22 Mar 2024 10:48:06
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new player profile about, Kobbie Mainoo

1.) 22 Mar 2024
22 Mar 2024 11:24:57
Great post ED001.

The kid does look special. At least he has given Utd something positive to talk about.

He could potentially show us what he really is capable of, if Southgate plays him in a strong 11.

{Ed001's Note - I hope he does get the chance, he has earnt it.}

2.) 22 Mar 2024
22 Mar 2024 11:37:26
Thanks Ed001. How would you compare him to some of your homegrown/ young midfielders?

{Ed001's Note - different types of players, they were mainly attackers that are just now evolving into midfielders. Mainoo is a fully read mid. The only one who can really stand comparison with him as being on a similar level is Bajcetic, but his injury might have affected him adversely. So right now Mainoo looks ahead of all of them.}

3.) 22 Mar 2024
22 Mar 2024 11:47:28
The key thing is getting him the right partner in midfield, linked with dewsbury-hall today, i would like to see us sign palhinha from fulham to play alongside mainoo and then have bruno/ mount play as number 10.

4.) 22 Mar 2024
22 Mar 2024 12:48:48
Thanks for taking on the request Ed, I’ll take a look tonight ?.

{Ed001's Note - I hope it lives up to expectations.}

5.) 22 Mar 2024
22 Mar 2024 13:13:50
Really good read Ed001 and I think a fair assessment of Mainoo. He is performing ahead of where anyone would have expected this season and it could be argued having to do more than we would like for an 18 year old in his first season.
Going into next season I hope we decide what we want him to be (holding midfielder or that box to box) and get him the right partner to play with. I personally feel like it will be the latter and we will be looking at a true holding midfielder to replace Casimero (even if we keep him for another year) .
It is exciting to think of us having a settled strong central core running through the team (Onana, Martinez/ New CB, Mainoo/ New HM, Fernandes, Hojlund) next year.

{Ed001's Note - thank you Brad.}

6.) 22 Mar 2024
22 Mar 2024 14:12:41
Great read as always ed.

{Ed001's Note - thank you angel.}

7.) 22 Mar 2024
22 Mar 2024 15:02:55
Excellent read Ed.

{Ed001's Note - cheers Fizz.}

8.) 22 Mar 2024
22 Mar 2024 19:03:53
Thanks again Ed.

I’m really excited by the boy, despite usually being amongst the first to encourage others not to put too much pressure on youngsters.

It’s good to get an unbiased view which pairs up with what all Manchester United fans are talking about.

I agree with your point about the next 10 years, and think it would be criminal for the club to waste his talents by continuing with the conveyor belt of managers and styles. Again the mention of Ineos and the importance of their handling of the club and the impact that has on the player should not be understated. Furthermore with Garnacho and Hojlund it feels like we have the makings what the squad will look like in 5 years (which no doubt would’ve also included Greenwood if he weren’t such a pleb) .

I feel we have a generational midfielder on our hands and just hope he fulfils his potential at the club.

{Ed001's Note - fingers crossed for him Wazza, he really does have that generational talent.}

9.) 23 Mar 2024
23 Mar 2024 10:50:21
Nice post Ed001, Mainoo really has been the bright spot in an otherwise very forgetful season for United.

I do wonder how much better off we'd be if he was available between August and December. How many more points would we have?

Which considering he's an 18 year old having his break out season kind of highlights just how good he's been.

Although a different kind of midfielder, his breakout season playing in the heart of midfield for a big side when he's so young reminds me of the impact Fabregas had in his first season at Arsenal.

For me the most impressive thing about Mainoo is his intelligence and ability to read the game. He plays like a player with 5 years experience despite only making 16 first team appearances.

Normally you see youngsters breakthrough with the talent, but the decision making and temperament are not there. If they develop those then they live up to the hype, if they don't then they drift into that category of former wonder kid who never lived up to the billing.

Yet Mainoo at 18 has the intelligence to make the right decisions, along with the temperament, he's a winner and has that drive, but he has the mentality to measure that, to not let his emotions overwhelm him and force him into a mistake.

These aren't things players typically develop until they have 3 or 4 season's under their belt at least. The fact Mainoo is so far ahead of the curve in these areas is frankly scary and why it's difficult to gauge where the limit on his potential is.

For United it is now about finding the right players to build around him.

While there is a lot of clamour for João Neves, and rightly so he is a phenomenal young player. I just don't see a world where any top side lines up with an 18 and a 19 year old in the heart of their midfield. Which kind of feels like it will be a case of either or when picking a starting 11, and both are too good to be sitting on the bench.

The player I'd go for to play alongside him in midfield is Florentino Luis of Benfica. While all the attention in their midfield over the past few years has been first on Enzo Fernandez and now on João Neves, it is Florentino who has been the ever present and the foil these two players have needed to flourish.

We have seen Enzo Fernandez struggle to replicate his best form at Chelsea, even with very good players like Caicedo next to him.

I also wonder how João Neves would play elsewhere without Florentino alongside him.

He's the ideal player, a No.6 who is strong in the tackle, has a great passing range and reads the game really well, meaning he is always in the right place at the right time to snuff out danger. He's very much like Micheal Carrick, and just like Carrick he gets overlooked because the job he does isn't flashy. But it is effective in helping those around him play better. Florentino also has a good amount of experience in top flight football and in European football.

Florentino Luis as the No.6 with Mainoo given slightly more freedom as the No.8 would in my opinion because the perfect midfield.

Is see that roaming No.8 role as being perfect for Mainoo right now. He has the intelligence to know when to sit and when to push forward. While that freedom will also allow him to develop the defensive and offensive side of his game. I could see him having a similar career path in terms of playing position to Roy Keane, a box to box player in the early and mid-stages of his career, before becoming more of a holding player in the latter stages of his career.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how his career develops, the only thing I see that could hold him back are injuries. So the club have to be responsible with his game time and give him regular breaks and not over work him, especially while his body is still growing and developing.

10.) 23 Mar 2024
23 Mar 2024 17:17:22
Thanks as always Ed001. Shappy what about Florentino and Nevez? Florentino to sit and Mainoo plus Joao Nevez as 8.

{Ed001's Note - very welcome.}

11.) 23 Mar 2024
23 Mar 2024 19:40:18
Mainoo, Florentino will likely cost 60-70m, while Joao Neves will be 90-120m. I really don't think the club will spend close to 200m on two midfielders this summer.

Joao Neves is a similar profile of midfielder to Mainoo. Why spend 90-120m on Neves when we have Mainoo already?

Florentino is the profile of player we need, he would be slightly on the expensive side, but if I'm honest I think he's the ideal player and the best available for that profile of player.