18 Dec 2023 11:14:12
ED001,

What are your thoughts on Kobbie Mainoo?

He definitely has potential and looks good for the future.

{Ed001's Note - looks a very good young player, with plenty of potential. He still has that rashness of youth, but other than that he is very polished overall. He needs a run of games now.}

1.) 18 Dec 2023
18 Dec 2023 12:51:35
Thanks ED001,

He gives us Utd fans something to watch.

{Ed001's Note - it is always good to have academy products in the team, though they do often seem to end up the scapegoat for every poor performance. Rashford is always the one getting the blame right now, so I am sure he will be happy to have someone else take that weight off his shoulders a bit!}

2.) 18 Dec 2023
18 Dec 2023 13:18:25
Fans are happy to see academy players when the goings good. But when things get tough and performances dip they tend to face the brunt of the fans frustrations.

I'm not sure if it's because fans are annoyed that an academy player is taking up a squad space for a "big signing". Or maybe its that they feel academy lads should work harder or give more.

I dunno, but they always seem to get the brunt, be that Wes Brown, John O'Shea, Fletcher, Phil Neville, McTominay or Rashford.

I think people underestimate the importance of academy lads in the first team squad. They don't all have to be world class, but hard working, committed lads who can do a job are so important to building a squad. If they can make it to become a world class player then that's a bonus.

I'm very excited about Mainoo, him along with Garnacho have the potential to become first choice options in our team for the next decade.

Mainoo has easily played as well if not better than any other midfielder we have used this season. I know he's had an injury and his game time needs to be managed. But the lad looks ready to play regularly if asked.

3.) 18 Dec 2023
18 Dec 2023 13:40:59
Brown, O'Shea, Fletcher, Phil, McT. Nothing to do with where they grew up or whether they were academy players, they were all crap lol. Plenty more could be added. But of course not every player can be a marquee signing. In fact I wish we had more academy players, some clubs are reknowned for nuturing theirs and making a tidy profit, we've had a terrible hit rate in the last decade.

4.) 18 Dec 2023
18 Dec 2023 13:57:33
Mctominay got just as much stick as Fred and Rashford gets as much stick as Martial/ Antony etc.

I don't think there is a particular academy element to the criticism, every player at the club is being criticised.

I think Mainoo should get a run of games because he's does something no one else apart from Eriksen can do and that is keep the ball.

5.) 18 Dec 2023
18 Dec 2023 13:39:45
ED001,

That's true, but Rashford has been abysmal this season. Along with a few others aswell.

{Ed001's Note - but it always seems to be him getting it, when he is often one of about 5 or 6 stinking the place out.}

6.) 18 Dec 2023
18 Dec 2023 16:09:13
Lots of them stinking the place out is right but very few are walking around while stinking the place out.
He gets more than most I agree but he earns more than most and has had the biggest drop in form / goals / assists than everybody else so he has fallen more than others yoy plus he doesn't appear to be trying very hard.
That's why he gets more flak. If you were to judge on quality then yes lots should get more guff than they do but it think it's a multitude of areas where rash has been worse than most this season so he gets it's harder.

7.) 18 Dec 2023
18 Dec 2023 16:11:50
Possibly with Rashford his wage comes into it. If he was on 50k a week no one would bat an eye lid.

8.) 18 Dec 2023
18 Dec 2023 16:51:39
ED001,

I do agree with you, but Anthony has been slated a lot along with Martial aswell and Bruno. I think it is more to do with Rashford not even been able to beat his man or even bother to track back.

I think the club still has sorted out the rot yet. The structure needs addressing and setting up correctly. Then hopefully the deadwood is cut away.

Unfortunately as a Utd fan I sound like a broken record. I'm not the only one.

{Ed001's Note - hopefully for you better days are coming soon.}

9.) 18 Dec 2023
18 Dec 2023 20:06:52
I agree with you tumble!

10.) 19 Dec 2023
19 Dec 2023 02:03:37
Watchng a player struggle with offense, especially a flare player who is trying to take people on, is something I have a bit of patience for. But watching a player stroll around and play with zero effort, not just staying in a shape, but not even trying to tackle a player who is close them, ducking out of headers, ducking out of challenging for headers and generally just looking disinterested. This is why the fan base has fallen out of love with rashford. And it is why fans are warming to Anthony even though his end product is still lacking.

Effort is the bare minimum of the common man.

11.) 19 Dec 2023
19 Dec 2023 15:42:44
Exactly as DodgyBanter said above. Does anyone believe we could have gotten a draw out of the Liverpool game with Rashford playing. No effort means we'd have been overrun down his side. It has happened numerous times. The thing is when he scores this papers over his general lack of work rate, but when he doesn't he becomes a liability. He doesn't create, loses the ball too easily and doesn't track. Last year I thought there were signs that the player we all think is in there could emerge, as he was putting in a bigger effort. But that dropped off after the Carabao Cup final. I hate to say it, but I can't see us winning anything any time soon with Rashford as a starter.

12.) 20 Dec 2023
19 Dec 2023 22:55:42
Rashford caught a lot of crap the season before last too. The whole team was poor, and he was struggling heavily with lingering injury, but he was one of the few players who actually did alright that season, yet he was still targeted more than most of our players.

Even Fletcher has been mentioned above as crap, but before his sickness he was a fantastic player, and a key part of SAFs squad.

McTominey has been played out of position more often than not for his entire career, has given 100% effort in nearly every game he's ever played for us, is currently our top scorer, and he's still being called crap (note that i'm not saying he's world class, or even that he should be kept past next summer, just that I think he is earning a lot more respect than he's getting) .

Academy players definitely get more stick when they don't perform. If they are playing ok but not amazing, they get called over rated. If they are playing a bit poorly, they get talked about as badly as other players who've been playing worse for twice as long.

13.) 20 Dec 2023
20 Dec 2023 04:14:43
We over hype players that are young. I think we support academy players more than most clubs. But a time comes when they need to move on and make space for the new players. There will always be a place for squad players, and for them to be homegrown and from the academy is the best scenario for the club.

Mctominay is a good player, but not a starter for utd. There is no shame in that, he can be a super sub, or injury cover no problem. But not a starter.

The bigger problem is that EtH wanted to move players on and the club didn't support him. We have to start forming a squad that the manager needs to be successful. A good DOf, more time for the manager (coach), and move on the players that they identify they want to leave. Then we might start building something. Until then, we will keep trying for quick fix, and will break liverpool's drought for league titles.