Topic: 7he Manches7er Uni7ed 7hread - NO GREENWOOD/ANTONY*

[MonsLibpool]

why do you care? 

He's an English player and it's good for the national team to have young players getting opportunities at clubs.  That's one aim of FFP but it doesn't mean I want them to win anything.

[William Regal]

Brave, brave performance from those plucky underdogs with the most expensively assembled squad ever in the history of world football.  Mainoo MOTM

[Red_Mist]

Have they managed to get into positive goal difference yet?

[RedDeadRejection]

Honest to Christ I love them. They're shite

[Ray K]

Have they managed to get into positive goal difference yet?

So very close. But no.

106 shots conceded in their 4 games in March.

[DelTrotter]

My god these are horrendous, I genuinely don’t think they are better than Luton and their league position is one of the biggest over achievements in history relative to performance. There’s not one good player at the club and the manager is a clown.

Jurgen going 3 without a win v these would be an absolute humiliation for him and us, better not happen.

[decosabute]

Who is Elliott getting in ahead of as an attacking midfielder?

Not saying he should be starting competitive games for England, but come on - he's obviously done well enough to at least get capped in a friendly. My point is merely that the media and England hype/bias towards United is and had always been real.

[vivabobbygraham]

Because they play for United. It was the same when Rashford and Greenwood were coming through. Then you also had the likes of Cleverley, Jones and Smalling as well.

All turned out average to absolute shite. Now they've got another little shiny thing to adore for 10 minutes. They'll ruin him. That's what they do.

[xbugawugax]

29 played GD ZERO  lets make it negative again next week

only if mainoo was playing since the start of the season

their goal difference would be +1

[JohnnoWhite]

Yet to see why Mainoo has so much hype. I have no doubt that he's probably talented, but he was their CDM today and Brentford were just effortlessly slicing through the midfield time and time again.

Then blame Ten Hag for giving the best creative attacking midfielder we've got effing CDM duties FFS! You only need to see the way he is able to weave his way through seemingly impossibly tight situations to know he's an attacker!!

[PaulF]

I know when I popped on to BBC sport last night, it was about the 95th minute and there was a photo of a united fan front and centre looking very happy. Hoping it's still there for him today 😁

[Nick110581]

They will raise their game next week again.

Hopefully we defend sensibly rather than allowing hoofs over the top for them.

[Lad]

Ten Hag...'it can be a big point by the end of the season' 😏

[DelTrotter]

"I've seen Brentford against City and they were lucky to win that game and I've seen them against Liverpool and in the 1st 35 mins Brentford should have taken the lead"

"I have to make compliment to the team to hang in there and keep fighting.”

Ten Hag on if concerned by shots faced: "As long as we get results, no... We lost many second balls and then you have to defend the box and that's what we did quite well and we had a great goalkeeper... We concede shots but we don't concede many goals."

Hahahaha. Crazy how similar he is to Hodgson, he genuinely comes across as buzzing with their performances, it's amazing.

[PaulF]

Ten Hag...'it can be a big point by the end of the season' 😏

How, keeps them 6th? Maybe he thinks that's their target.

[[new username under construction]]

My god these are horrendous, I genuinely don’t think they are better than Luton and their league position is one of the biggest over achievements in history relative to performance. There’s not one good player at the club and the manager is a clown.

It's always funny to watch of course sadly they will always be able to buy a decent player every now and again, some mercenary who's quite capable for £400,000 a week and keep them in touch no matter how bad the rest of them or the manager are!

Shame as most other clubs would have players start to jump ship and they would be decades in the wilderness...I think size is pretty much the only thing keeping them going

[The North Bank]

I no longer want Southgate (youre the one) to go there, Ten Hag is everything you want in a man utd manager.

[Mister Flip Flop]

How did their new Messi/Ronaldo/Maradona hybrid play yesterday. Should we be scared? 

[Mister Flip Flop]

Not saying he should be starting competitive games for England, but come on - he's obviously done well enough to at least get capped in a friendly. My point is merely that the media and England hype/bias towards United is and had always been real.

Good. Means our lads get more rest and can concentrate on winning stuff with us.

[Hazell]

Good. Means our lads get more rest and can concentrate on winning stuff with us.

It would be but if Elliott isn't getting called up to the seniors, he's being managed by Lee Carsley for the under 21s. I'd argue that Quansah also should be being called up to the seniors, based on the way Southgate hands out caps.

[MonsLibpool]

It's always funny to watch of course sadly they will always be able to buy a decent player every now and again, some mercenary who's quite capable for £400,000 a week and keep them in touch no matter how bad the rest of them or the manager are!

Shame as most other clubs would have players start to jump ship and they would be decades in the wilderness...I think size is pretty much the only thing keeping them going

CL football is huge for them in terms of who they can bring in. They are already close to the limits.

[William Regal]

How did their new Messi/Ronaldo/Maradona hybrid play yesterday. Should we be scared? 

He nearly contained Janelt for a few minutes of the game, putting himself into contention for the 2024 Balon Dor in the process

[PaulF]

How did their new Messi/Ronaldo/Maradona hybrid play yesterday. Should we be scared? 

I think you are being harsh there. He's mostly being compared with Pele.


--edit-- in case someone tries to accuse me of racism. I've never seen mainoo. I have no idea what skin colour he is.

[the_red_pill]

They will raise their game next week again.

Hopefully we defend sensibly rather than allowing hoofs over the top for them.

Yeah, they pulled a Villa, 7-2 against us last time out- but I understand why we couldn't deal with that near the end.

[the_red_pill]

It's always funny to watch of course sadly they will always be able to buy a decent player every now and again, some mercenary who's quite capable for £400,000 a week and keep them in touch no matter how bad the rest of them or the manager are!

Shame as most other clubs would have players start to jump ship and they would be decades in the wilderness...I think size is pretty much the only thing keeping them going

Problem is... the other clubs are moving on and leaving them behind. We're getting to a point where the likes of Brighton and Brentford can afford very good players- IF they so choose.
Their love for handing out ridiculously long contracts for players is also going to haunt them. They're faar from Chelsea levels, but still. There's a long turn-around when it comes to squad rebuilding- and even a season makes a huge difference.

[the_red_pill]

Mainoo looks decent to me, but ffs he's just a kid, why the fuck do these idiots always do this, acting like they've got the best thing since Messi hit the scene? Just led the lad develop. Wankers

He's okay. He's more a Henderson type. Energetic, physical, up for it and good with basics- can overcome his talent shortcomings with his physical attributes.
He's the sort of player that Jurgen likes to give a run-out, but yes- he's only a kid... and not that good of a talent either. But he needs to be left to develop.

[SamLad]

He's an English player and it's good for the national team to have young players getting opportunities at clubs.  That's one aim of FFP but it doesn't mean I want them to win anything.

by that logic, if MU had 11 English players in their lineup you'd be satisfied seeing them do well against us in every game.

him being English means eff-all to me.

[tubby]

He's okay. He's more a Henderson type. Energetic, physical, up for it and good with basics- can overcome his talent shortcomings with his physical attributes.
He's the sort of player that Jurgen likes, but yes- he's only a kid... and not that good of a talent either. But he needs to be left to develop.

What, he's the complete opposite of Henderson.  Good technically, quick feet, tidy short passer but doesn't have much speed or power and isn't all that tuned in tactically.

[SamLad]

What, he's the complete opposite of Henderson.  Good technically, quick feet, tidy short passer but doesn't have much speed or power and isn't all that tuned in tactically.

agreed. surprised anyone sees any resemblance to Hendo.  most of what I saw yesterday was him walking around the pitch.

[Redley]

What, he's the complete opposite of Henderson.  Good technically, quick feet, tidy short passer but doesn't have much speed or power and isn't all that tuned in tactically.

https://fbref.com/en/players/c6220452/scout/365_m1/Kobbie-Mainoo-Scouting-Report

His short passing is just about average. Just. His medium and long passing is woeful.

Technically good at what? Sometimes a player fails the eye test, which he certainly does, but passes the underlying stat test. But he doesn’t do that either. He seems to do a couple of tidy things early in a game and then absolutely fuck all for the rest of it. That Lewis Miley at Newcastle looks ‘ok’, and profiles a fuck tonne better than him at a younger age and I don’t think anyone could fathom him getting as much hype.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s wonderful to see them doing it AGAIN. But it is puzzling that non-United fans seem to be seeing something that clearly isn’t there.

[SamLad]

https://fbref.com/en/players/c6220452/scout/365_m1/Kobbie-Mainoo-Scouting-Report

His short passing is just about average. Just. His medium and long passing is woeful.

Technically good at what? Sometimes a player fails the eye test, which he certainly does, but passes the underlying stat test. But he doesn’t do that either. He seems to do a couple of tidy things early in a fake and then absolutely fuck all for the rest of it. That Lewis Miley at Newcastle looks ‘ok’, and profiles a fuck tonne better than him at a younger age and I don’t think anyone could fathom him getting as much hype.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s wonderful to see them doing it AGAIN. But it is puzzling that non-United fans seem to be seeing something that clearly isn’t there.

if the UK media didn't "see something not there" in a young MU player ... that would be puzzling. 

[6BigCups]

It’s bizarre how a team can genuinely be so shite, and yet still sneak results in the way this lot do.

[the_red_pill]

It’s bizarre how a team can genuinely be so shite, and yet still sneak results in the way this lot do.

0 GD, 11 losses, and still several places higher than they aught to be.

[PaulF]

Did the press hail Mainoo as the replacement fo

It’s bizarre how a team can genuinely be so shite, and yet still sneak results in the way this lot do.

Not really, when you are paying that much in wages and transfer fees, you expect the odd flash of decent play to win you games that officials have kept you in.

[only6times]

He's an English player and it's good for the national team to have young players getting opportunities at clubs. 

Yer Ma!!!!!

[thaddeus]

https://fbref.com/en/players/c6220452/scout/365_m1/Kobbie-Mainoo-Scouting-Report

His short passing is just about average. Just. His medium and long passing is woeful.

Technically good at what? Sometimes a player fails the eye test, which he certainly does, but passes the underlying stat test. But he doesn’t do that either. He seems to do a couple of tidy things early in a game and then absolutely fuck all for the rest of it. That Lewis Miley at Newcastle looks ‘ok’, and profiles a fuck tonne better than him at a younger age and I don’t think anyone could fathom him getting as much hype.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s wonderful to see them doing it AGAIN. But it is puzzling that non-United fans seem to be seeing something that clearly isn’t there.

I agree with everything you've said but I think Mainoo passes the eye test if you're casually watching the game.  He has good feet and can manoeuvre out of tight situations, two traits that always catch the eye, particularly so if it's against a high-pressing team like us.

I'd hope the manager of our national team would be watching games with a bit more scrutiny than that but I'm not hugely surprised that he isn't.

The Seedorf comparison is hilarious.  Whoever came up with that one deserves an award of some kind.

[Garlic Red]

We’ll see with Mainoo. They’re always very quick to anoint their players as generational talents and always have a habit of going overboard with the hype before there’s any real substance behind it.

He looks very press resistant and appears to be well developed/built for his age. He looks really gifted to be honest, I’m not sure how you can say he isn’t. I’m not sure why there’s so much hype though, near enough every decent side in the league have really gifted midfielders who can do a lot of things well. Even if he does turn out as good as they seem to think he will, he alone can’t save that shower of shite. They’ll run him into the ground depending on him like they do already.

[GreatEx]

sadly they will always be able to buy a decent player every now and again, some mercenary who's quite capable for £400,000 a week and keep them in touch no matter how bad the rest of them or the manager are!

I don't see anything "sad" about that, unless you're saying "sa-a-ad" a la Alan Partridge describing Mercedes drivers

[Tobez]

I don't see anything "sad" about that, unless you're saying "sa-a-ad" a la Alan Partridge describing Mercedes drivers

Wataru Lexus is the Japanese Mercedes

[WillG.LFC]

It's all about context, United fans are over hyping mainoo, some rivals fans are being overly critical. It's the reverse of what they accuse united fans of doing. Being impartial it isn't that common for 17 or 18 year olds to be first team players in the Premier league. Mainoo is playing very well for an 18 year old at this standard of football and has lots of potential but is clearly not the finished article