[mctrials23]

This is why you can't do what United have done for the past 10 years. Players knew (hopefully past tense) that if they showed any shred of quality they would be viewed as indispensable by the club and get silly contracts. That has to stop. You should be earning incremental increases to your contracts and the less experienced and less time you have been at the club performing at a given level, the less of your paycheque should be guaranteed.

 

[Lu Tze]

Needs to be paid like he's been a fairly average CM for a club near the relegation zone. What do they run for these days, 60k?

 

[AneRu]

This is why you can't do what United have done for the past 10 years. Players knew (hopefully past tense) that if they showed any shred of quality they would be viewed as indispensable by the club and get silly contracts. That has to stop. You should be earning incremental increases to your contracts and the less experienced and less time you have been at the club performing at a given level, the less of your paycheque should be guaranteed.

Agreed, the only way to put a stop to this is to stamp our foot down and say enough! If he can't agree terms by the summer then sell him, we should resist the temptation to pay for an idea or unrealized potential.

 

[Still ill]

Knives were already out before the « article ». He was hailed as the next best thing and now he’s injury prone and not good enough

Anybody looking for a bump in wages at the mo is rightly going to be questioned by a long suffering fan base. Any attitude other than a determination to get your head down and work your arse off can feck off. These are unparalleled times.

 

[Tosicsleftpeg]

I'm never fully on board with the media bollocks and saying he wants 180k seems ridiculous, however if it's true he won't be getting anywhere near that kind of money. I don't mind giving him a new deal with a small increase but he should be on 60k-70k maximum. He's had a good half season but that's it, this season he's looked like a classic talented youngster who's struggling in his second year.

 

[mctrials23]

Agreed, the only way to put a stop to this is to stamp our foot down and say enough! If he can't agree terms by the summer then sell him, we should resist the temptation to pay for an idea or unrealized potential.

Yep. Playing for a club like United can be a stepping stone to wherever you want to go if thats what you want. If you don't want to play for United then you can play elsewhere. You are unlikely to get the salary you want elsewhere unless you truly are a wunderkind which we haven't actually had for god knows how long. Perhaps Rooney/Ronaldo.

There is nothing to suggest that paying players high salaries when they haven't performed at the level that salary suggests has any positive outcomes. There is plenty of evidence to the contrary. Especially at a club like United where there is little external motivation in the form of competition for places, competing for big trophies etc.

 

[Ish]

Ignoring any sort of speculation or news, what is it that you guys would think he is worth if you were negotiating on behalf of United? I'd probably think a range of 80k to a 100k at this moment? 120k at a stretch as I think that's what Amad is on.

 

[Shark]

It's a weird one with Mainoo. Pretty much all of our players have regressed this season, and struggled with the system, so it's difficult to even judge his current level. All I know is last season, along with his performances for England were bordering on generational.

 

[Andy_Cole]

This worries me…

 

[Glorio]

This worries me…

Really? Par for the course. Players do ads all the time.

Kobbie's always seemed like he has good grounding. What worries me is his apparent lack of athletic ability. It's looking incredibly stark in this system.

When's he back? Anyone know? We need options

 

[Andy_Cole]

Really? Par for the course. Players do ads all the time.

Kobbie's always seemed like he has good grounding. What worries me is his apparent lack of athletic ability. It's looking incredibly stark in this system.

When's he back? Anyone know? We need options

Also on GQ, I’m seeing him too much and I’ve seen the same with Lingard, Delle Alli, Foden, Rashford. Minus Foden (for now), it ruined them.

Also seeing Palmer far too much. But he’s not our problem.

 

[Glorio]

Also on GQ, I’m seeing him too much and I’ve seen the same with Lingard, Delle Alli, Foden, Rashford. Minus Foden (for now), it ruined them.

You also saw the players who have succeeded. It didn't ruin them.

 

[JB08]

This worries me…

Why?

 

[Andy_Cole]

You also saw the players who have succeeded. It didn't ruin them.

Mainoo hasn’t achieved anything to be getting this much publicity. He’s too young for this exposure.

 

[Apokalips]

You also saw the players who have succeeded. It didn't ruin them.

Feels like a reason to complain to be honest. Blaming the most random thing for a player not reaching heights hoped for. Of all the things, a few adverts...not their day to day life, injuries, mental health, family, nutrition, them having as much potential as you hoped, etc. it is the fact that we are "seeing them too much" on the odd advert.

 

[Andy_Cole]

Feels like a reason to complain to be honest. Blaming the most random thing for a player not reaching heights hoped for. Of all the things, a few adverts...not their day to day life, injuries, mental health, family, nutrition, them having as much potential as you hoped, etc. it is the fact that we are "seeing them too much" on the odd advert.

Fame, arrogance and ego has something to do with this too. Players thinking they are better than what they are due to the fame they are gifted. At this age it is vital they are working their arses off to improve.

 

[Glorio]

Fame, arrogance and ego has something to do with this too. Players thinking they are better than what they are due to the fame they are gifted. At this age it is vital they are working their arses off to improve.

I know a kid who was an amateur school-level boxer, he got featured in an Adidas advert and we were all so pleased for him. After that, life carried on as usual.

Players do ads, and a lot of these sports companies like using youngsters so as to appeal to their target audience (youth). It's no biggie and I don't think an ad will make him think anything about his ability, it's a few extra quid.

I'd be worried at certain things but not seeing him in sports-related adverts/articles

 

[FortunaUtd]

This worries me…

It shouldn't.

 

[Mike Smalling]

He plays for the biggest club in the country, is homegrown and English, scored the winning goal in an FA Cup final as a teenager and did well for England at the Euros. Of course there is commercial interest in him.

I'm far more concerned by his actual ability than him doing a few ads.

 

[100]

I would’ve been gutted reading this last year but between the team performances, the contract demands and Mainoos individual performances / injuries - im not really fussed.

He’s a technically brilliant young player with question marks over his physical abilities and ability to fit into a defined role.

 

[Raoul]

Reminder: Please post all transfer chat in Mainoo's transfer forum thread. This is for player performances only.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

When is he back? I was impressed with him when playing in the 10 role.

 

[Matt851]

Really? Par for the course. Players do ads all the time.

Kobbie's always seemed like he has good grounding. What worries me is his apparent lack of athletic ability. It's looking incredibly stark in this system.

When's he back? Anyone know? We need options

Frankly the system suits very few of our players. Still think he is very talented but needs quite a specific setup atpund him

 

[V.O.]

Frankly the system suits very few of our players. Still think he is very talented but needs quite a specific setup atpund him

I don't think this is a system issue, seeing as the only place he fits in a 4-2-3-1 is in the double pivot, which is largely the same as doing so in our current setup. His stamina/pace isn't quite up to what you'd want and it's noticeable in both formations. If anything he can at least play as one of the 10s under Amorim and potentially suits him better.

But yeah, his absolute 'ideal' position is probably something like the role Seedorf had in that mid-00s Milan team, where he contributes with nice touches, ball carrying and passes, but isn't expected to run the show. All we need to do is to find a Gattuso to put alongside him, a Kaka to put in front of him and a Pirlo to put behind him...

 

[JBG]

I don't think this is a system issue, seeing as the only place he fits in a 4-2-3-1 is in the double pivot, which is largely the same as doing so in our current setup. His stamina/pace isn't quite up to what you'd want and it's noticeable in both formations. If anything he can at least play as one of the 10s under Amorim and potentially suits him better.

But yeah, his absolute 'ideal' position is probably something like the role Seedorf had in that mid-00s Milan team, where he contributes with nice touches, ball carrying and passes, but isn't expected to run the show. All we need to do is to find a Gattuso to put alongside him, a Kaka to put in front of him and a Pirlo to put behind him...

Sounds very familiar this "find xyz players to get the best out of him". Like a certain French midfielder we had, who struggled with much of the same as Mainoo, on the field that is.

 

[V.O.]

Sounds very familiar this "find xyz players to get the best out of him". Like a certain French midfielder we had, who struggled with much of the same as Mainoo, on the field that is.

Yeah, it's hard to know where to fit him in at this stage, but he's got plenty of time to adapt his game. It's fair enough for a 19-year old lad to not be the finished article and have too many holes in his game to be a nailed on starter in any given position. He could develop his eye for a pass and final ball and become a great 10, or develop his physicality, stamina, and long passing to become a great CM.

I think Paul Scholes was a second striker at his age, so we're not necessarily seeing his final form and he's definitely got the raw talent to change his game. It's not quite the same problem as 90m Pogba coming into the team in his prime and supposedly being the finished article and world class player for us to build around.

 

[Ceteris]

This worries me…

Do we need a thread for "Things not to do when you play for Manchester United"?

 

[Highfather_24]

Sounds very familiar this "find xyz players to get the best out of him". Like a certain French midfielder we had, who struggled with much of the same as Mainoo, on the field that is.

To be fair to Mainoo, none of our midfielders are well rounded players.

Ugarte/Collyer needs someone with passing ability next to them.

Bruno/Mount is a #10, and needs 2 players behind them

Mainoo is a ball carrying #8, who needs a #6 beside him with some passing ability

So the "find xyz to bring the best out of" applies to all our midfielders, because none of them are well rounded CMs.

 

[Matt851]

I don't think this is a system issue, seeing as the only place he fits in a 4-2-3-1 is in the double pivot, which is largely the same as doing so in our current setup. His stamina/pace isn't quite up to what you'd want and it's noticeable in both formations. If anything he can at least play as one of the 10s under Amorim and potentially suits him better.

But yeah, his absolute 'ideal' position is probably something like the role Seedorf had in that mid-00s Milan team, where he contributes with nice touches, ball carrying and passes, but isn't expected to run the show. All we need to do is to find a Gattuso to put alongside him, a Kaka to put in front of him and a Pirlo to put behind him...

I think he would suit a 433 in which he is the most attacking of a midfield 3 but presumably that would be a role Bruno would take

 

[Pexbo]

This worries me…

God forbid you learn about what’s happening in Ukraine or Palestine at the moment

 

[united for life]

Not sure how true the rumors of him wanting a 180k contract are, but if it is true then we should just let him go. It’s this kind of bad business that got the club to the state it is at. He is a good player, lots of potential, but he has done nothing to earn him this money. He as a good season last year, his break through season, nothing much this year.

I hope he stays humble and grows gradually in the team both as a footballer and financially

 

[Marwood]

This worries me…

I'm with you on this. Too much too soon. Over exposure, increased adulation. Great for the bank balance but not healthy for a young guy.

There's a reason we struggle to keep our young talents performing past that initial bursting onto the scene phase.

Not putting Mainoo in that category yet but can we get a young player through who is just low key?

 

[Andy_Cole]

God forbid you learn about what’s happening in Ukraine or Palestine at the moment

This a very weird response.

 

[Pexbo]

This a very weird response.

I’m glad you’ve come to your senses. Describing an Instagram of a footballer doing sponsorship commitments as “worrying” is peak pearl clutching.

 

[Garethw]

I know a kid who was an amateur school-level boxer, he got featured in an Adidas advert and we were all so pleased for him. After that, life carried on as usual.

Players do ads, and a lot of these sports companies like using youngsters so as to appeal to their target audience (youth). It's no biggie and I don't think an ad will make him think anything about his ability, it's a few extra quid.

I'd be worried at certain things but not seeing him in sports-related adverts/articles

It’s quite often part of their sponsorship deals that they are contractually obligated to do these shoots.

 

[RuudTom83]

Watching Mainoo's career so far feels like we have jumped from Chapter 1 to Chapter 6 without any explanation.

 

[Andy_Cole]

I’m glad you’ve come to your senses. Describing an Instagram of a footballer doing sponsorship commitments as “worrying” is peak pearl clutching.

Worrying for his football career yes. Not worrying to keep me up at night like the atrocities of war.

Considering he’s demanding £180k a week and a move to a top European club when he’s achieved not very much makes me think something has got to his head.

 

[Olecurls99]

Not sure how true the rumors of him wanting a 180k contract are, but if it is true then we should just let him go. It’s this kind of bad business that got the club to the state it is at. He is a good player, lots of potential, but he has done nothing to earn him this money. He as a good season last year, his break through season, nothing much this year.

I hope he stays humble and grows gradually in the team both as a footballer and financially

Yeah, the 180k request if true, is a big warning signal for me.

Last year he'd had a fantastic season all the way up to the Euros final, where he was poor.

That poor form has continued into this season but even if it hadn't, the idea of a 19 year old asking his boyhood club for 180k a week shows he hasn't got his priorities right. He should be seeking a modest wage increase and getting his head down to regain some form.

If his form continues and the requests are still that high, then I would have no problem selling him in the summer. He would warrant 100m for his status and age and that would really help us bring in 2-3 players with their heads screwed on the right way.

 

[united for life]

Yeah, the 180k request if true, is a big warning signal for me.

Last year he'd had a fantastic season all the way up to the Euros final, where he was poor.

That poor form has continued into this season but even if it hadn't, the idea of a 19 year old asking his boyhood club for 180k a week shows he hasn't got his priorities right. He should be seeking a modest wage increase and getting his head down to regain some form.

If his form continues and the requests are still that high, then I would have no problem selling him in the summer. He would warrant 100m for his status and age and that would really help us bring in 2-3 players with their heads screwed on the right way.

I would sell him for a 100 million in a heart beat. But who would offer that money for him? No way

 

[Olecurls99]

I would sell him for a 100 million in a heart beat. But who would offer that money for him? No way

English 19 years old, played in the European final. He'd have loads of suitors