’t seen your post when I posted but yep, we had the exact same thought. Needs to find spaces and be the spare man more often - will have to add that to his toolkit over time.
Calm after the storm, he's a great player, no need to catastrophise, this season is a free hit for him. Should only be playing 1 in 3 or 2 max, so is being pushed beyond that due to our squad issues.
Should be eased in gradually but we're such a shambles that this talented kid has been thrown in at the deep end.
I can see him playing for England in the summer. He's exactly what that midfield needs.You play Foden and Bellingham together you leave too much for Rice to do on his own.
Tom Cleverley Mk2
England's too soon for Mainoo.
He's fecking 18.
Back in that day i was shoveling unreasonable amounts of snus under my lip.
Back in that day i was shoveling unreasonable amounts of snus under my lip.
He’s not. We definitely aren't great but he’s getting priceless experience. It’ll stand him in good stead next season when he has a regular partner with the legs to really help him out
18 years of age
The boy, perhaps already a man, should definitely be in the England squad. It's probably a year lor even two too early in his development to be a nailed on starter, but he should at least be on the bench in the event England need something in midfield to solidify things.
There is an important attribute he has that Cleverley didnt have, an ability that was one of the reasons Cleverley never quite made it with us.
Mainoo can dribble and beat opposition players 1v1.
Young player is inconsistent shockedpikach.jpeg
He's clearly tiring, it's been a lot to expect of him and its his only season, in which he didn't get a full pre season due to injury. I think we can cut him a little slack given he's one of the only positives to come from this season, can't we.
He's the most press resistant player I've seen. That's gold dust in modern football.
I am sure even Scholes would look lost at some points with Bruno and McT next to him.
We need to find a cm to accomplish him.
We need to find a cm to accomplish him.
How did you join in 2010 and not watch Cleverley?
I liked Cleverly before that twat Davies clattered into him.
Sorry, I forgot the white text.
But on a serious not it wouldn't surprise me if he somehow ends up on a similar career path to Cleverley. Or even worse - like Januzaj or Anderson.
He's clearly very talented, but lately we've had a knack of getting the worst out of young talents. He's been very impressive for his age for spells during the season, but I think it's too early to know if he's the real, real deal.
I kind of see this and don't think it's so negative to say, Sir Alex would have made great use out him, he's a tidy player but nothing too outstanding about his passing or offensive ability.
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