12 Dec 2025 19:17:51
With it all in the media at the minute, what’s everyone’s view on the Mainoo situation?
He’s gone from breaking into the first team, scoring important goals including the FA cup final and playing for England in the euros and starting the final to 20 odd minutes here and there.
He hasn’t become a bad or mediocre player over night. To me it seems this is purely down to Amorim and his system.
Mainoo is the best midfielder we’ve produced from the academy for a long time and he’s not getting a sniff. I find this worrying.
12 Dec 2025 20:03:30
I don’t believe RA trusts the youth players that much. Mainoo will leave in January and you can’t blame him. If the boss sees Ugarte as a better option then it’s clear he has no faith in Mainoo.
12 Dec 2025 21:57:09
Mainoo can't play alongside any of our current midfielders. Our current midfield isn't an Amorim midfield. I think Bruno and Casemiro will be gone at the end of the year and the profiles of the 2 in midfield will change.
Mainoo will fit one of those very well. It's the other one that desperately needs sorting. I think if we had got Beleba in the summer. Baleba - Mainoo would be our starting midfield.
12 Dec 2025 22:24:20
I'm not convinced he's got the legs for it. Mainoo was great when he broke through but there's always the additional love because you're an academy player. If he had cost 50, 60 or 70 million, would there be the same continual questions about why he's not in the team? I don't think so.
Has he taken his chance during his limited minutes this season? Also no. If you look at Mason Mount then you have totally different answers and opinions.
13 Dec 2025 07:59:25
Mainoo runs forward with the ball through lines in midfield. It isn’t the style the manager wants when moving the ball is key rather than moving with it. I also think Mainoo is not that good defensively from midfield, better than Bruno, but that’s another discussion. Hence why he is on the bench.
13 Dec 2025 10:53:31
'Not convinced he's got the legs for it', not sure where and when this was first stated but I keep seeing people repeat it. I think its nonsense. He was a stand out player for us but RA simply doesn't fancy him, his first midfield change is usually bringing Ugarte on.
I think he's been treated poorly.
13 Dec 2025 14:24:56
Yh treated poorly in my opinion, you don't break into this current England team in a major tournament without having a lot of useful ability.
Just for context the other two midfielders in Englands first choice team and Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham. The player most likely now to play with them is Elliot Anderson who everyone wants to sign now so that's telling you something.
Lastly if we were playing really well and top of the table this would be a mute point, we have played poorly in a lot of games this season and midfield is a glaring issue in the team. For Mainoo to have less minutes than Ugarte is strange and leads one to assume he is being treated poorly.
Remind me when ETH kept starting Antony instead of Amad and everyone said its because Amad is not that good and not doing enough in training. Sure enough ETH gets sacked and Amad starts and is one of our better players now.
13 Dec 2025 16:20:59
Lots of players play well under one manager and don't under another its not rocket science. Mainoo and ugarte have made same amount of appearances this season with ugarte playing 10mins more per appearance. Neither have registered an assist or shot on target. Neither are 1st choice and are used sparingly. 1 game a week so opportunities are hard to come by. Both played at Grimsby. Casimero and bruno both have goals and assists and are 1st choice. I don't see the problem. If mainoo want an academy player there would be no noise. I don't think he is being treated any worse than anybody else not in the 1st 11. If he can't hack the competition then its a poor look out lmo .
At the moment he can't claim he should be in the 1st 11 ahead of bruno or casimero for that matter. So what's the issue?
I think he is a really good player i'd rate him higher than garnacho personally I think technically he is really good and I think he will go on to have a stellar career and hopefully that's at united. But if he wants to leave indeed if any player wants to leave i think if the club can find a suitable set of circumstances to facilitate that then they should leave.
Finding the suitable set of circumstances is the difficulty. Perhaps a straight loan can be agreed if we can get a replacement in.