Agree on Mainoo, don’t want to risk burning him out, he’s had a busy year since coming into the team and the euros

Woah! Game seems far away? Don't you have a midweek Thursday night appointment with some Hungarian Chicken farmers?

Oh wait, the Ropey League ain't till next month. My bad. As you were.

Wait, Ugarte?! I love your optimism generally, DC, but not sure he should be in the squad or the line up before being officially signed.

comment by Arne Sabah Nur (U1282)
posted 15 minutes ago
Woah! Game seems far away? Don't you have a midweek Thursday night appointment with some Hungarian Chicken farmers?

Oh wait, the Ropey League ain't till next month. My bad. As you were.
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Top notch bants this

comment by Vengeance (U23079)
posted 2 minutes ago
Wait, Ugarte?! I love your optimism generally, DC, but not sure he should be in the squad or the line up before being officially signed.
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It is a presumption as stated above. I think he will sign and I'd throw him in too. Just tell him to get around the pitch. Sometimes the energy and aggression from a new signing can transfer through the team.

Agree with the team in the OP and think Zirkzee will start now. I'd still expect Kobbie to start and Ugarte to come on from the bench if we get him.

What say you JA606 squad?
--
Our squad is chit. We have managed to spend over 100m on strikers and still be without an actual goal scorer who can start every game and perform for us consistently.

We have spent obscene amounts on wingers, who, let's be honest, are complete and utter garbage bar Garnacho, at least rashford was free although he's now being hilariously overpaid for not achieving much.

We have spent obscene amounts on midfielders, and we have an aging casemiro and a absolutely pathetic version of Mason Mount to show for it, oh and Mct, Eriksen and Mainoo.

We have spent eye watering amounts on defenders all the way from left back to right back, and still, a lot of them would not make a top 4 team in the premier league and still play consistently for us.

We spent a crazy amount on a goal keeper who better suits the midfield position, a keeper who, so far, has let the team down massively, so much so that, at times I would've felt safer with John O'Shea stood between the sticks than that absolute joker Onana.

Couple the silly purchases with the United staff who appear to be unable to stop buying injury prone players, or staff who appear to be unable to manage players appropriately to the football seasons requirements.

It's no doubt that even the once minnows of the premier league who feared seeing the upcoming fixture of their club name v Manchester United, making part of the game already won before it even started, are now no longer afraid to attack us, because we are simply so pathetic in attack and defence, oh, and midfield too, probably the worst part of our team.

Despite all the negativity, I still think we will give those dirty bin dipping cants a game to remember. Whether that's us losing 7-0, or winning 7-0, I'm not sure yet.

@David_Ornstein
·
22m
🚨 EXCL: Napoli agree deal with Man Utd for Scott McTominay. Subject to all parties being satisfied on player terms. ~€30m + % of future sale. Important for #MUFC FFP compliance. Manuel Ugarte potential signing would be aided by 27yo’s exit
@TheAthleticFC

comment by The Red Side™ (U11275)
posted 1 minute ago
@David_Ornstein
·
22m
🚨 EXCL: Napoli agree deal with Man Utd for Scott McTominay. Subject to all parties being satisfied on player terms. ~€30m + % of future sale. Important for #MUFC FFP compliance. Manuel Ugarte potential signing would be aided by 27yo’s exit
@TheAthleticFC
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Beautiful

comment by Brian Gittins (U1449)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by The Red Side™ (U11275)
posted 1 minute ago
@David_Ornstein
·
22m
🚨 EXCL: Napoli agree deal with Man Utd for Scott McTominay. Subject to all parties being satisfied on player terms. ~€30m + % of future sale. Important for #MUFC FFP compliance. Manuel Ugarte potential signing would be aided by 27yo’s exit
@TheAthleticFC
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Beautiful
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All coming together nicely!

Interesting career move, England to Italy.
Thought about it myself a few times.
Fair play.

30m pretty decent for us

Rumours of Sancho to juve too, please please happen.

I’d drop mainoo too if we have the Uruguayan in. Not controversial at all he’s been awful so far this season

comment by Baz tard - Ineos your face (U19119)
posted 12 minutes ago
Rumours of Sancho to juve too, please please happen.

I’d drop mainoo too if we have the Uruguayan in. Not controversial at all he’s been awful so far this season
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Mainoo is an odd one. He's clearly a good player and shows flashes of real quality but he does seem to be involved a lot of the times we get outplayed too. Not so much this season of course. It wouldn't do his development any harm though, IMO, if he wasn't an automatic first choice.

comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (U2462)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Baz tard - Ineos your face (U19119)
posted 12 minutes ago
Rumours of Sancho to juve too, please please happen.

I’d drop mainoo too if we have the Uruguayan in. Not controversial at all he’s been awful so far this season
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mainoo is an odd one. He's clearly a good player and shows flashes of real quality but he does seem to be involved a lot of the times we get outplayed too. Not so much this season of course. It wouldn't do his development any harm though, IMO, if he wasn't an automatic first choice.
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Mainoo should be in a midfield three, he’s also 19 years of age playing in the most difficult position of the pitch.

He’s going to make mistakes, and not just glaringly obvious ones, tactical nuances that cost us.

Truth is, we should have at least 2 midfielders ahead of him. No other top side are relying on a 19 year old midfielder.

comment by Busby (U19985)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (U2462)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Baz tard - Ineos your face (U19119)
posted 12 minutes ago
Rumours of Sancho to juve too, please please happen.

I’d drop mainoo too if we have the Uruguayan in. Not controversial at all he’s been awful so far this season
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mainoo is an odd one. He's clearly a good player and shows flashes of real quality but he does seem to be involved a lot of the times we get outplayed too. Not so much this season of course. It wouldn't do his development any harm though, IMO, if he wasn't an automatic first choice.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mainoo should be in a midfield three, he’s also 19 years of age playing in the most difficult position of the pitch.

He’s going to make mistakes, and not just glaringly obvious ones, tactical nuances that cost us.

Truth is, we should have at least 2 midfielders ahead of him. No other top side are relying on a 19 year old midfielder.
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Didn’t Barca have gavi and pedri playing when around that age? Tbf they are both a fair bit better than mainoo, but, I wouldn’t say mainoo has done a lot wrong. He’s done very well for his age, but you do have a point.

To clarify. I'm not blaming Mainoo at all. He's done well after being thrust into a dysfunctional team.

I do agree he'd be better in a proper midfield three though. Perhaps we won't really see that until Bruno leaves. I wonder how he'd do as the more attack minded midfielder?

comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (U2462)
posted 2 minutes ago
To clarify. I'm not blaming Mainoo at all. He's done well after being thrust into a dysfunctional team.

I do agree he'd be better in a proper midfield three though. Perhaps we won't really see that until Bruno leaves. I wonder how he'd do as the more attack minded midfielder?
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Mainoo would excel as an 8 or 10. Bruno extending his contact means we won't see Mainoo in a more advanced position.

You saw with England how Mainoo could develop, allowing for the fact that he was surrounded by much better players. But we really have asked so much of him, and we have to be careful we don't do him more damage than good. He is also capable of doing these silky runs going forward, he has very good close control, and has shown he is a composed finisher given the chance. But with us, we have very much dumped him in there and gone, ok, go and save us. And he is now a marked man, whereas last season he was living off the crest of a wave. This season was also going to be tough, and at 19, very difficult to remain consistent.

Our biggest weakness is out wide, both in terms of creating chances and movement, but also helping in defensive situations also. I really have had enough of Rashford - a luxury we can't afford to have starting every game, his occasional flashes of brilliance out weighed bu the poor performances, he is living off that 3-4 month purple patch he had, apart from that, he's been average.
We all know we don't score enough goals, surely need to start Zirkzee. False 9s are all well and good if you have a team to cope with that, but we don't. We are a team where the goals will be spread around, we seem to be creating a few more chances, we need to be more clinical, but it could be a confidence thing.

I would be surprised if Mainoo doesn't start, it could be the type of big game where he can shine, I can't see ETH starting Ugarte assuming he is here by then.

In the future, it would be nice to see ETH try Mainoo in Bruno's position, but I'm not sure he is brave enough to do that