[Catalandevil]

He’s clearly talented, and we’re lucky to have him. While he’s still regaining his rhythm after the injury, he needs coaching to simplify his game. Not every moment calls for a highlight-reel move.

 

[vva]

He’s so slow, lack of aggression and urgency, also very limit on passing range. It’s not worth at all to build the team around him.

 

[Cela shomana]

I'm very worried about him. His deficiencies have been exposed this season. This season, he has been playing in gear two throughout the games. He is struggling to move. Good ball control and that is it. His short passes mostly are behind targeted player. His long range passes are average at best. His passes between the lines are non-existent. Too slow to cover the ground or close opponent players. I just hope he is off form, I believe he can do much better that this. For me his best game was against Everton last season. During that game, he displayed all the qualities of a great midfielder. What happened to him? I really loved what I saw last season

 

[Bobski]

He was much more attack minded in the youth teams so I think he can do it to a degree if that's his role.

If he can do it well enough is another question

He would have a lot of pressing responsibility in a 10 role, given his current stamina levels it would be a struggle for him.

 

[sillwuka]

Will Mainoo's lack of pace hamper him? Few of us had concerns about his mobility and I'm worried he's not dynamic enough.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

He would have a lot of pressing responsibility in a 10 role, given his current stamina levels it would be a struggle for him.

Yeah I'm not saying it's a no brainer fit, just would be interested to see him in a role where he's mostly a final third player.

Because right now I'm not sure what he really is best suited for. A technical, tight space dribbling CM is great but you have to have more to your game than that.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Will Mainoo's lack of pace hamper him? Few of us had concerns about his mobility and I'm worried he's not dynamic enough.

I don't think it would as much if he was a better progressive passer and had more range/creativity. Give Mainoo a Pogba esque variety of passes in his locker and it wouldn't be an issue much at all that he's a bit slow because his strengths would outweigh the weaknesses. But right now he basically only really plays it sideways or back unless it's some neat tight spaces short pass

 

[Godfather]

Still has a lot of learning to do. Which is natural at his age.

 

[Oranges038]

Fecked up for the third goal.

Not ready to be a regular starter or a main player in midfield for Utd.

 

[Insanity]

He really needs to work on his passing if he has to become a top player. He does so many good things but the lack of pace really hampers him. To compensate for that he really needs to show a better vision and better passing.

 

[Strats]

Well, hope this is just a ”sophomore slump” as the yanks describe it.

Can see bits and pieces of last years quality, but has become too sloppy and isn’t making the best decisions. Last goal(think it was) could have easily been avoided if he just kept it simple.

 

[imonkmc]

He takes a second or two extra to pass and invites pressure and most of the times there is no need for it. It’s even more important when other partner is not ugarte.

 

[DWelbz19]

I think his poor passing is the biggest problem. I think he over dribbles because he knows he doesn't have a reliable pass on him - especially anything more than 15 yards

I think this is the issue, too. If you look at the stats and what percentile he falls in for progressive passes, it’s obscenely low. Especially for a central midfielder playing for Manchester United. I think you could caveat some of it under ten Hag’s atrocious system, but now we are outpossessing most teams we play he is just as weak in that regard as before.

Is it timidity or is it a lack of ability to do it? Either answer isn’t pleasing.

 

[klayton88]

Will Mainoo's lack of pace hamper him? Few of us had concerns about his mobility and I'm worried he's not dynamic enough.

He's simply not good enough in other areas to compensate for his lack of agility/speed. Looks lost out there but thinks he's Pogba.

 

[McFred]

Staggering to take off Ugarte while Mainoo stayed on the pitch. Genuinely not sure where Mainoo fits in, he’s slower than coastal erosion

 

[DownRiver]

The virus has infected him, it was bound to happen. How does the Kobbie coming from the u-18 is better than the current state of Kobbie?

I am also tired of his chips which are easily intercepted at every chance.

 

[Daydreamer]

As an outsider looking in, I think he was overhyped last season because he had strengths that are both rare in young player and were in short supply in the United squad as he was breaking through, particularly his first touch, composure and bravery in possession.

The problem is, while rare for young players (and United players while you deal with the mess successive managers have made of the squad), those attributes are actually fairly standard for a PL midfielder. You’re supposed to have a good touch. You’re supposed to show a decent amount of composure. You’re supposed to show for the ball.

Mainoo looked brilliant because he had the assured attitude of a PL player from his debut. That’s a clear sign of accelerated development, but it’s a mistake to assume that therefore his trajectory will be linear. He might just be a player that’s comfortable putting his foot on the ball in the middle of the park. And if he has other weaknesses in his game that he is unable to improve (or compensate for) then he isn’t ready for the first team and may never be a top player.

I said much of this in the ‘£100m for Mainoo?’ thread and got shouted down as I was told he is some sort of unique profile. But as far as I can see he isn’t. He’s just a young player with a great deal of potential that he may or may not fulfill

 

[The Serpent]

As an outsider looking in, I think he was overhyped last season because he had strengths that are both rare in young player and were in short supply in the United squad as he was breaking through, particularly his first touch, composure and bravery in possession.

The problem is, while rare for young players (and United players while you deal with the mess successive managers have made of the squad), those attributes are actually fairly standard for a PL midfielder. You’re supposed to have a good touch. You’re supposed to show a decent amount of composure. You’re supposed to show for the ball.

Mainoo looked brilliant because he had the assured attitude of a PL player from his debut. That’s a clear sign of accelerated development, but it’s a mistake to assume that therefore his trajectory will be linear. He might just be a player that’s comfortable putting his foot on the ball in the middle of the park. And if he has other weaknesses in his game that he is unable to improve (or compensate for) then he isn’t ready for the first team and may never be a top player.

I said much of this in the ‘£100m for Mainoo?’ thread and got shouted down as I was told he is some sort of unique profile. But as far as I can see he isn’t. He’s just a young player with a great deal of potential that he may or may not fulfill

Completely agree and we have a habit of overrating academy players who look semi decent. I remember in the summer Collyer guy ran around and put in a few decent challenges in pre season and many were clamouring saying he needs to be in the team when he looked like a mctominay regen but without the eye for goal.

I think Mainoo can be a good squad player, but the hype I never got he's not very athletic or a great tackler he's good at making cute turns and retaining the ball, but nothing screamed generational talent to me.

 

[lex talionis]

The answer is as simple as the predictable sophomore slump, a disease which afflicts almost every professional athlete in almost every sport. Mainoo was outstanding last season and there is an elite footballer there, but he's well off what we saw from him last season. Whether he can ever return to his form last season is an open question, but those who question whether his talents fit in Amorim's system may be onto something. Maybe, as pretty much every player in the squad bar Amad and until the last few games Onana and Mazraoui has been disappointing this season for whatever reason.

When shit grows around you, sometimes it grows on you.

In any event, there was zero chance Mainoo was ever going to maintain the kind of form in his second season that we saw in his first season. Keep playing him, rotating when necessary, and take it easy when his performances are nothing more than competent but far from outstanding.

 

[Mike Smalling]

As an outsider looking in, I think he was overhyped last season because he had strengths that are both rare in young player and were in short supply in the United squad as he was breaking through, particularly his first touch, composure and bravery in possession.

The problem is, while rare for young players (and United players while you deal with the mess successive managers have made of the squad), those attributes are actually fairly standard for a PL midfielder. You’re supposed to have a good touch. You’re supposed to show a decent amount of composure. You’re supposed to show for the ball.

Mainoo looked brilliant because he had the assured attitude of a PL player from his debut. That’s a clear sign of accelerated development, but it’s a mistake to assume that therefore his trajectory will be linear. He might just be a player that’s comfortable putting his foot on the ball in the middle of the park. And if he has other weaknesses in his game that he is unable to improve (or compensate for) then he isn’t ready for the first team and may never be a top player.

I said much of this in the ‘£100m for Mainoo?’ thread and got shouted down as I was told he is some sort of unique profile. But as far as I can see he isn’t. He’s just a young player with a great deal of potential that he may or may not fulfill

Spot on. And I would add that last season he did things with a certain amount of ‘coolness’ and flair, which adds to the perception of a young superstar in the making. But it’s style over substance. Ugarte probably achieves the same in terms of progressive passing, just with a no nonsense style instead.

 

[Isotope]

In general, playin in CM need so much experience, especially if the role is as game controller. I have no doubt he’ll be a top class one.

It’s for club to decide, if we’re ready to wait another 2-3 years by giving him the MAIN role, or just bite the bullet and get one that is more “ready made” so we don’t gamble our season on him to quickly mature as midfield controller. Someone in the class of Ugarte that is immediately good to go.

 

[lex talionis]

Spot on. And I would add that last season he did things with a certain amount of ‘coolness’ and flair, which adds to the perception of a young superstar in the making. But it’s style over substance. Ugarte probably achieves the same in terms of progressive passing, just with a no nonsense style instead.

Ridiculous. Ugarte's progressive passing this season is not even in the same galaxy as Mainoo's progressive passing last season.

This season Mainoo is off it and Ugarte has grown into the role, but Ugarte is no fantastic progressive passer by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[El Jefe]

Someone like Mainoo should be the only player of his type in our team so at least we are covered with all the other players from an athleticism point of view. A bit like when Thiago was in the Liverpool lineup.

We had Mainoo playing pretty much next to or around Maguire and Martinez.

His performance individually was terrible but we aren’t helping ourselves playing so many slow players at once.

 

[Isotope]

But then it’s hard to know with these kids. I was 99.9% sure Welbeck, Macheda, Greenwood, Januzaj, and those Brazilian twins would be world class. And now…

 

[Mike Smalling]

Ridiculous. Ugarte's progressive passing this season is not even in the same galaxy as Mainoo's progressive passing last season.

This season Mainoo is off it and Ugarte has grown into the role, but Ugarte is no fantastic progressive passer by any stretch of the imagination.

I’m not saying he is. It’s just that Mainoo isn’t one either.

 

[sirAlexsglasses]

Staggering to take off Ugarte while Mainoo stayed on the pitch. Genuinely not sure where Mainoo fits in, he’s slower than coastal erosion

I’d like to think it was because he was already on a yellow and there was a risk of another,.

 

[criticalanalysis]

Ridiculous. Ugarte's progressive passing this season is not even in the same galaxy as Mainoo's progressive passing last season.

This season Mainoo is off it and Ugarte has grown into the role, but Ugarte is no fantastic progressive passer by any stretch of the imagination.

Mainoo did most of his progression through ball carries and one-twos. He did do occasional switches of play or more incisive passes but he was by no means anything particularly special with his actual passing but we gave that an erm, pass, because he's young and he was playing ETH's no midfield set up.

It's very fair to compare Ugarte's passing to be as progressive as Mainoo because the Uruguayan keeps things simple but with good speed, momentum and consistently picking the right options. In fact, I don't think it's harsh to say he's better but that's bit of a misnomer as Ugarte's role is different and he's vastly more experienced.

 

[Hammondo]

The answer is as simple as the predictable sophomore slump, a disease which afflicts almost every professional athlete in almost every sport. Mainoo was outstanding last season and there is an elite footballer there, but he's well off what we saw from him last season. Whether he can ever return to his form last season is an open question, but those who question whether his talents fit in Amorim's system may be onto something. Maybe, as pretty much every player in the squad bar Amad and until the last few games Onana and Mazraoui has been disappointing this season for whatever reason.

When shit grows around you, sometimes it grows on you.

In any event, there was zero chance Mainoo was ever going to maintain the kind of form in his second season that we saw in his first season. Keep playing him, rotating when necessary, and take it easy when his performances are nothing more than competent but far from outstanding.

He wasn't outstanding last season though, he just did well for a youngster.

 

[fallengt]

His worst game in United shirt so far.
Not the same player since world cup.
As matter of fact, I can't think of a single half decent game he played this season . He wasn't that amazing, last season to begin with.
He needs to work his way to starting lineup

 

[lsd]

Has struggled in this system but I think he's talented enough to work out what is expected of him. Certainly far bigger problems for Amorim

 

[Baneofthegame]

Needs to play in one of the 10 positions for me, some of his passing has become very lax at times.

 

[T00lsh3d]

Staggering to take off Ugarte while Mainoo stayed on the pitch. Genuinely not sure where Mainoo fits in, he’s slower than coastal erosion

That is a quite fantastic phrase

 

[T00lsh3d]

Honestly, we should sell him for 100M….

 

[RedIan]

To slow. End of.

 

[Red_toad]

Very poor in the first half, much improved in the second. Not sure why he’s been singled out? We shouldn’t expect a teenager to be sorting out the structural issues within the team.

 

[RDCR07]

It’s as if he didn’t like the firing of Ten Hag and choosing to not play for Amorim. Thats how bad his performances have been.

 

[FortunaUtd]

It's rather typical that a fantastic breakout season from a very young player is followed by a season where they are struggling and in poor form. Still only 19 after all.

 

[spiriticon]

It's strange, I always rated his brain as his best attribute, but he can't seem to keep up with the intensity at the moment.

 

[Lyng]

Very young and there will be games like today. Still a huge talent. Just needs proper coaching and should not be starting

 

[sammyhol]

Starting to get that “too casual” feeling I used to get from Berbatov, and to a much greater degree Martial.

Everything looks elegant, calm and relaxed, but when the intensity is high, just looks too laid back.