If we could get another midfielder who also has that ability in there next to him I think we'd quickly see teams giving up on pressing us. It would also help us against the likes of a city or pool. Would have been interesting to see both De Jong and Mainoo together in a midfield in these tactics.Two instances last night (that led to nothing) show how/why he’s so good. sure it happened more than twice as well
both instances he received the ball off Martinez, already on the turn, and moved the ball in an attacking direction. On both occasions he beat a man/the press in the process.
Like i said, nothing came of it and the ball was recycled back, but in doing so, he has elevated us from a returned pass straight back to the cb…instead to giving oppo something to think about when he’s in possession
and because he is so good, he’ll draw more attention, creating more space for those elsewhere.
the guy is class
add to that…he then goes and scores an absolute banger. What a player. Said it few months back…on this trajectory, he should be in the England squad
It it’s the perfect example of why it’s so important to have technical midfielders that can carry and take the ball and turn. We literally only have Mainoo, the rest of our options are awful at it including our two starters next to him last night.If we could get another midfielder who also has that ability in there next to him I think we'd quickly see teams giving up on pressing us. It would also help us against the likes of a city or pool. Would have been interesting to see both De Jong and Mainoo together in a midfield in these tactics.
Part of me worries that we're overhyping him because we've never had such a midfielder apart from Giggs' brief stint at CM. But for any Spanish side (or really any modern side) his skillset is a pretty basic requirement. All different players but we've never had a player similar to Modric, Odegaard, Bilva, D.Silva, Pedri, FdJ etc. etc. I guess Pogba was close but he never really realized his full potential here.It it’s the perfect example of why it’s so important to have technical midfielders that can carry and take the ball and turn. We literally only have Mainoo, the rest of our options are awful at it including our two starters next to him last night.
Pogba certainly could do it but we didn’t really have any set build up patterns besides just giving him the ball and hoping he made a worldly pass so it would often result in the hated “dwelling on the ball” we’d see from him. Younger Pogba with Mainoo would have been monstrous.Part of me worries that we're overhyping him because we've never had such a midfielder apart from Giggs' brief stint at CM. But for any Spanish side (or really any modern side) his skillset is a pretty basic requirement. All different players but we've never had a player similar to Modric, Odegaard, Bilva, D.Silva, Pedri, FdJ etc. etc. I guess Pogba was close but he never really realized his full potential here.
I think it simply means you got a bit of close ball control and don't shit yourself if an opponent comes within 5 metres.I never really understood press resistant before. But this lad is it right? once he gets it, people aren't able to press him off it easily. he twists turns makes a bit of space and releases
I think Mainoo goes beyond at least what the literal meaning would be. He's more like a player who can take the ball on the half turn like you want from a number 10, but he'll do that and dribble away from a challenge in his own half with a cool and composed manner whereas there are plenty of number 10s who can fumble taking those kinds of chances deeper on the pitch knowing that the risk is much higher if they lose the ball. The likes of Fernandes and Maddison might try it and panic a bit under pressure when its on the edge of their own box, but for someone like Mainoo its the same as a kick about in the park.I never really understood press resistant before. But this lad is it right? once he gets it, people aren't able to press him off it easily. he twists turns makes a bit of space and releases
Held the mic like he was in the biggest cipher of the year.Hojlund is such a likeable guy
Hadn't noticed before, but a fantastic run by Forson gave Kobe all the room he needed. Not sold on Forson but have liked what I've seen thus far.
Thanks, he’s class.
Incredible talent. If we can add the right singing or two next to him midfield we’ll be dominating teams.
Hah I'm definitely over hyping because I think we should build the midfield around him. I think people are already talking about a Mainoo, Rice, Bellingham midfield for England. So there's definitely hype.Pogba certainly could do it but we didn’t really have any set build up patterns besides just giving him the ball and hoping he made a worldly pass so it would often result in the hated “dwelling on the ball” we’d see from him. Younger Pogba with Mainoo would have been monstrous.
And I think there is a difference between overhyping and just realizing a talent. I’ve said since watching his debut this year that he’s the best midfielder at the club. That doesn’t mean I think he’s world class or will become world class, but if you just watched a Birds Eye view of unnamed players his qualities and maturity/intelligence just stand far above anyone else we have. “Overhyping” for me is mainly done on players that go through a hot streak of goals/assists and start getting compared to genuine top players when their overall games aren’t comparable.
I doubt it... I watched Pogba loads in the youth teams.Pogba certainly could do it but we didn’t really have any set build up patterns besides just giving him the ball and hoping he made a worldly pass so it would often result in the hated “dwelling on the ball” we’d see from him. Younger Pogba with Mainoo would have been monstrous.
And I think there is a difference between overhyping and just realizing a talent. I’ve said since watching his debut this year that he’s the best midfielder at the club. That doesn’t mean I think he’s world class or will become world class, but if you just watched a Birds Eye view of unnamed players his qualities and maturity/intelligence just stand far above anyone else we have. “Overhyping” for me is mainly done on players that go through a hot streak of goals/assists and start getting compared to genuine top players when their overall games aren’t comparable.
While you aren’t wrong, just watching him compared to someone like Amrabat, Amrabat is far better as getting on the ball and getting loads of touches on the ball. He’s not as composed or press resistant as Mainoo but he’s far better as showing and is more confident taking it anywhere. I don’t have the stats but I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t touch the ball far more on a per game average.This thing about getting on the ball or making an authoritative stamp on proceedings; it’s really not so easy if your teammates shy away from that kind of football and are not comfortable enough to play combination football intuitively and improvisationally. If you aren’t good at those things, the very last thing you want is to be knitted into intricate and blindingly fast, clever chains of play, so when Mainoo ‘gives’, the candidates to supply the ’go’ reduce to crickets, which is why it is absolutely imperative to get in like-minded players who gravitate towards that kind of play and give Mainoo options to bounce the ball to and fro with, which would open up the field in a matter of seconds.
The kind of get on the ball and be instrumental with it you currently have here is primed for a Pirlo-type, who is the be all and end all of the play, rather than someone infinitely weaving pass and move sequences that are reliant on others playing their part to really get going. Even if we take the DLP version of Scholes, he still had a brilliant foil in Carrick to play off of. Xavi had Iniesta and Busquets; Modric, Kroos and so on and so forth.
Bottom line is Mainoo can’t be expected to do all that here, by himself, especially so when each action causes an equal and opposite reaction, as in, if he’s trying to chain here, he’s vacating his position and providing a potential exploit should the play break down (because someone else fecked the chain), so his prudence is well warranted in this team until the players are conducive to that style of play.
He scored from this starting position
He does, at the cost of being positionally ill-disciplined and quite irresponsible - Mainoo just won't compromise position to seek the ball and I think that's better for the team as we currently are, and for him given the way we play and the invariable consequences for our midfield losing the ball at inopportune moments.While you aren’t wrong, just watching him compared to someone like Amrabat, Amrabat is far better as getting on the ball and getting loads of touches on the ball. He’s not as composed or press resistant as Mainoo but he’s far better as showing and is more confident taking it anywhere. I don’t have the stats but I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t touch the ball far more on a per game average.
Amrabat is really good at that in fairness to him. It's just that he's not much of a dribbler and he's doing that thing a lot of players new to the league do where they seem genuinely shocked to have a defender or two on them instantly.While you aren’t wrong, just watching him compared to someone like Amrabat, Amrabat is far better as getting on the ball and getting loads of touches on the ball. He’s not as composed or press resistant as Mainoo but he’s far better as showing and is more confident taking it anywhere. I don’t have the stats but I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t touch the ball far more on a per game average.
I mean likewise Pogba was too good of a footballer to be asked to sit in a pivot without an actual holding mid next to him. Just saying the combo with those two in terms of in possession would have been absurd to watch.I doubt it... I watched Pogba loads in the youth teams.
He had zero defensive awareness. He would've left Mainoo alone in midfield with untold amounts of work to do.
Mainoo is too good a footballer to be stuck just guarding the back four.
From now on till the end of the season for his development I reckon he'll benefit a lot playing alongside veteran Casimero...
Oh how I've longed to see a press resistant midfielder for us.My favorite thing about him is that he can fool the opponet by using body balance .
Such a press resistant player.
This might come as a surprise then as the only 2 players who are truly elite press resistant are Mainoo and Martinez. Maybe Shaw to an extentI think it simply means you got a bit of close ball control and don't shit yourself if an opponent comes within 5 metres.
Kobbie is good, but I'd argue that every player in the United first team should be press-resistant as a bare minimum for technique
Could not agree more. To add to that he didn't want to do that part of midfield duties. I can see why one would think a combination of Mainoo and Pogba would be awesome on paper given their ability but Pogba never had the defensive nous or work rate for itI doubt it... I watched Pogba loads in the youth teams.
He had zero defensive awareness. He would've left Mainoo alone in midfield with untold amounts of work to do.
Mainoo is too good a footballer to be stuck just guarding the back four.
From now on till the end of the season for his development I reckon he'll benefit a lot playing alongside veteran Casimero...
Shaw is absolutely press resistant and so is Antony as well.This might come as a surprise then as the only 2 players who are truly elite press resistant are Mainoo and Martinez. Maybe Shaw to an extent
Singlehandedly kept ETH in the job. ETH owes him a starting place for the rest of the season. Build the team around him.This is the level of talent that should be playing in midfield for us. Not some bloke that treats the ball like plutonium.
@Yagami must be in tears of joy at the moment.Oh how I've longed to see a press resistant midfielder for us.