Is Mainoo the real deal?

[the_cliff]

Considering how well Mainoo has done albeit hasn't played many games, you can only wonder how our season would have gone if we'd had Martinez fit at cb and a base of Casemiro - Mainoo available most of the season. Considering our signings I think that was ETHs actual plan.

Hopefully we can get Martinez/Casemiro back soon and give them a run of games asap.

 

[Scottynaldinho]

I voted no. I just don't see anything special. He's a decent footballer and that's about it.

 

[SteveCoppellFan]

There is a lot to admire with this player.

Very good players seem to have that ability to make things look easy, he looks so composed when he has the ball and almost always finds the time to make the right pass.

We have had many midfielders recently that have never shown this ability.

I know he is young, but if we pair him with a technically decent combative midfielder then we may have finally solved our midfield issues.

 

[Matst1]

I voted no. I just don't see anything special. He's a decent footballer and that's about it.

I don't think football is the sport for you, if thats your view.

 

[Buster15]

He isn't the real deal yet obviously. But he has the potential to become a top player.

 

[Wing Attack Plan R]

Too early to tell, we have seen false hopes in past like Januzaj

Januzaj would be our best winger if he was still in the team.

 

[Thiagoal]

The only aspect of his game that I think needs developing is his physicality. He still looks a bit like a boy in a man’s game. His positioning, composure, passing and football IQ all appear to be heading towards elite level. Sometimes when tracking back he does look like he’s running in treacle so I think he would perform best with a beast next to him like Onana (Everton) But Scholes wasn’t exactly the quickest CM and he turned out ok with players around him that had pace and power!

 

[Jev]

Considering how well Mainoo has done albeit hasn't played many games, you can only wonder how our season would have gone if we'd had Martinez fit at cb and a base of Casemiro - Mainoo available most of the season. Considering our signings I think that was ETHs actual plan.

What are you basing that on? Do you believe he bought Mount for that amount of money without viewing him as a starter? I see nothing to suggest he was envisaging a Mainoo midfield.

 

[Wing Attack Plan R]

His ability to play a creative vertical pass is gold dust. As it stands Bruno, an only Bruno, is capable of playing those passes which makes us predictable and easy to defend against. Having two points of attack willl make such a massive difference.

Mount, when fit, also has this in his locker.

 

[the_cliff]

What are you basing that on? Do you believe he bought Mount for that amount of money without viewing him as a starter? I see nothing to suggest he was envisaging a Mainoo midfield.

Considering Mount can play Bruno's position and on the lw. Also considering he started Mainoo and Casemiro in midfield in pre season every game before his injury...

 

[cyberman]

What are you basing that on? Do you believe he bought Mount for that amount of money without viewing him as a starter? I see nothing to suggest he was envisaging a Mainoo midfield.

Reportedly only reason we went for Amrabat is because of Mainoo injury in the summer

 

[The_Midfielder]

That Garnacho pass was something else

 

[Isotope]

Said it before. Barca would have him as a starter.

 

[the_cliff]

Reportedly only reason we went for Amrabat is because of Mainoo injury in the summer

Also it depends on the game. A midfield 3 of Case-Mainoo-Bruno against teams like Liverpool/Arsenal/City. Mount would come in against teams lower in league position, he'd get plenty of game time.

 

[ErikElevenHag]

Januzaj would be our best winger if he was still in the team.

He really wouldn't. Januzaj was absolutely wank outside of his first 2 months

 

[Lynty]

Looked very tidy. But being a top player player isn't about footballing ability, it's about mentality.

He's young, he'll drop some stinkers, he'll be marked out the game or bullied by thugs for a few matches on the bounce. It's how he reacts to those poor performances and develops his game. You can't predict that.

 

[Ibi Dreams]

He has done quite well, but we cannot build this lad up too much too soon, he is so young give him time to develop.

Remember Macheda was the next big thing and look how that turned out.

Let Kobi develop without too much social media hype.

The thing with players like Macheda is that we get carried away with goals and don't necessarily consider their actual all round game. What I like about Mainoo so far is that he does the basics very well, to a standard that frankly is embarrassing some of our much more established and experienced players.

Basically, if you didn't know any better and you had to pick out who was the 18 year old making his first few starts, Mainoo would be far from your first pick

 

[bosskeano]

Kid just started and played at Anfield for the first time at 18 yrs of age in what like his third ever start???? ffs....the kid handled himself brilliantly

 

[davidmichael]

I voted yes but it’s very early to really tell, you can definitely see the potential there to be a great PL midfielder but he has so much dross around him you just pray it doesn’t hinder him.

 

[Lentwood]

The question posed by the poll is redundant, the answer is "yes".

The real question is "how will we ruin him?"

A) Hand him an 8YR deal worth £500K per week to ward off interest from City, ensuring he immediately downs tools and starts phoning it in.

B) Announce him as "the next Zidane" and stick him front and centre of every single PR and media campaign we do for the next decade, thus blowing up his ego to bursting point.

C) Consistently change his position.
Attempt to reinvent him as an AMC, as a ball playing CB, as an AMRC, then finally as a GK - all of which ends with him being terrible at everything.

D) Ban him from the squad and discard him for disciplinary reasons. Then change our minds and plan to reintegrate him. Then change our minds again and decide he's definitely banished. Or is he?

 

[Jezpeza]

Good prospect and exciting.

But I remember the new player bounce of the likes of Darron Gibson and Tom Cleverley so he needs time to show his consistency and also develop. But its us so he will be expected to carry midfield from
Now on in

 

[mav_9me]

I wouldn't over think it. If he's playing well and is fit I'd play him against anyone.

I can't believe anyone would even think otherwise.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

To me there is still a long way to go but you can see in moments the quality he has. Unlike any of our midfielders he could take the ball under preasure, move away and find a pass. He just looks calm on the ball like he has all the time in the world. So here hoping he doesn’t get broken like many players before him at United and actually comes through and ends up in a great United team.

 

[JJ12]

Too early to say yay or nay but he looks like he could very well be a top player. Excited to see him progress.

 

[TheReligion]

Play the lad all the while he’s fit. Play him alongside Casemiro & Bruno.

Those three providing a stable and reliable platform, allows one of them to be rested at a time. At the moment we’re making two or even three midfield changes and it torpedos any kind of continuity. The whole team dynamic is changed. We go from single to double pivot on a whim. It’s mad.

It’s not that mad when we have so many injuries in that area

 

[Gordon S]

Mount, when fit, also has this in his locker.

He does? Sure hope you are right!

 

[Licha-Vidic]

he'll be marked out the game or bullied by thugs for a few matches on the bounce.

Who are these thugs?

Are there more 'thugs' than Everton and Liverpool thugs ?

 

[poleglass red]

very comfortable with the ball, always seems to have time which is usually a sign of a very good player. Early days yet, but he looks a very good prospect. Not the quickest but in his role if he positions himself well he can negate that to a large extent.

 

[Camilo]

I don't think football is the sport for you, if thats your view.

Make sure you have the correct opinion people!

 

[NinjaZombie]

His composure and decision making is better than some of the starting cms we've had in past years. I'm not sure what to make of that. Is he really good or are some of more senior players really bad?

 

[neon_badger]

Looks like he's got something special about him, I'm sure he's taking everything he can from his current situation and playing in a disfunctional team will provide him with some valuable experience, sadly to really progress he needs to playing with better players soon.

 

[TheRedDevil'sAdvocate]

He's the kind of 18-year-old midfielder you'd see starting for Barcelona out of nowhere, with the pundits praising La Masia every time he got on the ball.

Hopefully, he'll handle himself and the expectations of others well, and he'll become "the real deal". It's mostly in his hands to fulfil his potential.

The bigger hope is that he's not a one-off and that our Academy will start producing more players like him.

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

Good prospect and exciting.

But I remember the new player bounce of the likes of Darron Gibson and Tom Cleverley so he needs time to show his consistency and also develop. But its us so he will be expected to carry midfield from
Now on in

No offence but they’re miles apart. I don’t recall any buzz on those two and I never thought they were anything bar bang average who’d be lucky to play their career at a low level PL club

I‘ve watched quite a few of Mainoos games over last two years and the last time I felt this excited/confident was Giggs. Arguably Mainoos performances are a bigger achievement given the pace and physicality of PL midfields… and he hasn’t got the back up/team mates Giggs had.

 

[Donut]

No offence but they’re miles apart. I don’t recall any buzz on those two and I never thought they were anything bar bang average who’d be lucky to play their career at a low level PL club

I‘ve watched quite a few of Mainoos games over last two years and the last time I felt this excited/confident was Giggs. Arguably Mainoos performances are a bigger achievement given the pace and physicality of PL midfields… and he hasn’t got the back up/team mates Giggs had.

Nah, he’s right, especially about Cleverley.

 

[Foolsgold21]

Absolute top prospect - really like the look of him so far.

A few have mentioned a potential lack of pace - anyone got any clear examples of this?

Haven’t overly noticed it myself as I think he carries the ball really well - or maybe it’s just the sight of a centre mid dribbling with the ball which is making me fuzzy

 

[royboy16]

Think so but Il vote after year two.

 

[Hester_manc]

He reminds me of a young Kanté

 

[Mr Pigeon]

Technically gifted and has the right mentality. If I was to find a weakness with him it would be that he's a pushover. But he's still a kid and I'm sure Carrington has a bench press so he should be fine.

 

[Widow]

It's been a few games, let's not get too carried away or put him under an unduly amount of pressure.

 

[glasgow 21]

Top Player and the evidence is everything around him seems to slow down when he is in control of the ball. He is ahead in his football brain.