Manchester United officials are reportedly wary of Rúben Amorim’s view of Kobbie Mainoo following his latest comments about the Academy.
Rúben Amorim has found himself at odds with some of Manchester United’s faithful surrounding recent comments about the club’s Academy.
Ahead of the tie against Bournemouth, the 40-year-old was discussing the opportunities he has given young players over the last 12 months, despite criticism. He referenced Harry Amass “struggling” in the Championship and Chido Obi “not always” starting for the club’s U21s.
However, since then, many have noted that Amass won Sheffield Wednesday’s Player of the Month award for November, while Obi has been injured for around six weeks.
These quotes were in the context of discussing Kobbie Mainoo’s limited starts and minutes this season, with others further noting that it’s unfair to compare the 20-year-old, a fully fledged England international, to other young stars.
Those at United uneasy with Mainoo’s treatment
Amorim’s continued lack of confidence in Mainoo has been a topic since the early weeks of his tenure at Old Trafford. The midfielder initially struggled with several injuries that kept him out of starting lineups, and he’s yet to return.
This season, Mainoo has started just once – in the Carabao Cup loss against Grimsby, and has made 10 appearances in the Premier League, all off the bench and totalling 183 minutes, which is the equivalent of just two 90-minute fixtures out of the 15 played so far.
According to TelegraphSport, figures within the club are becoming “very uneasy” about Mainoo’s situation at United amid Amorim’s continued exclusion from the starting XIs by Amorim.
It’s also noted that they are wary of what a potential exit for Mainoo could signify, given his desire to join Napoli on loan for the remainder of the campaign.
Mainoo represents the fading ideals of United
Both during and since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, United have always leaned on their Academy stars when a new spark was needed. Be it throwing the likes of David Beckham and Paul Scholes into Premier League sides or calling an 18-year-old Marcus Rashford for a knockout European game, it’s been the United way.
With Mainoo, his rise was quintessential United. He made his Premier League debut as an 18-year-old in November 2023, and by the summer of 2024, he’d scored the winning goal in an FA Cup final, broken into the England XI, and started in the 2024 European Championships final.
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However, over the past 12 months, there has been very little to celebrate regarding Academy success at the club. In every one of Amorim’s essential games and significant wins, there’s been no involvement of youth, or any signs that it’s coming.
United needed a spark against West Ham at Old Trafford two weeks ago. Still, despite Mainoo and 18-year-old starlet winger Shea Lacey being on the bench, AMorim claimed after the game that he had no attacking reinforcements to turn to when the side needed a goal.
With United 4-1 up against Wolves, possibly the worst Premier League side of all time, Lacey was still not granted a debut, even with absolutely no pressure to play. Mainoo and others represented the core heart of United, but all signs point to a fading era of youth success in Red.
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