[Rozay]

Bang on.

Mainoo is a BIG talent, one of the best young players in the world. But he should be played further up the pitch.

Similar to Pedri, for example. He doesn’t have the athletic profile suited to play a conventional CM role. He needs to roam and sprinkle quality where he can.

 

[NoPace]

I have maintained since last season that the long-term play for Kobbie should under no circumstances be in the double pivot. Today we saw threat in the first half only coming from one side being Amad on the right, imagine if Mainoo was closer to a 10 / hybrid 8 it gives the team so much more fluency in attack and another position for the opposition to be cautious with.

Mainoo for all intents and purposes is more naturally accustomed to being an advanced 8. Playing him deeper though he can do a job is more restrictive of his capabilities to advance the attack further forward.

Odds are that long-term (let's say in 3 years post-Bruno and Ten Hag) we'll end up in a normal 4-3-3 like most big teams, something like this:


Garnacho-------Hojlund/Zirkzee--------Amad
-------------Mainoo-----------------RCM--------------
-----------------------------DM-------------------------------
Amass-----Lisandro------Yoro-------------Dalot

if we're giving Amass' potential the benefit of the doubt. We really need to spend big on some central mids, need to not miss out on on all the top CMs like we did the last 5 years (Tchouameni, Camavinga, Valverde, Rodri, Rice, Bruno Guimaraes).

Our future looks reasonably bright, just really need to produce or buy some central midfielders.

 

[Rozay]

Odds are that long-term (let's say in 3 years post-Bruno and Ten Hag) we'll end up in a normal 4-3-3 like most big teams, something like this:


Garnacho-------Hojlund/Zirkzee--------Amad
-------------Mainoo-----------------RCM--------------
-----------------------------DM-------------------------------
Amass-----Lisandro------Yoro-------------Dalot

if we're giving Amass' potential the benefit of the doubt. We really need to spend big on some central mids, need to not miss out on on all the top CMs like we did the last 5 years (Tchouameni, Camavinga, Valverde, Rodri, Rice, Bruno Guimaraes).

Our future looks reasonably bright, just really need to produce or buy some central midfielders.

I’ve been campaigning for this since last year, and the main reason I wanted us to get Joao Neves. I think they could have formed a brilliant double 8 together, basically Gavi and Pedri.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

Did a lot of excellent work covering for not having a left back during the period that we took a grip on the game. Going wide left about 40 yards out and pressing, defending and being an option to receive the ball in those areas.

Much needed at the time and helped us get a foothold in the game.

 

[DWelbz19]

 

[LawCharltonBest]

I hope we get a DM who can really help us get the best of Mainoo. That’d be more exciting than the actual signing itself

Pogba didn’t have the right attitude anyway but it annoys me that we never found the correct midfield balance with him either. Confident it won’t happen with Mainoo under INEOS

 

[Jimble]

is he getting a new shirt number? Waiting on buying my boy a new one, don't want it to be out of date a week after I order it

 

[Ekeke]

Stats wise one of his best games at United. I think on the ball he ended up making a few wrong decisions so theres more to come there. However

3 tackles, 5 interceptions to add to 4 successful dribbles, 4 times fouled, 3 accurate long passes - looked more confident in playing some distanced passes to spread play

So overall when you consider his defending as well as attacking that was a great performance

 

[Gomes]

Weird how other midfielders are gettting shat on. Was sloppy the whole game. Got Mount a yellow and lost the ball multiple times when he absolutely needed to pass.

 

[AltiUn]

Thought he was good on the ball but definitely caught napping more than once, should’ve been subbed 10 minutes earlier.

 

[bosnian_red]

Excellent 1st half, visibly looked tired in the 2nd. Needs to up his endurance for sure. He had the most touches on the pitch in the 1st half but didn't get involved at all in the 2nd. Such a quality player though.

 

[Ekeke]

Weird how other midfielders are gettting shat on. Was sloppy the whole game. Got Mount a yellow and lost the ball multiple times when he absolutely needed to pass.

90.2% pass accuracy, was tackled 3 times but fouled 4 times and made 4 dribbles. So more successful than unsuccessful and 1 unsafe touch

Just you

 

[kidbob]

Our best player just needs to sort out his stamina and get on the ball more.

 

[Fortitude]

Not match sharp, which is to be expected.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Weird how other midfielders are gettting shat on. Was sloppy the whole game. Got Mount a yellow and lost the ball multiple times when he absolutely needed to pass.

Did you even watch the game?

 

[lex talionis]

The boy was outstanding again. Did the scouts really know he would be this good?

 

[Pexbo]

Our best player just needs to sort out his stamina and get on the ball more.

His stamina is a worry for me too. No doubting his technical ability but he really does need to work on his fitness.

 

[MDFC Manager]

He's going to have to be rested a fair amount through the season.

 

[ArbeitervonWien]

Stats wise one of his best games at United. I think on the ball he ended up making a few wrong decisions so theres more to come there. However

3 tackles, 5 interceptions to add to 4 successful dribbles, 4 times fouled, 3 accurate long passes - looked more confident in playing some distanced passes to spread play

So overall when you consider his defending as well as attacking that was a great performance

I'm surprised, somehow I remember him mostly running into people, losing balls and having some good defensive actions. But overall my feeling was, that he's lacked the spark. Didn't solve difficult situations with ease, skill and confidence all the time as we are used to. We couldn't control the game in large parts and he didn't help that case.

 

[kidbob]

His stamina is a worry for me too. No doubting his technical ability but he really does need to work on his fitness.

I think if he sorts this and sorts his control of games then he will be incredible. I don’t need him to be constantly incisive I just want him to impose himself and play 100 passes a game eventually. I truly think that is the talent he has, he has everything technically. However overall stamina is likely what’s will allow him to unlock that. He’s still young though so hopefully just something he’ll develop. He’s absolutely incredible otherwise.

 

[Telsim]

Excellent first half. Faded after the restart and was rightly hooked. A lot more than you can expect from someone his age.

 

[pratyush_utd]

Will improve with fitness. Need to focus on how to last 90min

 

[Rozay]

I’m concerned about him. He is a defensive risk when the game expands and he simply can’t get around the pitch quickly enough. He’s a wonderful technician but I will repeat what I’ve been saying for months - I don’t think he’s best suited to playing as one of the first two midfielders due to the work required out of possession.

 

[Ekeke]

I'm surprised, somehow I remember him mostly running into people, losing balls and having some good defensive actions. But overall my feeling was, that he's lacked the spark. Didn't solve difficult situations with ease, skill and confidence all the time as we are used to. We couldn't control the game in large parts and he didn't help that case.

He did in the end several times, but by that point he'd already beat a player and half the time he won a foul. The other times he would try to go on and end up losing the ball so not perfect but when you add it to his defensive work overall it was very good.

If you just look at the attacking work it was accurate passing and mostly good dribbling but some overplaying and poor decisions at the end of some of his runs.

A pure DM like Ugarte would be happy coming off the pitch after 5 interceptions and 3 tackles and call that putting in a shift

 

[E-mal]

He can’t play in a two even if his partner is prime Kante, not mobile enough. We need to play in a three but with Bruno that will be difficult

 

[Dec9003]

I thought he played really well, tired out after an hour which makes sense since he’s not been back training for very long.

 

[Dem]

The boy was outstanding again. Did the scouts really know he would be this good?

“The boy” .. yikes. “The young lad” would’ve sufficed.

 

[Godfather]

Imagine him with Fred's lungs

 

[Poborsky's hair]

Our best player just needs to sort out his stamina and get on the ball more.

slightly afraid, he will be like this, always a little overrun. Hes got great touch and been good in flashes since he was promoted but hardly dominant player.

So stamina is key then he can also be consistent throghout the whole game.

 

[MDFC Manager]

I’m concerned about him. He is a defensive risk when the game expands and he simply can’t get around the pitch quickly enough. He’s a wonderful technician but I will repeat what I’ve been saying for months - I don’t think he’s best suited to playing as one of the first two midfielders due to the work required out of possession.

Exactly this. The issue gets amplified even more when paired with Casemiro, and everyone else playing ahead of these 2 keeps losing possession on a whim. It's not a sustainable structure at all, surely ETH can see this?

 

[ArbeitervonWien]

He did in the end several times, but by that point he'd already beat a player and half the time he won a foul. The other times he would try to go on and end up losing the ball so not perfect but when you add it to his defensive work overall it was very good.

If you just look at the attacking work it was accurate passing and mostly good dribbling but some overplaying and poor decisions at the end of some of his runs.

A pure DM like Ugarte would be happy coming off the pitch after 5 interceptions and 3 tackles and call that putting in a shift

The stats speak for themselves, he was probably better than I thought. Which is great because he clearly looks a bit rusty.

 

[chay chay okocha]

He can’t play in a two even if his partner is prime Kante, not mobile enough. We need to play in a three but with Bruno that will be difficult

Exactly this. The issue gets amplified even more when paired with Casemiro, and everyone else playing ahead of these 2 keeps losing possession on a whim. It's not a sustainable structure at all, surely ETH can see this?

It's a shame because he is lovely on the ball, but in his current guise, I agree with these takes. It is really tough for us to defend midfield transitions with a player like Mainoo. I wonder if adding a lot of athleticism and power across the backline would help to mitigate this a little, but Mainoo and Bruno just doesn't feel like a good fit currently.

 

[Bwuk]

Wasn’t at his best today. The lack of pre season shows. He was decent enough today and vs City but we all know he can do more.

 

[El Jefe]

You can see that he’s still warming up as he had a short preseason but he really impresses me more and more every time I watch him.

His ability to intercept and win some key duels defensively is really underrated. He had a game for England at the Euros too where he got really stuck in.

After watching Pogba so long with us it still seems a bit surreal to have a technical player of Mainoo’s level who is switched on defensively.

 

[kaku06]

He’d be an absolute monster the way Arsenal play. Ten hag’s style of football is gonna ruin him. This constant up and down type of football is not gonna get the best out of him.

 

[NotoriousISSY]

First hour I thought he looked like the best player on the pitch…and was playing like a legitimate midfielder with a sparkle of that forward thinking he has.

Then he clearly tired and it was correct to hook him off.

Managing his playing time will be very important this season, and with Zirkzee’s obvious quality on the ball and bringing others into play I think we might be okay.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Interesting seeing the stats above. They confirm my own impression. I thought he was excellent. Albeit faded towards the end, as usual. Don’t get the criticism at all.

 

[In Rainbows]

Was really good. Just tired toward the end.

 

[Dan_F]

His stamina is a worry for me too. No doubting his technical ability but he really does need to work on his fitness.

I’m not even sure he should be playing right now. He played a stupid amount of football in the second half of last season and then played at the Euros. City’s English players weren’t even in the Community shield squad.

 

[Bobski]

Interesting seeing the stats above. They confirm my own impression. I thought he was excellent. Albeit faded towards the end, as usual. Don’t get the criticism at all.

Yes, he was quietly having a very strong game until he faded in the last 30.