A recently published statistic from the Premier League has proved Rúben Amorim is wrong about Shea Lacey and Kobbie Mainoo.
Rúben Amorim is beginning to come under more pressure at Manchester United, following his side’s embarrassing draw to West Ham United and dismal defeat to Everton the week before.
In between the two games, United overcame the odds to beat Crystal Palace away from home after going 1-0 down before halftime. Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount both scored from set-pieces to take victory, an example of the biggest saving grace for Amorim this season.
However, the promising result against Palace – which could’ve helped United start a positive run of form – has already been forgotten due to the performance at Old Trafford on Thursday evening.
Shea Lacey and Kobbie Mainoo were both unused substitutes against the Hammers, an interesting decision when it was clear United needed more control before they conceded and, of course, needed a goal after they conceded.
Embarrassing substitution stat revealed
Last season, substitutions were crucial for Amorim, including in the biggest win of the season against Lyon in the Europa League. Mainoo’s introduction directly led to the goal to level the game before Harry Maguire’s header clinched victory in the depths of extra time.
However, this season, United have not had the same impact from their substitutions. The BBC, via Opta, have revealed that United haven’t had a substitute score in the Premier League this campaign, along with Everton and Nottingham Forest.
This makes Amorim’s decision to leave both Lacey and Mainoo on the bench against West Ham appear even more idiotic. Lacey is known for his ability to dribble past defenders, as is Mainoo: they would be crucial in a last-minute push for a goal, but Amorim chose not to trust them.
While bringing Lacey into the action would be a risk – given he hasn’t made his senior debut yet – Mainoo wouldn’t be. He is a proven England international who has already proved he can score huge goals for United: against Lyon in the Europa League, away at Wolves in the Premier League, and even at home to Liverpool in the FA Cup, not to mention his winning goal in the FA Cup final against Manchester City.
Amorim must use subs against Wolves
United face Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday evening – a must-win game if Amorim wants any chance of keeping his job going into 2026 – and he must show a willingness to use his bench.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. Amorim is bordering on that definition himself, if he doesn’t change something against Wolves.
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He has already shown he is unwilling to make major changes to his system, so change the personnel.
Amad and Bryan Mbeumo, who Amorim will have to live without soon anyway due to AFCON, have both been poor in recent weeks, so experiment with new players.
Playing academy graduates will always help the United manager, especially in such a poor time on the pitch. It’s a no-brainer for Amorim.
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