[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.

 

[Red Dreams]

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

Its not the time.
He really does not have support from whoever Erik plays as his midfield partner.

 

[RedIan]

Always great on the ball but not on i5 enough, he also doesnt run enough. Looks a little half hearted at times.
He Cant sit in and plug the holes

 

[Rozay]

Totally invisible today and generally miles off the play. Couldn’t keep up with the game.

 

[RuudtheRed]

I credit him when it's due but he was awful against Burnley. I don't know if it was an issue with his top speed and acceleration being lacking or a lack of effort/fatigue but every time there was a Burnley counter it looked like he was running back in treacle. I saw one occasion where Garnacho blazed past him to defend despite his head start. Kobbie never caught up to a space where he could make a defensive contribution in those instances. Rightly subbed off.

 

[lysglimt]

There was one moment that scared me - we lost the ball and he seemed to jog behind the Burnley-player back - and Garnacho who started 15-20 meters behind him and stormed past to catch up with the Burnley-player. That is what we have seen from our midfielders all season. They either lack the pace or the desire to win the ball back.

 

[kouroux]

There was one moment that scared me - we lost the ball and he seemed to jog behind the Burnley-player back - and Garnacho who started 15-20 meters behind him and stormed past to catch up with the Burnley-player. That is what we have seen from our midfielders all season. They either lack the pace or the desire to win the ball back.

I'd say it's a combo of being gassed and slow. I don't think he's been hit with the laziness virus yet

 

[Lay]

He needs a break. Looks tired in recent games

 

[Bobski]

I'd say it's a combo of being gassed and slow. O don't think he's been hit with the laziness virus yet

It is the massive space they have to cover. Eventually they just can't and at that point it looks like laziness but there are only so many full gas sprints you can make.

Ten Hag has crushed the midfielders, should be sacked for that alone.

Mainoo is also lacking in running power yet given a role that requires it. Sigh.

 

[kouroux]

It is the massive space they have to cover. Eventually they just can't and at that point it looks like laziness but there are only so many full gas sprints you can make.

Ten Hag has crushed the midfielders, should be sacked for that alone.

Mainoo is also lacking in running power yet given a role that requires it. Sigh.

Well said. The style of football is killing our players.

 

[Insanity]

He needs a break. Looks tired in recent games

And a structure. This unstructured high pressing and then running back after not being able to win the ball high up is not going to make any midfielder look good. Our midfield set-up this season is the craziest I have seen in so many years watching football.

 

[flameinthesun]

Well said. The style of football is killing our players.

Do you think there are players that would suit the style? I do agree that a lot the injuries we are seeing are due to the demands of the system. However the likes of Bruno, Garnacho, Dalot have the energy to play the system. I lean more on the side that it is killing some of our players but a lot of those players I think would struggle in a high energy system anyway and if we do want to pursue this tactic then we need some very astute signings who are not only of the technical level but also can physically play the style.

 

[kouroux]

Do you think there are players that would suit the style? I do agree that a lot the injuries we are seeing are due to the demands of the system. However the likes of Bruno, Garnacho, Dalot have the energy to play the system. I lean more on the side that it is killing some of our players but a lot of those players I think would struggle in a high energy system anyway and if we do want to pursue this tactic then we need some very astute signings who are not only of the technical level but also can physically play the style.

There are but we'd be limited overall. Chaotic football has a ceiling

 

[Red00012]

He needs a rest and more importantly he needs a new manager

 

[Andersons Dietician]

It is the massive space they have to cover. Eventually they just can't and at that point it looks like laziness but there are only so many full gas sprints you can make.

Ten Hag has crushed the midfielders, should be sacked for that alone.

Mainoo is also lacking in running power yet given a role that requires it. Sigh.

We are forced in to this style of play though.We don’t really have the elements to control a game and even that takes energy. We have 2 possibly 3 players that could play a slower more controlled game. Eriksen, Mainoo and probably Cas. However two of those the legs have gone and Mainoo doesnt have the speed or energy to cover for that issue.

Our CB’s can’t play in a highline because they don’t have the ball playing ability or athleticism to cover the space behind, The midfield can’t hold the ball and move it around which means lots of turnovers and people out of position which in turn effects the defence which means both these sections need to make lots of lung bursting runs. Then we get to the front line which refuse to pass and instead hold the ball trying to take too many people on in turn losing it, getting people out of shape meaning more recovery runs.

I really don’t know what people expect us to be able to do with all those issues that can’t really be fixed till a transfer window or 2.

Whatever happens Mainoo is going to need legs around him if he is to be the future of our midfield as that just doesn’t seem like it’s part of his game. He just seems slow. Could be cumulative fatigue setting in making him look slower than he is but hopefully the powers at the top can see what we need and will look to bring it sooner rather than later.

 

[MrBest]

I find it hard to fault a kid who has played 20 professional games so I won't. I expect him to be up and down but the trajectory to be up. I do have one major concern though. In his earlier games, the aggression to press the other team and close down the ball was much better than of recent weeks. Yesterday there was one moment when he literally was jogging back with a opposition player, who had the ball, yards ahead of him. You then see Garnacho enter the clip charging the opposition player down and Mainoo causually jogging like AWB. He needs to end this asap, it's like he has caught something off the other players. I also get that tiredness comes into it, but I believe that's the reason Hag took him off. He hands down deserved to be subbed, was a average game, but the issue we face again, our youth have not many to really look up to or be inspired by, they are the ones creating all the positivity. It feels like a Rashford situation again, man united badly managed him, and at 27 he probably feels like he's done so much, he dont need the try. This should be his peak and he should be working the hardest he ever has.

 

[Sandikan]

Has made a really promising start to say the least.

The slight elephant in the room is that everyone knows we have a massive gap in midfield. Mainoo is part of that gap.
Hopefully it's simply a coaching thing and the new manager will sort something a bit more sensible out.

 

[Bwuk]

His mobility can be a bit of an issue.

He needs someone with legs to partner him.

 

[E-mal]

He is from the academy and not on big wages so not bothered. He needs time but also needs better quality ahead of him and alongside him. Just not the right quality at the moment if top 4 is the aim. Has alot of maturity both physically and mentally

 

[Oranges038]

He's a kid been thrown in at the deep end in a non existent midfield. This team is just bad for him right now, don't see a way he can flourish and develop properly in there.

 

[Blood Mage]

Having an inevitable dip in form that you'd expect from such a young player, not too worried about him.

 

[Frank Grimes]

Slow as a wet week and a liability defensively. He's really good on the ball but we have to mention his flaws too.

 

[Glorio]

I hope for his and our sake that we don't destroy him.

 

[KjaAnd]

Unfair to play him next to Eriksen and expect him to hold the midfield on his own. He doesn't have the experience or mobility to that and he was exposed several times tonight - even if he also had his moments.

The combination of Eriksen, Mainoo, Evans and Casemiro may be the slowest "spine" ever fielded.

 

[Wheato]

You could stick prime Keane in there tonight, and he wouldn't be holding his own 3 against 1. And that was what Kobbie was up against. Completely isolated, and exposed.

 

[Lash]

Very surprised how slow he is, but plenty of time to improve that side of his game. Still the future, just needs help.

 

[Leftback99]

Way too slow to be chasing large gaps in midfield. Needs a system to hide such a weakness.