09 Jan 2024 11:33:50
This kid Mainoo just gets better and better, thought he was excellent again last night. We need a solid partnership in there with him and we could be so good. Rashford again tonight very lazy and nonchalant to the extreme, I'd have taken him off at half time. Hojlund getting more stick for not scoring but at least he's getting into those positions it will start to click for him, l thunk having Garnacho on the right is helping him already.

1.) 09 Jan 2024
09 Jan 2024 13:42:14
Would help if mctominay stopped running jnti his space and pinching the ball of his toes.

2.) 09 Jan 2024
09 Jan 2024 14:00:20
Good thing Mainoo came through our academy, don't see our recruitment team identifying him as he can actually control the ball and pass it to a teammate and cover ground.

We seem to only buy players who can run around or control/ pass the ball well not both.

3.) 09 Jan 2024
09 Jan 2024 15:03:02
It will be intersting to see what position Mainoo develops in over the next 18 months. Do they look to make him a HM and bring a box to box player next to him or bring in a HM and allow him to be that box to box.
Either way if we develop him well we could have a top player on our hands and one position we don't need to worry about.

4.) 09 Jan 2024
09 Jan 2024 15:14:12
No way we are slating Rashford for last nights game. He was for the most part our most dangerous attacking player, and created the chance for Dalot. If you actually watch the match you'll notice that he was constantly trying to go on the outside to cut back to Hojlund, which is what we have always accused him and Antony of not doing. Incredible that Hojlund who missed 3 or so open chances is being praised and Rashford slated.

5.) 09 Jan 2024
09 Jan 2024 15:43:39
Unruly take your red tinted glasses off

I was at the game and Rashford was his usual lazy nonchalant self.

6.) 09 Jan 2024
09 Jan 2024 15:58:21
'Trying to', Unruly.
I just don't think he's a very clever footballer. Always waits a second or two too long to make his decision.
He's turned into a slightly more skilful Theo Walcott. An athlete with football ability, rather than a footballer with athleticism. And, let's be honest, his body language on the pitch, stinks.
I always stuck up for the guy, and loved what he did with the free meals. I just think, for whatever reasons, he's not focused on his day job just now.

7.) 09 Jan 2024
09 Jan 2024 16:09:43
Remember signing Andy Cole and his early days seemed to need 6/ 7 chances to score BUT he was getting those chances. I'd be more worried if Hojlund wasn't getting the chances now. It'll happen for him I am sure, he's strong, quick, got a nice left foot and seems a good professional, he's also brave. His header for me showed that. I agree, Garnacho on the right I think will help him.

I hope the current trend of a left footer on the right and visa versa is coming to the end of it's cycle and in football things go full circle and we will get the traditional wingers coming back into the game but with the ability to come inside, dare I say it, onto their least preferred foot.

8.) 09 Jan 2024
09 Jan 2024 19:28:41
Mainoo has been a joy to watch this season. On a side note it was great to see Garnacho breat through last season, and Mainoo this season. It seems that giving these lads a chance is something EtH seems prepared to do. It'd be great if that could continue next season as well, maybe one of Gore, Kambwala or Alvaro Fernandez might be the guy to get their chance and step up.

As for what kind of player will Mainoo develop into. At this point its hard to say exactly, he could become that No.6 who shields the defence and controls the tempo, or he could be a box to box No.8.

Its hard to say as he's typically played more in the No.6 role for us so far, yet that might be down to a lack of other options.

Personally I think in the summer we need to sign two midfielders. Both a holding No.6 and a box to box No.8 as quite frankly Mainoo is the only player we have in either position who I would confident in having a long term role at the club.

Signing both a 6 and an 8 to add to Mainoo as the three main options for those double pivot places will give us more options, meaning Mainoo doesn't get over played, while also giving him chances to play as both a 6 or an 8 depending who he's paired with so we can see more clearly what sort of player he become.

My gut instinct is that he might be better as a No.8 earlier in his career, with maybe him becoming more of a 6 in his late 20's through to his mid 30's.

Let him use the energy of youth early on to drive from box to box, then as he ages and he gains more experience then he could become a top class No.6.

Either way he is a joy to watch.

9.) 09 Jan 2024
09 Jan 2024 19:44:48
Rashford last night had a mixed game, some nice and some awful. Thing for me was that Wigan allowed Rashford to cut inside onto his right foot, something Premier defenders know about and block, hence why he looked more dangerous. Couldn’t score and doesn’t look like the game matters to him anywhere near enough. I didn’t see the plethora of crosses from his left foot, not dangerous ones anyway.

10.) 09 Jan 2024
09 Jan 2024 20:06:33
Watching Rashford last night thinking when his pace has gone he will add nothing to the side. I’d stick him up front to take the load off Hojlund.

11.) 09 Jan 2024
09 Jan 2024 21:44:15
Rashford showed glimpses of quality last night but he’s still far too ponderous on the ball and his body language is atrocious. I’d put the feelers out with a view to getting rid tbh.

It’s still early to comment on the future prospects of Hojlund. However, his lack of goals is a concern for me and I can’t get Weghorst out of my mind for some reason.

Mainoo is absolute quality. He’s just so calm and composed on the ball. We can waffle about positional numbers and double pivots etc, but you can tell that the kid doesn’t have natural attacking flare and he’s very much a defensive orientated player. He’s very much the player we’ve been looking for. Even now, I think it’s a borderline shout about who starts between him and Casemiro.

12.) 09 Jan 2024
09 Jan 2024 23:17:03
Rash has a good near post shot that was a tidy save from the keeper. He also put a good ball through to hoyland, which his shot was saved. We just need more. This is a league 1 team we were doniating. Rash had a lot of the ball. He should taking over a game like this. I feel his starting position was too narrow too often. If you watch city, they play against a low block all the time, and the wingers stay wide to stretch the defense, we look like have no plan at all.

13.) 10 Jan 2024
10 Jan 2024 05:52:24
Dodgy you make a good point about McT and Hojlund. They seemed to stuck together by an elastic band they were always so close to each other, occupying the same spaces.

14.) 10 Jan 2024
10 Jan 2024 11:28:02
Dodgy, I wouldn't say McT was running into Hojlund's space but was attacking the space where he thought the ball would be played in to, that is exactly what Hojlund should be doing, making runs and attacking the space. Even if the ball is not played in to the space, at lest he would be pulling the defence around.

15.) 10 Jan 2024
10 Jan 2024 14:33:30
Because McT has got a few goals this season he seems to me like he’s just doing his own thing and playing like a frustrated striker….