He should considering the fact that Eriksen and Collyer are backups.
37
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 13
- Goals
- 0
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 5
This. He’s a great talent but he’s not actually good enough to be starting all the time for a top side. We’re in a weird place where we are not a top side though but still have the clout and expectations of one.
It’s a colossal failure that we haven’t got in two truly class players to help him develop properly
Not sure what we can expect from the lad, I feel genuinely sorry for him having to play in a midfield two that gets outnumbered by pretty much every team in the league and has no protection from more experienced players in the team.
We are going to run the kid into the ground by over relying on him, when he should be dipping in and out of the team to start.
We are going to run the kid into the ground by over relying on him, when he should be dipping in and out of the team to start.
Like others have said, probably shouldn't be an every week starter. Needs to be developed and used at the correct time. We need to be careful don't ruin him.
A few good moments but all up wasn't great against Liverpool
A few good moments but all up wasn't great against Liverpool
He is starting on merit. Just like Pedri at Barca and Yamal and all the other teenagers starting at top clubs
I also think he's starting on merit and hope the next manager we hire actually prioritizes a midfield, so Mainoo can develop even more.
Yes, the team was also not properly set up for the way Liverpool was pressing.
Not many were, but at times his lack of pace is quite glaring. He needs quick outlets for passing and not to be running up and down the pitch like a lunatic because we can't keep possession.
I am very confident that if we don’t move him 15 yards further forward, he won’t make it here and will mot be this player that it’s seemingly been taken for granted that he will become.
I do understand what you’re saying, but I think that’s due to their positions on the field. Both wingers and strikers can be world class but still effectively negated from a game. We’ve seen it happen to Haaland in the past but it will have happened to all forwards. It’s virtually impossible to be starved of the opportunity to be in the game when you play in Mainoo’s position, so I think the expectation is different.
When I saw him in the youth teams, he was largely played in that area. I think he even played a couple of times on the left wing for England u-19. He's quite similar to Pogba in this regard, although the latter was more adept at playing deeper due to his passing range despite his defensive flaws.
Anyway, don't think we'll see him as the most advanced midfielder for quite some time because of Bruno.
Can't predict whether Mainoo would start as advanced midfielder or not here in future , but can confidently say Bruno is done here most probably he would be moved on next season or at worst he won't be a starter .
Like Ten Hag extension Bruno's contract renewal seems an attempt to buy bit more time to get things in order before going absolutely nuclear from Ineos .
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Horrible management for him.
He's been played way too much, didn't have much time during the summer and went back straight playing 90 mins every game.
This is exactly where we should have used our money (and let Eriksen leave) on another number 8 because appart Casemiro/Ugarte and him, our midfield options are horrible
He's been played way too much, didn't have much time during the summer and went back straight playing 90 mins every game.
This is exactly where we should have used our money (and let Eriksen leave) on another number 8 because appart Casemiro/Ugarte and him, our midfield options are horrible
His best position would be as a box-to-box/free role next to Ugarte and another defensively competent midfielder with Kobbie furthest of the three. But that would mean dropping Bruno so it’s not hapening for at least another 3 years.
Surely another midfielder was more of a priority the de ligt
I completely agree with this. I think Kobbie should be our Modric playing the more advanced of the three and progress forward with ball carrying and link up, Ugarte can be our Casemiro and then we should find a deep lying playmaker that can progress the play forward with passing and to dictate tempo - our very own Kroos lite. Unfortunately for us, these players don't come around often. I'm sure there are some with similar qualities around, maybe Angelo Stiller from Stuttgart or Exequiel Palacios from Leverkusen.
On the third goal, isn't that a clear foul? Similar to Bruno in the FA Cup match, he has his body between the player and ball, and just gets gone through from behind with a clear shove. Feels like one we just don't get. Maybe if he screams and holds his back and does a few rolls next time.
The midfield set up you describe is exactly the right way to go. Ugarte is the Kante. We need that Matic guy who can sit and dictate play. Then we need to find rotation options for those three positions. Complete overhaul of midfield really.
Ugarte, Mainoo and potentially one of Collyer or Kone can be part of our midfield options. We need at least two or three more.
I hope the penny drops on this sooner than later. He would thrive as the most attacking midfielder in a 3 and that's what I think is his best position at this point in his career. We are running him to the ground in this stupid midfield set-up having him play in a B2B role.
I think his growth spurt and strength means he'll move backwards before moving forwards.
Whether that's a good or bad idea I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if the thinking is Ugarte will be the box to box midfielder and do the leg work whilst Mainoo sits in more.
Yeah, I thought that was a shocker. Didn't matter much in the grand scheme, we deserved to lose 3-0 because the performance was awful but still, it was really poor refereeing.
I know the bar is a bit higher now and lots of niggly stuff is let go, but surely barging into a player from behind should still be a foul.
Pretty sure one of ours did that to a Liverpool player at another point in the game and a foul was given, so no consistency, poor refereeing that led to a goal.
Yeah it was a clear foul. Nobody even bothered to appeal for it. Sums it all up.
Amazing player. He's so comfortable on the ball compared to everyone else.
Just to hone in on potential pitfalls though, he's capable of a lot of running but his lack of athleticism is something that will probably always be a weakness for him. No matter how much space he receives the ball in or how much ground he has to run in front of him, it seems like at least one opposition player catches up to him and closes him down pretty quickly, rather than him being able to take advantage and drive into the space. That's a thought I had during the match yesterday anyway. It nearly feels like it makes little difference if he receives it in a tight spot or receives it in a few acres of space because he can't move fast enough with it anyway.
And as has been said above, I think he needs to be pushed up further. The issue is that he is the only player we have that can collect the ball from the defenders. A lot of this comes back to me being really unsure as to whether Ugarte was the right profile signing. I don't know, I'm fecking confused over what our midfield is even supposed to look like
Just to hone in on potential pitfalls though, he's capable of a lot of running but his lack of athleticism is something that will probably always be a weakness for him. No matter how much space he receives the ball in or how much ground he has to run in front of him, it seems like at least one opposition player catches up to him and closes him down pretty quickly, rather than him being able to take advantage and drive into the space. That's a thought I had during the match yesterday anyway. It nearly feels like it makes little difference if he receives it in a tight spot or receives it in a few acres of space because he can't move fast enough with it anyway.
And as has been said above, I think he needs to be pushed up further. The issue is that he is the only player we have that can collect the ball from the defenders. A lot of this comes back to me being really unsure as to whether Ugarte was the right profile signing. I don't know, I'm fecking confused over what our midfield is even supposed to look like
We saw him play in a deeper role and successfully for England. The issue is his partners in midfield and ETH’s setup.
Playing alongside a washed Casemiro and a tactically irresponsible Bruno is just asking way too much of him both on and off the ball.
Mainoo isn’t perfect but his flaws are very easy to cover in a midfield three that has positional discipline.
Playing alongside a washed Casemiro and a tactically irresponsible Bruno is just asking way too much of him both on and off the ball.
Mainoo isn’t perfect but his flaws are very easy to cover in a midfield three that has positional discipline.
He needs a guiding voice next to him on the pitch...sadly United have Casemiro/Bruno in the midfield, and those two are a terrible pair to teach how to control a game of football.
I worry Ugarte/Mainoo is a very inexperienced pairing and will need time, so it won't be fixed any time soon.
I worry Ugarte/Mainoo is a very inexperienced pairing and will need time, so it won't be fixed any time soon.
They will both be fine together. However, they will need someone with them who will sit deep and distribute the ball. Not a number 10.
The elephant in the room is that as technically good as he is, he is also slow, weak and lacking in stamina. He needs more legs alongside him in the midfield. Ugarte will help but I think he needs two high energy midfielders alongside him who will play closer to him than Bruno does. A 433 system would suit him best.
I always knew about his lack of athletiscim and speed but yesterday really highlighted it for me. Our midfield needs more athleticism and stamina and those are two traits are what we should be looking for in partners for Mainoo. He's probably 2-3 years from growing into his body, getting stronger and having more stamina. We also can't overwork him at this stage, so we really need to think about bringing in Rabiot on a free. He has the athleticism and can rotate with Mainoo as the 8 whilst Case and Ugarte share the 6 role. Erikssen is just someone who will get minutes in small doses or in games where we will have most of the ball and won't be doing a lot of defending.
I worry about him, he shouldn't be the main man in a midfield at this stage of his development yet this is where the club is pushing him. He will need to be of absolutely elite mentality to deal with it and come out the other side a top player. He is a talent that should be protected and nurtured.
Speaks volumes that a kid from the academy has become an important first team player while ten Hag has wasted over £600m.
I do worry about the long term effects on youth players of persisting with ten Hag's incompetence.
I do worry about the long term effects on youth players of persisting with ten Hag's incompetence.
There’s definitely a lot he needs to develop physically. Looks very leggy after an hour and I’ve never seen Mac Allister completely take someone out like that.
But he’s young enough to get a pass.
Ten Hag’s comments on Ugarte after the game suggest Mainoo has a big job on his hands over the next 9 months. But I can see this being a tough season for him if the first three games are anything to go by.
But he’s young enough to get a pass.
Ten Hag’s comments on Ugarte after the game suggest Mainoo has a big job on his hands over the next 9 months. But I can see this being a tough season for him if the first three games are anything to go by.
Yes that was my thought exactly yesterday.
Liverpool closed Casemiro down very quickly as on Mainoo. The opposition now understands how Mainoo plays and have become more physical against him.
It was lunacy playing with just him and Casemiro in midfield against the much stronger 3 of Liverpool.
But Mainoo is definitely not the problem. He is consistently one of our best performers.
Not his best. Played with too much risk in dangerous areas and got punished multiple times. There's a baller in him, but he needs to imrpove on his decisionmaking at times.
He has to, because we didn't sign a CM, but otherwise I agree.
However, in our current situation, I'd only support the idea of not starting him if we brought in someone like Rabiot, or if Ugarte's arrival allows Mount to play a bit deeper, behind Bruno. Otherwise, the drop off in quality after Mainoo is too big. Tbh, he shouldn't be this important to us at 19, and we shouldn't be planning for him to start 50-55 games at 19 either.
Alongside Collyer he gets a free pass from me. Horribly exposed by Casemeiro and he's been one of our better players in the Ten Hag reign. He's probably the only person I'd put on the teamsheet for the next game before realising there are no other options than a similar team to what we played yesterday. Sad times.
Mainoo as the highest midfielder fantasies need to stop, as that's not happening with Bruno and Mount at the club.
We cannot have him as our other high #8 either, because Ugarte/Casemiro are not good first phase midfielders. We could have if we had a #6 who was good on the ball, but that's not what we wanted in the summer.
So he needs to be played deeper, both him and Eriksen, because they are the only ones who can take the ball from our defence and not look like they will have a panic attack.
We cannot have him as our other high #8 either, because Ugarte/Casemiro are not good first phase midfielders. We could have if we had a #6 who was good on the ball, but that's not what we wanted in the summer.
So he needs to be played deeper, both him and Eriksen, because they are the only ones who can take the ball from our defence and not look like they will have a panic attack.
Definite foul for me too, but we were in that weird situation where everything seemed to be breaking down and the ref seems to be just enjoying it.
The main issue I see with him is that very rarely does he have people next to him willing to actually play football. We simply don't have enough ball players in the middle.
I see where you're coming from, but Mainoo seems (to me at least) more consistent than the other two and further on in his development. Garna (who I really like) looks pretty awful when he's not at it and Amad (when he's not on it) is pretty much a passenger. Given how young he is I certainly think Kobbie has it in him to be world class. No guarantees on that front, of course, but with a bit of luck, sensible coaching and continuing to develop as we hope I reckon he'll make it.
He's our best midfielder and he is playing at senior level for 1 year.
Only young midfielder I’ve seen be almost faultless from day one is Fabregas, every other young midfielder would go through hits and bumps on their way to finding true consistency, Mainoo is no different doesn’t take away from his talent.