37
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 32
- Goals
- 5
- Assists
- 1
- Yellow cards
- 4
- Status
I would rather Mainoo doesn't play any games for England. Don't want any risk of injury and him missing the start of the league season.
He's fecking mint. I can't believe he isn't seriously considered to help sort England's midfield out, even at his age. Even Wharton deserves a chance.
Mainoo had to busy second half to the season so I'm fine with him only playing a bit part in the Euros.
The fewer United players in the England team the better. Just means the geniuses on social media have to pick a different victim for all the England hate.
The fewer United players in the England team the better. Just means the geniuses on social media have to pick a different victim for all the England hate.
Its not just social media, its so called "reputable" journalists too.
When you have journalists calling out a 19 year old in a friendly asking if he can play the 6 role, when firstly, it wasn;t his role, secondly, not seen any sort of articles about Rice after the last game.
100% but hey are just doing their jobs apparently
Football journalism and pundits have been unbearable for years, but they are worse not better.
I don't think Mainoo's passing is very good right now. He is certainly not in the class of passers when compared to like of Scholes, Fabregas, Kroos etc. What he excels at is keeping the ball under pressure, dribbling and moving it forward. His tracking back is also not at the very top level yet. I think he'll improve on those attributes and excel at them eventually as he grows and matures physically, and as he gains more experience. However, right now he is not the complete player that everyone imagines him to be.
I don't deny that he would be better than TAA or Gallagher in the English set-up. In fact, I think he is England's best central midfield player after Rice, but that doesn't mean he is the solution to all of England's woes. It would be setting him up for failure if that is the expectation.
Why is that comparison funny?
I can see the similarities between Mainoo and Dembele.
Dembele was a phenomenal midfielder, from what we’ve seen from Mainoo so far he has some of the qualities that a young Paul Scholes had with a knack for goals and the dribbling abilities of Dembele, that’s not a bad place to be.
Both were incredible technical players who were really difficult to dispossess.
If Mainoo could become a fitter version of Dembele, then we’re sorted.
Mainoo’s goal vs Wolves was classic Dembele, don’t need 50 sideways passes to find space, you create space on your own, this is peak football.
Last edited:
This hasn't actually been true for years.
He's incredibly talented, but at this point in his career he has a tendency to drift through a lot of games without impacting them or getting on the ball enough. Perhaps not so much when he's playing as the deepest midfielder, but when playing higher up games can often pass him by. That more than anything else is what I hope to see him improve over the next couple of seasons. But for now it's the reason why I can understand Southgate not being completely sold on him, but at the same time that doesn't excuse how bad Southgate is fumbling his decisions.
There is a huge gulf between "not yet very good", and "some of the best passing midfielders ever".
I don't think there is anything wrong with his passing. It seems to have suddenly become a huge weakness and liability of his in the eyes of some.
Same
All I want is for us to buy a healthy, strong #6 so I can enjoy the midfield of that person + Mainoo as #8 and Bruno as #10. Would be wonderful if we had a decent defense behind them
That is what I care about. With Southgate, England is hopeless whether Mainoo plays or not
They feed off emotion, both positive and negative, like some kind of heart worm.100% but hey are just doing their jobs apparently
Football journalism and pundits have been unbearable for years, but they are worse not better.
I'd rather he not play so he's not associated with the inevitable England shitshow. Journalists refuse to go after Southgate and the favs, they absolutely will go after the Mainoo and we know why.
There is also a huge gulf between saying that his passing is not top level yet and "it's a uuuuuge weakness and liability".
It has always been fashionable in the eyes of some to extrapolate some moderate view to the very extreme and then dismiss it. I wish it was not.
I think his ability to keep the ball and drive it forward with his ball carrying should be able to negate whatever current weakness he has with his passing.
Agree that's why Wharton is probably a better partner for Rice currently
The same Middlesbrough who thrashed us 4-1?
The last thing he wants is for Mainoo to have a blinder against Slovenia because the pressure to play him would be immense and that would terrify him.
People are so dramatic.
He is a major talent with huge potential who had some superb moments last season. However he wasn't dominating midfield or controlling games, often drifted out of matches for long spells between flashes of brilliance. Some of that was down to the dumbass midfield tactics that blighted the season but much of it is also down to him being a kid, being injured in pre-season and not yet having the stamina to be a 90 min force. Throwing him into international tournament games with the expectations he can be the glue for this England team is asking a lot.
He is a major talent with huge potential who had some superb moments last season. However he wasn't dominating midfield or controlling games, often drifted out of matches for long spells between flashes of brilliance. Some of that was down to the dumbass midfield tactics that blighted the season but much of it is also down to him being a kid, being injured in pre-season and not yet having the stamina to be a 90 min force. Throwing him into international tournament games with the expectations he can be the glue for this England team is asking a lot.
He's 19
Minor quibble: Could have been better positionally in some situations but obviously a step up from the likes of TAA and Gallagher.
He must be thinking of another manager being in charge if he thinks that
Southgate will still go with the same uninspiring XI and set up and scrape by against the Netherlands before getting thoroughly outplayed and eliminated by Italy or Switzerland the next round
That flick thought Kane should’ve returned it to him as he was in a shooting position.
thought Kane should’ve returned it to him as he was in a shooting position.He knows when to take the easy pass and when to drive or play it faster. Unlike TAA who just spams it over the top to the opposing defence or Gallagher, who doesn't appear to want to have the football.
Slovenia packed it though so it was hard to make or get space, but he offered himself up for passes all the time. That flick to Kane was delightful.
Tonight showed why Kobbie should be starting and he wasn't even at his best. However, as Scholes said, he has that ability to control games like Rodri, Kroos, etc. Not in the same way, as he hasn't got the long passing range, but he has the ability to dictate games.
That’s him starting for the rest of the tournament now. Dictated the game with his off the ball movement and simple give and go’s.
I'm really wondering what people are expecting positionally from him. So many seem to think he "drifts through games" (he was deployed in the Ten Hag suicide ball most of the season as a high 8, you aren't going to get to dictate much from that spot). But when he's tasked with playing high up the pitch, he isn't also going to drop deep and spray balls around like Kroos. He's not superman, he can't do every role at once.
It will come with experience.
Feels like Southgate has tried everything possible before selecting Mainoo. Like he actively wants something else to work rather than going with what most people recognise is his best option. Then he finally gives him a full half and he immediately shows why he is our best option there.
hopefully the penny has now dropped for Gareth.
hopefully the penny has now dropped for Gareth.
Just calmly took the game away from them while creating space for the other players to work with.
Thought he needed to be better in a positional sense. Needed to be closer to Rice in midfield. No brainer to start him.
I thought this as well, he was in a much better position than Palmer I thought.That flick
Some failed attempts to stretch the play with blind alleys runs that were so obvious the Slovenian players didn't even bother tracking him. No need to treat him as infallible.
He can play as a traditional midfielder but you lose a lot of his strengths forcing him deeper in a possession structure
I thought the same thing, to the point that I thought he may have been told to play as another '10' alongside Bellingham
Narrator: it didn't.
He needs some work but he's the most press resistant English midfielder. He has to start really.
- Status