His close control and ball carrying ability would be a little wasted as a 6. The reality is he can play any midfield role for us at a high level and fill a need for us. We need his composure higher up the pitch just as much as we need it at the back and it’s cheaper to buy a 6 with specific attributes than a top class 8.
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Each to their own I guess, I'm the opposite where I see Mainoo as more the Xavi type stylistically and not someone who should be developed as a final 3rd player. Train him to dominate the middle 3rd. Scholes also, yes he adapted but I also think that version of Scholes is a better player and more important for big teams who want to dominate than the version who makes the forward runs and looks to play killer balls. I think it's much easier to find players who can do that role rather than be the press resistant, controlling deep player. Pogba for me for example was the advanced midfielder, he wasn't a neutral deep like Mainoo.
Agreed. While it might generally be cheaper to buy a 6 than an 8, a deep lying playmaker at 6 is more valuable IMO.
His dribbling in tight spaces makes him more Iniesta imo
The problem as it stands is Kobbie as a 6 will have sole responsibility for defensive protection too. Something Xavi, Scholes, Pirlo etc etc were never responsible for.
Take that load off of him, let him roam as a 8 with predominant focus on tempo setting with an ability to rotate and drop in/push up/do whatever whenever the team requires it. Modric is the template I have in mind.
I don't think he's a 6 anyway. Teams are targeting him tactically and getting joy from it. Looks great on the ball, but defensively he needs to play a support role only and fill in spaces.
We haven't seen much of Amrabat Mainoo partnership. Fulham might be a good game to try it again. Casemiro hasn't been pullng up trees.
We should sign Angel Gomes so we can rest Mainoo now and then. We have nobody who can do what he does. England should also be picking Mainoo and Gomes.
We need to compliment him in midfield. We can dominate games with that midfield control if we can get those two midfield partners correct
He is just too good. We might have saved 100m. It's a shame what Greenwood did, we would have had two top tier academy talents.
Southgate would be an idiot to not feature him in playing 11. A mf three of rice mainoo Bellingham is the way to go.
Southgate would be an idiot to not feature him in playing 11. A mf three of rice mainoo Bellingham is the way to go.
My concern is that he's our best player and only 18 and we are going to work him to death and shorten what should be a brilliant career.
He can't play 90 minuted of every game for the next 14 years.
He can't play 90 minuted of every game for the next 14 years.
The boy is an 8. I did see one reply to me question asking whether anyone saw Keane or Scholes at 18, the point being Kobbie is undoubtedly better than either of those two at this age. What about De Jong?
I just see him as perfect for a 4231 as one of the deep 2. In a 433 yeah I'd agree I'd have him as an 8, but again, definitely not the most advanced. He can do both 6 and 8, but playing the playmaking role and not the ball winning role. He does his fair share, but you also need an energetic ball winner around him imo for best balance.
I know this question's been asked many times but is how the hell is he 18? Looks like he's played in the PL for years.
His age and importance to the team are interesting in terms of how to handle his career and ensure he has a long and fruitful career. Most teenage prodigies are close to ruined by 30 unless fortuitously beset by niggling injuries that ensure they are literally unavailable for a solid portion of games per season, which preserves miles on the clock in its own right.
Cesc, Owen, Rooney, Ronaldo, Fowler, Pedri*, Anelka, J. Cole all come to mind as players who played a hell of a lot of football by 30 and were shadows of themselves. Alternatively, Messi, Giggs, C. Ronaldo, Barry, Milner and players like this have had incredibly long careers, some with amazing durability, but my feeling is that in the main, the brightest, most exceptional teenage players are burned out younger than those who fully mature into their game in their 20’s.
re. Pedri, my immediate comment with him when there were gleefully stating he was eager to play every game and not take breaks etc. was that it’d be the ruin of him and someone should have been curtailing his PT whether he wanted to play every second or not. He doesn’t look like he’s going to have the career he should have and is a cautionary tale in his own right.
With someone like SAF and the staff he had, you felt that youngsters were in the safest hands possible to manage their minutes as well as keep them on the straight and narrow; with the needs must of managers having to think about self-preservation, I think the best way to avoid them even thinking of overusing youngsters is to have a deep and bountiful squad, which ensures the drop off is more smooth curve than sharp and pointed drop off. That way, even if you’re not some sage in protecting youngsters, the sense in rotation for maximum productivity and performance levels still makes it a logical choice to cycle your players and keep them as fresh as possible.
What I don’t recall much of is teenage midfielders coming in to top teams early and staying there indefinitely. Even Busquets (and de Jong?) was 20(?) when he came through, so Kobbie is well ahead of the curve with I think only Cesc being of such importance to a top team at such a tender age. It is pretty uncharted water, but there’s no going back now - he’s already too important to the team for that.
Fergie had the perfect balance of building for the long term while also prioritizing winning in the present. Eth is fighting for his life and only cares about winning the next game so I agree with those concerned about Mainoos mileage.
The new football people should prioritize the midfield and sell Bruno and Casemiro. We hope Mount can actually play football and sign two physical talented players with a view to play with Mainoo in our ideal midfield. Something similar to what Chelsea did with Enzo, Bissouma.
The new football people should prioritize the midfield and sell Bruno and Casemiro. We hope Mount can actually play football and sign two physical talented players with a view to play with Mainoo in our ideal midfield. Something similar to what Chelsea did with Enzo, Bissouma.
I like his calmness and how he kept things simple. Reminds me a lot like Carrick.
He doesn't have a lot of pace and hopefully with experience he make that up with better positioning. Carrick wasn't fast too but he was always at the right place and right time to make that interception. He will do well if he can reach Carrick's standards.
He doesn't have a lot of pace and hopefully with experience he make that up with better positioning. Carrick wasn't fast too but he was always at the right place and right time to make that interception. He will do well if he can reach Carrick's standards.
We need 2 more players of his ilk in midfield. Players that are supremely comfortable on the ball and receiving the ball in tight spaces.
Sensational today.
Sensational today.
The biggest thing we could do this summer is move Bruno on because he's largely woeful, and get a player in to compliment Mainoo and build the midfield around him.
Who knows. He might have that football cyborg gene in him.
There's no place for Mainoo.
Trippier - Phillips - Rice - Shaw in midfield. And three at the back. For safety.
Those abilities were never wasted on the likes of Busquets and Verratti in that role
Some people have this weird way of thinking that certain positions must not have players with extra ability, and that the extra ability is best used in positions where there is plenty of that. I don't get it either. It's a "well if you're that great of a player, let's just use you up front or as an attacker."
If anything, having Mainoo with that ability that deep will give United extra value, because other clubs will not have their deep midfielder with those abilities.
Extra technical ability will always be welcome in any position. If we wanna drastically improve our ball retention, our DM will have to be very comfortable on the ball, where that'd be Mainoo or someone else.
Anyone notice in the second half when he was out wide shielding the ball, trying to find a pass to a teammate, but seing they all stood around like statues and not making themselves available, he just nutmegged one of the defenders and dribbled past two of them with ease, then found a passing alternative. What central midfielder does that? A prime Modric maybe, but that is very rare! He's a real gem. Seldom do I get off my seat watching a central midfielder, but he's just that good. Him, Garnacho and Højlund is a really exciting young trio at the club. Now we need a couple more. Hopefully Amad gets into the conversation.
Well pointed out.
I think another thing that Fergie was good at recognizing the importance of support and social protection needed for young players. I think he learned from the history of Gergie Best and the mistakes made by/around Lee Sharpe that the biggest threat to the dedication and motivation of young kids is social interest, social expectations, anything out of the ordinary really. Many think that it’s the going out drinking and stuff Fergie was mostly worried about, but I think what he saw as most detrimentous was the being treated differently, being lsucked into interest in being someone different, selfawareness and loss of focus. Giggs was protected from media and social crews. He would go on a bender now and then, but he always kept his focus, whereas Becks was foisted out the moment he was judged to be too affected by the Posh attention seeking circus.
That aspect today is turned up to a hundred, and looking at the development of originally level-headed kids like Rashford and Lingard, who by accounts were nothing like Ravel Moreison or Mason Greenwood, I think it’s easy to see how they have been negatively affected by the unreal interest other people take in them. I am hoping this is one of the areas that Ashford/Wilcox will be looking closer at.
Yea, he is fantastic to watch in tight spaces with his close control, his low centre of gravity and his eye for a pass.
The defensive side to his game, while good for a kid, lacks a lot still for an elite midfielder, so I hope he will be used sensibly as one of seversl options in the next few years.
and with him being a local lad too people are crazy , what a bloody player though . one of the best 18 year olds i have ever seen and im old .
Agreed. Sell Bruno, bring in De Jong and a dedicated 6 and that would be the dream midfield for the next few years.
This lad is an absolute joke, just love watching him play. Really could be absolutely anything that he wants to be, I don't think I have ever seen an 18 year old so calm and so good in possession.
There's a beautiful simplicity to everything he does.
The passes are perfectly timed and weighted, his touch is always impeccable, he's press-resistant and has more than a couple of tricks to shake off an opponent, he can carry the ball...honestly...him and Bellingham in midfield for England is a scary prospect.
There's a beautiful simplicity to everything he does.
The passes are perfectly timed and weighted, his touch is always impeccable, he's press-resistant and has more than a couple of tricks to shake off an opponent, he can carry the ball...honestly...him and Bellingham in midfield for England is a scary prospect.
i dont think he is anything like xavi he makes me think bryon robson who smoked a joint
Absolutely ridiculous that he is our most composed player in possession. So good in tight spaces.
Not too bothered that he's not the quickest player because if you can get the right player beside him it will be fine.
Oh and that 'yellow card' tackle was great- fecking ref
Yes. Wasn't even a foul.
Yes, we need to stop demanding that he plays every game and every minute. When fergie first came to United he talked a lot about burnout of young players as it happened to him at Aberdeen. It’s a real thing and we need to be careful of over playing him at this age.
hard not to when he’s so delicious
He is terrific.
I agree with the posts above that he should be rotated well. Same for Garnacho and Hojlund. But we know our desperate manager won't unless he runs them into the ground.
I agree with the posts above that he should be rotated well. Same for Garnacho and Hojlund. But we know our desperate manager won't unless he runs them into the ground.
You could hear the Luton fans getting excited when he got the ball, a few oohs and aahs when he was on it. Going to be interesting to see what he is like in a couple years.
For the national team he sounds like a perfect combination with Rice and Bellingham on paper too.
In a way it's good that he looks more of an #8 because we should be looking to replace Casemiro anyway, so Mainoo + 2 is the way to go (I do think Bruno time is coming to an end here, especially once we get a new manager we'll be looking to offload one of him or Mount most likely).
Underestimating the importance of a functioning high quality midfield. We’ve been making the same mistake for 10 years.
Can we please keep playing him deep (controlling 8 or 6) and get another quality player to match him.
Can we please keep playing him deep (controlling 8 or 6) and get another quality player to match him.
It's understandable that him being a United youth product that people will compare him to Scholes, but I see his gait, and the moves he makes in tight space while close controlling the ball and I see Seedorf.
Our biggest issue is that he's already our best midfielder so if we're not playing him we're actively making the team worse. I think he should be fine this season though as we're already out of 2 competitions and he missed the entire first half of the campaign as is.
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