31 Mar 2026 20:41:41
Watching the England hame and it pains me to say it, but Mainoo is not the player he was.
He does the simple things well, but he just does the simple things. No penetration, no drive, no pace, no urgency. When Japan scored, he was struggling to get back, their players ran away from him. He's in a 2 with Anderson who has shown much more pace and urgency.
I've been a huge fan and so want him to do well but there is something missing. Yes, it's an England friendly, but his performance reflects the majority of his games for United, neat and tidy but nothing more.
Can he pick it up? I really don't know.
31 Mar 2026 21:49:50
Yh, agree. Think there are some levels in his game he needs to unlock to become a regular starter for club and country. But, overall, think his return to the team has been a huge positive, especially defensively. His running stats are actually quite impressive.
Ideally in summer, we get a marquee signing as CM1 to replace Casemiro, who can start 50-60 games, and then a younger midfielder who's happy to start 20-30 games as the second midfield signing, who can swap with Mainoo.
31 Mar 2026 22:45:38
100% He is not first team starter next year. He needs to show signs of improvement in many areas to make the jump up.
{Ed025's Note - i have not seen that much of him Jimbo but he looked like a championship player at best tonight mate..
01 Apr 2026 04:52:16
Squad player for a mid-table team at best. Not his fault, as he was brought into the first team too early because of how crap we were.
Under-developed and lacks the physical traits to be a central midfielder. At least he can now improve his long-range passing considerably to be considered in a three-man midfield.
Having said this, I hope he proves us wrong, as it looks like an improved long-term contract is on the way because of recent results.
01 Apr 2026 07:18:19
I'm unconvinced that he's good enough. He also shows a distinct lack of desire to become good enough.
01 Apr 2026 08:48:57
He was a standout when he hit the scene, but he just looks lethargic now; as Fizz says, we're not seeing huge desire or energy. Being told you're crap for 18 months can't help, but he now has the manager's backing, and yet he is not grasping his chance.
There's a player in there, just not sure where he's gone.
01 Apr 2026 10:56:46
Think people are being a bit harsh on Mainoo, if I'm honest. He has only played 90 minutes 9 times this season, with long breaks between each game, and this has only been since January. I don't think it can be any surprise he's a bit off the pace. I don't buy into this good amount of rest time either. Players need and want to be playing regular games for match fitness and sharpness.
I think he's a great player and it's no surprise he's been a regular in the United team during this good run we've had. He brings balance and composure to the teams and keeps the game ticking over. Be a shame for people to be writing him off already.
01 Apr 2026 13:23:20
He's not the player he was, but are we really going to get rid of him? Cas defo leaving, and Ugarte seems to be a goner. What I've seen of Collyer doesn't instill confidence either. I can't see us buying three new mids, and with a new contract supposedly about to be signed, he'll be in the mix for a while, surely.
01 Apr 2026 13:56:21
Mainoo will be in the squad next season and will play plenty, is my prediction. Looks like a60 game season next year, so he will get plenty of football.
If we sign 2 players to replace Cas and Ugarte, that's 3 inc Mainoo plus youth for those 2 cm positions, it's still a bit light for a60 game season imo.
2 from Tonali, Baleba and Anderson would be ideal imo.
01 Apr 2026 14:15:04
AJH, Didn't I bring this up in Feb? To which you responded, 'I must have been watching something else.'
01 Apr 2026 14:38:50
Flip flop master dio.
Black one day white the next. Not happy when he is not in the team not happy when he is not the team.
01 Apr 2026 15:33:10
He started well, but has dropped off. I've supported him, and as a player, I loved him, but recently he's been underwhelming. But hey, all bow to you for seeing it early eh?
01 Apr 2026 15:59:25
I think the previous manager saw it early, and never called him crap at all.
He said he was a very good player, but needed to improve aspects of his game, and, like a lot of us, expects more from him.
Maybe he doesn't have more to give.
Maybe he does and hasn't quite got his rhythm yet, but he is not hitting the heights he did when he 1st broke into the team. Very common for young players. So I think we all agree he must do better.
01 Apr 2026 18:00:11
AJH, didn't we all support him as a player and still do. Being honest about a player's ability, and not being clouded by rose tinted glasses because players come through the academy, doesn't mean you're not supporting them.
It's just plain old honesty. If you didn't make sarcastic remarks because someone has a different view than your own, you wouldn't be called out less than 8 weeks later for aligning with that same view.
01 Apr 2026 18:19:03
At some point the player has to take responsibility for where they are. Right now I would say Amorim was wrong for picking Bruno in a midfield 2, but was right to expect more from Mainoo as a starting player.
He needs to look back to how he played when he first came into the team. He would take the ball past the first 1 or 2 players and open up space for his team mates. Starting attacks from deep by penetrating the first line of defense.
He rarely dribbles now when I watch him, and his passing can have woeful lapses of concentration. He has missed some great chances for assists, threading balls through.
We need 2 starting CMs, even if Mainoo is another one. A team cannot compete in Europe and league without a minimum of 3 top class CMs and 2 younger/back ups. Ugarte could be a back up, but really needs to go. So we need 2 top, and 1 backup signing for CM imo.
01 Apr 2026 18:50:49
AJH, you changed your tune? I said about Mainoo the other week, and you ripped into me.
We all want him to do well, but he's not good enough to be starting 11. Squad player in a 60 game campaign, sure, but that's it.
01 Apr 2026 19:53:39
Well Pspence, I am happy to change my view based on changing evidence. If I ripped into you, I apologise. Senor Malbec may have been involved.
Too many people have entrenched views and will not waver from them. I am happy to be proved wrong, and will hold my hands up.
I love Mainoo, I think he has great attributes, I just don't think we are seeing them right now. As someone has already said, maybe it's all the games, having not played for so long.
02 Apr 2026 00:36:54
He's just played a 1/4 of the season back to back how long do you think he needs? Maybe half a season a third of a season maybe?
Having a stable view is better than flip flopping every few weeks and reacting to every little nuance.
Countless times on live chat you chime in after 10/15 mins saying we are not playing well today.
crikey the players are hardly warmed up.i would say without doubt you are probably the biggest knee jerk reactor of all posters on here. Certainly in the top 3. More fickle than Mr fickle from fickle land.
02 Apr 2026 05:16:46
He simply didn't and still doesn't have the stamina and athleticism to either play in an Amorim-style setup, or, as we are seeing recently, Carrick's ETH 2.0 setup.
If he cannot be bothered to work on stamina and athleticism, then he will never make it in the EPL at a top 4 team.
If we signed, say, Tonali and Anderson, as is my wish, Mainoo is back on the bench.
This is simply because he does not have the attributes to play at the same speed as these two. He will actually become a weak link in the setup.
It is on him. I support him when he wears the shirt, and if he can improve on these issues, he can become a first-team starter, 100%.