Kobbie Mainoo image 37

Kobbie Mainoo England flag

2024-25 Performances

View full 2024-25 profile

5.3 Season Average Rating
Appearances
37
Goals
2
Assists
1
Yellow cards
7
I don't think he's nearly agile enough to play in the Premier League. You don't need pace in midfield, but you need to be quick over the first few yards. Even a player like Scholes had that well into his career, despite his obvious physical shortcomings.

If it helps with FFP, I wouldn't mind seeing him play elsewhere. One good game in five is not a "young and learning" issue. It's fundamental.
 
Rockets Redglare said:
I just don’t see it with him in a consistent basis.
Yes he can be brilliant at times but he’s small, slow and weak and he has the engine of an asthmatic coal miner.
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Yep, unless you have a team displaying absolute control of possession (ala tiki taka), mainoo’s lack of physical attributes will be really difficult to overcome when he’s required to cover lots of space.
 
Doesn't influence the game in or out of possession. Has no passing range, isn't a creative force and is one of the most athletically limited players in the squad.

If we get £80m we should bite anyone's hands of. Doesn't matter if it's Chelsea...doesn't even matter if it's Liverpool.
We have zero room for 'academy lad' idealism in our situation (the academy lad asking for £200k p/w after 3 good months of football by the way)
 
Ekeke said:
He struggled but so did Ugarte who is 4 years older. And while he was playing against other young midfielders, he's 19 and they were 21. You could really see the physicality difference with Baleba who was the best DM, but also the better decision making from Ayari in opposition as well.
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Not only physicality — but again, my biggest gripe with Mainoo — the gulf in passing quality. Baleba made some excellent long passes out today. I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever seen Mainoo make one. There was one where Amad did a one-two and I knew for a fact the over the top return from Mainoo wasn’t making it
 
As much as it hurts me to say, unless he makes a leap I don't see him fitting into Amorims system. Him and Ugarte don't work well as a base and I don't think he's good enough in the ten role.
 
He has the technical ability to play at the highest level but unless he improves his athelticism he will never make it in the PL.
 
Should be a squad option and being brought in for certain games, he’s not a first 11 player. I said it from the start, he’s just not athletic enough to be a top quality player in todays premier league.
 
Second season syndrome. Looked and played like a wonderkid last season and has not been that good this season. Eventhough he did have some decent games this year. He will get through it, he has the talent.
 
I'm okay with moving him on for a large sum. He doesn't fit this football. Technically very gifted and composed, but too slow and physically weak. He could perhaps get slightly stronger, but he won't become faster.

He'd probably fit a possession freak like Enrique more.
 
A very overrated player that does nothing with the ball at his feet.

He is a better defender than a passer and we are really playing two CDM alongside 3 CB's and 2 wingbacks.

When you compare what Eriksen or Bruno brings to a midfield double pivot vs Mainoo creatively then Mainoo really struggles.

This is poor tactics by Amorim though.

You cant play 2 CDM, you cant play a false 9 with an attacking midfielder - he should have just started bruno at cm.

@Hammondo
 
I think his current skill set and physical ability works best in a compact midfield 3 where the ground he has to cover at pace and passing is kept small.
 
He is the second best central midfielder at the club. (Which says everything you need to know about United)

Doesn't really matter what happens in the match, it's him and Ugarte, there is no one else.

A 10-15 cameo by Eriksen or Casemiro doesn't fool anyone, and Collyer is just another kid.
 
Stadjer said:
Second season syndrome. Looked and played like a wonderkid last season and has not been that good this season. Eventhough he did have some decent games this year. He will get through it, he has the talent.
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It's this. In the meantime though, he shouldn't be starting in current form.
 
MattofManchester said:
Doesn't have the athleticism to be one of the two. He's so slow, it's awful to watch.

Doesn't have a passing range to make up for it either.
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Yeah, he's not cut for top flight football simply because he's a shite athlete. By now he could be already trained into a player who is able to run at least 60 minutes. He's too weak and slow for a premier league player.

Saying that, he deserves a chance to build his aggression and stamina with a new coach, because he's still very talented. He should just not be taken as guaranteed success, because, better athletes and worse footballers will make it before him if he doesnt do anything about it.
 
It's so tiring seeing young United players get built up and massively overhyped after a matter of weeks. If it were up to some of you he'd already be on that £200k contract. Thank feck Ineos can see through the sentimental shite and have said every player is for sale
 
Struggling in a two man midfield.

Whole teams lacks athleticism - but the lack of legs is especially felt there. We need more bodies
 
Posh Red said:
Who should start instead?
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That is the issue. You would think our 60m purchase from Real Madrid who is earning about 300k a week should be playing and teaching/showing Mainoo some things. It isnt Mainoo his fault he has to play because the player that should be playing is usually the opponent their 12th player.
 
He's 19 and will be inconsistent. Our problem is having to rely on him. So much of season yet to go so hopefully Collyer and Casemiro can be useful for us.
 
Stadjer said:
Second season syndrome. Looked and played like a wonderkid last season and has not been that good this season. Eventhough he did have some decent games this year. He will get through it, he has the talent.
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Fair and balanced opinion. I was worried about him earlier in the season, but with a few good recent performances and what he showed last season I had to remind myself of his age and second season syndrome. I do agree with those who say he's best in a compact mid 3.
 
As I have stated before when many posters thought he had a good game against Liverpool, he lacks the core fundamentals to become a CM for a club of our aspirations. Defensively, he has too many key attributes lacking and his strengths isn’t enough to be compensated.
 
Dannn411 said:
This is not inconsistent form. Inconsistent is some good some bad. This is just flat out bad.
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Yes, today and against Southampton he was poor, against Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle he was really good. Inconsistent.
 
The problem is that we are depending on a 19yo, no matter how talented he is, he won't be consistent, today he wasn't good enough, and probably knackered.
 
Since we started to play THAT terrible (i.e. since spring or summer 2023) the center mid area has been the main issue for me. And Mainoo has always been there. Time to overthink him. There are so many players that are extremely bad and deserve criticism way more than he does, but I feel like what we need the very most if we don't want to continue to decline, is finally a very good midfielder. We went from McFred to Ugarte-Mainoo and you can't say things got better in any aspect.
 
Desert Eagle said:
As much as it hurts me to say, unless he makes a leap I don't see him fitting into Amorims system. Him and Ugarte don't work well as a base and I don't think he's good enough in the ten role.
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I somewhat agree and disagree, Mainoo doesn't belong in the midfield, I hate to use this example but it's like having Greenwood who came up as a striker through the youth system and putting him in left central defence because he's left footed and Martinez or Yoro being unavailable.

I do however think that Mainoo deserves the opportunity to play as one of the advance 10's. His best influence for United has come in positions when he's breaking into the opposition box. There's feasibility given his attributes to play him in more attacking positions.
 
He's so slow it's painful. His lack of agility is a concern
 
Said it before and will say it again, he’s slower than coastal erosion. Unless you’re Luka Modric or Iniesta level technically you can’t get away with such a lack of athleticism. Somehow we replaced Eriksen with someone even weaker and slower, and not as good on the ball.
 
BorisManUtd said:
He's 19 and will be inconsistent. Our problem is having to rely on him. So much of season yet to go so hopefully Collyer and Casemiro can be useful for us.
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True, but will he be faster next season? That is his main weakness. So so slow. I doubt he can play CM.
 
RuudTom83 said:
Did I forgot someone?

CM
Ugarte
Mainoo
Eriksen
Casemiro
Collyer

*Bruno and Mount are no.10 in this system.

I hope you have unearth a gem that can play next game @Regulus Arcturus Black
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No gem, but he offers absolutely zero.
Cas offers better passing, better at defensive set pieces, better on offensive set pieces and a goal threat. Both are slow as feck.

Mainoo offers much less aside from a dribble once every 3 games, but he’s an academy lad innit so fans are much nicer in appraising him.
 
Raven said:
Yes, today and against Southampton he was poor, against Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle he was really good. Inconsistent.
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I strongly disagree about him being really good against Arsenal or Liverpool.

He was good against Newcastle but only in a very limited amount of time in the first half when we played with 3 midfielders after Newcastle dropped off when they had a 2 goal lead. Second half he reverted to type.
 
Regulus Arcturus Black said:
No gem, but he offers absolutely zero.
Cas offers better passing, better at defensive set pieces, better on offensive set pieces and a goal threat. Both are slow as feck.

Mainoo offers much less aside from a dribble once every 3 games, but he’s an academy lad innit so fans are much nicer in appraising him.
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Ah ok, fair enough. I still have the memory of Newcastle fresh in my mind. So I'll ignore your "Is he feck." contribution for now.
 
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