Kobbie Mainoo played just two minutes of Manchester United’s defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.
Manchester United turned in a dreadful showing in the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur, bringing their season to a bitter and humiliating close.
Conceding in the first half due to careless defending was sadly predictable—it’s been a persistent flaw all season long. Even more alarming was United’s lack of attacking presence. Amad offered some promise early on but faded in the second half.
Bruno Fernandes had a poor game, and with their captain struggling, no one else managed to spark any creativity. To go a full 90 minutes without scoring against a Tottenham side notorious for their own defensive issues is truly unbelievable.
Kobbie Mainoo did not make an appearance until the 90th minute despite scoring the winning goal, and producing a Man of the Match performance in his last cup final.
Mainoo’s stance on United future
Mainoo was viewed as one of the most exciting youngsters on the planet 12 months ago but there are clearly issues with the 19-year-old this season.
There are question marks over his suitability to this system while he also looks physically worse than last term. Some may suggest that Erik ten Hag throwing him in to play every week at 18 was not a great move for the long-term.
Negotiations for a new contract for Mainoo have been ongoing for several months but there is still not any indication that an agreement is close.
A fresh report from talkSPORT has revealed that sources close to the player claim he wants to stay at Old Trafford but do admit that he has reservations about his role in Amorim’s system.
The United boss has claimed that Mainoo is better higher-up as one of the no.10s in his system but he was largely used as a deeper player in his breakthrough campaign.
Amorim can’t waste Mainoo’s talent
United should not be thinking about letting Mainoo go but there is a clear issue right now about his fit in the system, and there is no way he should only be playing five minutes in a final.
Amorim’s system seems like it would work much better if he had someone in the deeper midfield role who could turn their man and run into the space. That is Mainoo.
Over the summer, they need to ensure that the young midfielder is in the best shape. Injuries have clearly impacted him this season.
If he is fully fit, Mainoo should be able to play in that deeper role and Amorim needs to try and get that to work, because it is better than the alternatives in those positions.
It has been a bad season for United and Mainoo, but the talent remains obvious and Amorim needs to make sure that he is not wasting it.
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