Kobbie Mainoo must be the foundation for Man Utd’s midfield rebuild | OneFootball

Kobbie Mainoo made mugs of Ruben Amorim and Thomas Tuchel, while the handball rule gets a hammering and the general bemusement around Liverpool continues…

As ever, get your mails in to theeditor@football365.com…

Hands of Harry Just a quick question regarding the game changing (I would argue) incident at Old Trafford yesterday.

I’ve been watching/playing football for 45 years. As far as I know, using both hands to control a ball constitutes a handball and a free- kick to the other team. Firstly, how did the ref not see this in ’normal time’? It looked pretty obvious to me- and the secondly, having played back the footage which clearly shows Maguire’s hands touching the ball, how could VAR have not overided the refs original call?

The commentary team where I was watching were then left trying to explain that because the ball hit a defender before going in, the goal could stand.

I’m sorry but WT actual f**k I going on here? He handles the ball and then shoots- the secondary fact that it deflected becomes irrelevant surely? What am I missing?

Normal service resumed at Old Trafford,

Yours quizzically, Dan Green, Cape Town

…I love this stupid law today, perhaps not tomorrow! If harry Maguire has handled like that in his own area it wouldn’t be a penalty as he had his hands in a perfectly normal position for moving up to protect his face and totally across his chest. But as the ball smashed into his hand, whether or not the hand or his chest made the ball ricochet differently the goal only stood because he didn’t score it, it hit a defender on the way in. How is that the answer? It’s probably right this time because Maguire hands were inside his body shape and acting naturally but next time? Tony

The Problem I do most heartily concur: let us sell Bruno Fernandes forthwith! Forsooth, what manner of wretched footballer scores but a trifling hat-trick and has the audacity to assist yet another goal? Truly, a man of such dreadful ineptitude hath no place at Manchester United. Ship him off at once, lest he burden us further with his terrible habit of actually producing goals. Gaptoothfreak, Man. Utd., New York (‘Tis comforting to know that empathy yet surviveth somewhere in this universe and indeed within the mailbox.)

Mainoo and one more The moment I saw Kobbie was in the line-up I made a bet we would win.

He wasn’t spectacular but he kept the midfield moving. He always looks for the ball and creates passing lines for our defenders to find him.

Lets end this pursuit to find an alternative. Tielemans is average (really don’t get the hype) and Kobbie should start over him when Baleba is fit.

We won’t win the league until we replace Shaw and Maguire but I think we have enough to compete for Top 5 and challenge for a cup trophy. Manc In SA (relieved we got 3pts and can start the season now).

Tottenham is black and white Newcastle have now won more league games at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium than Spurs have in 2026. They truly are the gift that keeps on giving. AD NUFC

History lesson There’s a lot of talk about Arsenal being absolute favourites for the title this season.

The last time this happened was the 2004/2005 season as The Invincibles sought to win consecutive league titles and push on in Europe. That season Chelsea appointed a new Portuguese manager and Liverpool gave a certain Spaniard an opportunity at Anfield. We all know what happened next. Eoin (that season is precisely why title predictions are a pointless exercise) Ireland

Liverpool pessimism Wrote this before seeing the mailbox, realise I am behind the curve but thought I’d send it anyway!

To be honest, I thought this would be the year my interest in the premier league fades, it’s been a steady slope but season by season the money, the hype, the enshittification if you will, has sucked the spirit out of the game. And with Bezos coming in it just feels like the big clubs really are just toys for the super rich. The prem is no longer proper football. That said, I’m worried for Liverpool. Barcola looks like a dream of a player but until they sort the midfield and defence out they’ve got no chance of troubling Arsenal et al. They just look flimsy. No steel, no strength and, bizarrely for a team only two years since Klopp, no pace.

Richard Hughes has been negligent to the extreme for two seasons running, there seems to be little to no philosophy. At this admittedly early stage Iraola does not appear to have the force of personality required for a club of this size, it’s like Liverpool have just slipped back into the bushes Homer Simpson style. Iraola’s style is all well and good for Bournemouth, but when you are dominating possession and the opponent is sitting back you need something special. Pep knew it, Klopp soon realised it. You need movement, you need intricacy, and you need a wall on the half way line.

There are serious questions to be asked, it was obvious all last season Frimpong is not good enough for a team with aspirations of challenging, ditto Kerkez. Wirtz? I honestly thought he’d show up at the World Cup and show what he can do, but he just sort of fizzles like a wet firework. And Isak? I just don’t know. The whole not ‘I’m not going to train until you let me go’ vibe before he left Newcastle didnt sit well, what top sportsman let’s themself get to a point where they are not fit for the start of a season? What club is happy to sign a player who can down tools like that? Would Ronaldo have done that?

It’s been said many times that the wheels were coming off at the end of the champions season, so why has it been not been addressed? We’ve been talking about Barcola since the last season finished so why is he not bedded into the team before the season starts? Liverpool clearly have Money, and are spending it, but the team is going backwards. Tom

…Reading Clive LFC’s mail on Liverpool’s state of play at the moment, I would suggest it is the minority of fans making all the negative noises, it does seem a few empty cans make the most noise these days particularly on socials (which I don’t do – call me a dinosaur if you want)

Liverpool fans I know are generally quite pragmatic on the fact Iraola will probably be very early Klopp era this season and possibly into the next, anyone remember that 2-2 at home to WBA or the Norwich 4 Liverpool 5 game….or many games like that high scoring thrills and spills at every turn on Klopp’s first full season LFC finished 4th in the final game!

I do see the transfer prices paid out raises expectations heavily in attack Liverpool will have Barcola £120m, Isak £125m, Wirtz £116m and by the end of the window another possible £75/80m addition…. Incredible sums of money!

I also feel Wirtz and Isak are the scapegoats for the poor performances due to their prices but let’s actually break it down:

Isak – looks miles away from the player he was at Newcastle but our system under slot was never gonna see him thrive no space no quick plays no opportunity for the snap finishing we all know he is capable off perhaps as iroalas style gets implemented this will improve but there was a pass map published at half time yesterday that showed…err… No passes into the striker! So I feel he is set up to fail by the transfer fee and the obsession we have as fans to have the next Bobby Firmino (legend) mixed with Darwin Nunez’s energy who I’d have bought back on a free for the squad!

Wirtz – drifts in and out of games which is expected of a lighter weight player bought in from abroad but key moments…. against Nottingham forest…goal disallowed shows his composure, header saved but he had no right winning that, pass to Gakpo in build up to Isak’s goal, assist for Munoz….so in that game alone he’s had 4 key moments 2 of which led to goals, again perhaps the price tag means we expect a lot more had Frimpong been onside Wirtz would of had a goal, assist and the defence breaker for Gakpo

Not denying Gakpo and Munoz both then delivered quality turns crosses/finishes respectively but can’t deny Wirtz was key to everything there!

The point in DMs not sure if Iraola has said he doesn’t want one or that he sees it as a tactical discipline issue but I do see that as a huge weakness not having the Fabino type player in the prime Klopp days when Liverpool and Man City were dominant the success was built around Fabinho for LFC and Rodri for Man City tells you something….. Wharton/Scott probably the best 2 options I would suggest particularly as our homegrown status is dangerously low!

Lastly I do think there is a real concern the club’s turned farcical – it was so well run with transfers previously even keeping them under wraps and done quickly but now public play drawn out sagas, in 24 hours this week bids on Sarr and Minteh feels a bit meh like there is no plan,

Klopp always said he wanted control of those matters and everyone praised the board but since he left the transfer strategy and policy has been directionless so can’t help but think Klopp was doing far more behind the scenes running the club too!

Bring him back as director of football whilst letting him run the German national team???!!!