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2023-24 Performances


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AneRu

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Why do people feel the need to make these wild predictions based on a few good pre season performances?
It's not just pre-season though is it, he has been highly rated all throughout his youth career, has earned minutes under a self confessed tough to please manager and is showing that his talent looks like it can match up at first team level. People have every right to go wild, we went wild with Macheda and no one died when it didn't work out so just let people enjoy themselves.
 

VP89

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It's not just pre-season though is it, he has been highly rated all throughout his youth career, has earned minutes under a self confessed tough to please manager and is showing that his talent looks like it can match up at first team level. People have every right to go wild, we went wild with Macheda and no one died when it didn't work out so just let people enjoy themselves.
A bit immaterial though. There's lots of youth talents with big potential, that doesn't justify comparisons to seedorf, Bellingham and a 100m player :lol:
 

Chip

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At first glance what I see is something in between Xavi, Modric, and Pirlo.

The sky is the limit for him and I will be surprised if we don't have a statue of him in front of the ground and a stand named after him in 30 years' time.
 

AndyMUFC

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Need to keep expectations grounded but it would be an added bonus if he could be a decent backup to Casemiro.
 

Trigg

aka Trippin_Stoned
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Why do people feel the need to make these wild predictions based on a few good pre season performances?
Why do people need to be triggered by said predictions. Whats wrong with a fan getting excited about a local lad?
 

RuudTom83

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Talk of £100 million talent, mix of Xavi. Modric and Pirlo :eek:

I like Mainoo but lets dial it down a notch.
 

Chip

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Need to keep expectations grounded but it would be an added bonus if he could be a decent backup to Casemiro.
That's insulting to the black Seedorf. Casemiro should count himself lucky to be backing up KM37™.

Or maybe you are just mixing things up.
 

jeepers

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Having fun and being ridiculous are completely different. What is obvious is he has the footballing brain to excel in an EtH team. He also technical, composed, measured and knows how to use his body well. The future seems bright for him. Hopefully he can make this performance against Arsenal consistently and not have any injury issues. Lavia is a year older and just completed a full season as a PL midfielder - Mainoo would do fantastic if he does the same.
 

RuudTom83

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Did you think that post was serious even when it mentioned statues built in honour and stands named after him
More a response to the OTT reaction in this thread and not a reply to Chip...hence it wasn't a reply to his post. But thanks for checking @Cutch :devil:
 

#07

makes new threads with tweets in the OP
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Oct 25, 2010
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Kobbie has impressed me in the sitting midfield role. I have always seen him as more of an #8 than a #6.

The telling thing to me is that he's not getting caught out of position, despite moving around quite a bit.

When box-to-box players are asked to sit they can get attracted to the ball and allow the shape to break down. We've seen that with McFred. So far we've not seen that from Kobbie.

Just friendlies but I feel like he's showing more strings to his bow than I thought he had.
 

Ekeke

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Just a reminder that Iqbal and Savage were getting rave reviews last pre-season
They did well, but neither of them were impressive physically and it was more a case of looking good compared to McTom, VDB and Fred's performances. Mainoo looks strong and quick and at 18 years old is playing as well as any of our other players in preseason

Of course he needs to keep it up for 90 mins and for more than a few games, but the signs are there that he should be playing at our level on a weekly basis and can step up like Garnacho
 

Bertie Wooster

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Why do people feel the need to make these wild predictions based on a few good pre season performances?
Obviously you get some OTT predictions, yeah.

But there are some who also base hopes that a certain player might make it here on years of watching them at the U18 and U21 level as well as any senior appearances they make. Not just after seeing them for the first time in pre season friendlies.

I'd seen Savage and Iqbal at youth levels for years, and really didn't rate their chances of making it here, so didn't go along with any of the optimism after their decent pre-season.

But after watching Mainoo at youth levels, he's an all round CM that I really do have some hopes for in terms of establishing himself in the first team squad here in time. So I'm pleased to see him getting some first team opportunities and doing quite well so far.

There's never any guarantee a young prospect like Mainoo will carry on developing to fulfil his potential and then get the opportunities here to establish himself. But he has a better chance than many of the young players coming through, so I think it's OK to be excited about him - but, yeah, some of the comparisons to the best players are obviously OTT at this stage.
 

Bertie Wooster

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Just a reminder that Iqbal and Savage were getting rave reviews last pre-season
As someone who'd seen them for years with the U18's and U21's, that always felt completely OTT to me and I never thought either of them had anywhere near enough ability to make it at United. So I always talked down their chances and I'm not surprised to see them both gone within a year.

Mainoo is a much different situation. He's really stood out at youth levels as an all round CM with a lot of potential. So he really does look like someone who could make it here. So it's very exciting to see him getting some competive first team games last season at a young age, and putting in some very good performances, albeit in friendlies, this summer.
 

Sparky Rhiwabon

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As someone who'd seen them for years with the U18's and U21's, that always felt completely OTT to me and I never thought either of them had anywhere near enough ability to make it at United. So I always talked down their chances and I'm not surprised to see them both gone within a year.

Mainoo is a much different situation. He's really stood out at youth levels as an all round CM with a lot of potential. So he really does look like someone who could make it here. So it's very exciting to see him getting some competive first team games last season at a young age, and putting in some very good performances, albeit in friendlies, this summer.
Sounds promising - hope he gets decent minutes this season, or a good loan. Certainly looked the part last night, albeit in a friendly.
 

Valencia Shin Crosses

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I hope he isn't just the new pre-season Pirlo. He looks promising but people are mad expecting him to deputise for Casemiro this season, it's too soon.
Eh I don’t think so. He’s looked dominant at every level even before this preseason and ETH has already said he’s not loaning him. If god forbid Case goes down I think this kid is a way better option than MCTominay
 

Valencia Shin Crosses

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"Martial...He's isolated Skrtel here..."
It’s strange how there never seems to be a nice middle ground on our top youth prospects. Some will mark every player as a budding superstar, and then others come in to immediately fight against that and think the player needs 2 more loans just for a chance to break into the first team (even if the kid is clearly more talented than current first teamers).

I will say one thing: no matter what happens, I do actually think Mainoo has a higher ceiling than Garnacho if both manage to fulfill their potential. Just think there’s a bit more sophistication to his game if he can continue developing.
 

surf

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Hope he can surpass McT in the squad hierarchy before the end of the season, which would get him plenty of game time.
 

AneRu

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A bit immaterial though. There's lots of youth talents with big potential, that doesn't justify comparisons to seedorf, Bellingham and a 100m player :lol:
The only reason he is never going to become a 100m player is that like Scholes, Giggs and Rashford he is never getting sold :lol:

Seriously thought a combination of size, technique, athleticism and a tactical brain bodes well for the lad. Long way to go though, it's instructive to remember that even Rashford spent a few years wandering around the first team discovering his game. You never know what the future holds for them, 'the one we shall not mention' is supposed to be winning Ballon D'ors as we speak but he barely escaped jail.
 

united_99

Takes pleasure in other people's pain
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So where does he rank in the top 10 players of the century list? Somewhere between Zizou, Modric and Xavi I would say :drool:
No pressure kid, good luck!
 

aeh1991

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The fact that he outshined Arsenal's expensive midfield signings shows he has got the potential to break it into the senior squad this year imo.
 

RedIan

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His potential was clear in his few cameos last season. He will get more game time in 2023. Potential to be outstanding but early days. He will Send mcfred down the pecking order imo.
 

Ish

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Excellent against Arsenal. Seems he will form part of the squad this season as we're not interested in loaning him out. Very excited to see how he develops.

Casemiro, Mount, Eriksen, Bruno, Amrabat (if we sell McT, Fred, VdB) & Mainoo as the 6 players competing for the 3 spots? Do we need more?
 

red.knight

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Mar 15, 2023
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Mainoo looked like a 1st team player out there against Arsenal. If he can go out there and consistently do that this preseason, I don’t see how one doesn’t put him on the bench this season. Garnacho last season, Mainoo this season and I hope Daniel Gore next season. Gore's a baller.