Ruben Amorim has given his thoughts on Chido Obi’s performance for Manchester United against Brentford after the Danish forward became the youngest player to ever start a Premier League match for the club.
Chido Obi had some good opportunities throughout the game and nearly scored last as the ball broke to him in the box, but it’s clear the 17-year-old is indeed still raw. United failed to get something out of the game, but Chido can come away from the game with a positive feeling overall.
United named the third youngest lineup in Premier League history on Sunday afternoon, with Chido, along with the likes of Tyler Fredricson and Harry Amass, spearheading a Carrington-centric team. Ruben Amorim went bold with his eyes firmly fixed on the Athletic Bilbao game on Thursday.
Chido played 90 minutes on the day, with goals from Amad, Mason Mount and Alejandro Garnacho not being enough to win a point, leaving United 15th in the table with just three games to go in the season.
Amorim spoke about Chido Obi after the game, and despite praising the forward’s industry, the Portuguese manager is not afraid to point out the forward does have some areas he needs to work on in the coming months.
Amorim speaks on Chido Obi’s performance
Ruben Amorim has been speaking on Chido Obi’s performance after the defeat to Brentford, and the manager feels that despite the fact Chido fought for the entire game, some of his actions during the 90 minutes were naive.
Speaking after the defeat, Amorim said the following, “It’s really important [for the youngsters to play games] because you can train a lot with the first-team but to have that feeling… playing with the players, feeling the players and speed of the game. I think it’s the best thing.
“Chido fought all the game but you can feel it, he’s really naive sometimes in the way he puts his body.
“He’s going to understand what is the feeling of playing in these kind of games, this is the best way.”
The 17-year-old has a lot of time to mature his game, but already it’s evident to see that he has the physicality to succeed in the coming years. His ability at times to use his body is incredibly clever, but as Amorim points out, it needs to be a consistent thing he does to get closer to becoming a top player.
Rasmus Hojlund and Chido may benefit from a more experienced striker in the summer, but all signs point towards United going for a player like Liam Delap as opposed to a striker who’s a bit older, which is an interesting recruitment choice by the board.
Chido Obi only going to get better
Chido made the right choice joining Manchester United for his development, as he is slowly becoming a first-team option with the season closing out. The timing is obviously a factor to consider with the season in the Premier League open for United and the Europa League looming, but Amorim does not give debuts to players he does not rate.
It’s likely the Dane will be a huge part of any United resurgence in the coming years, and Amorim is the right manager to help him on his way. The Portuguese coach has shown so far in his early United career that he is not afraid to give youth a chance, and that was more evident than ever today.
The body positioning and game IQ will grow as Chido matures. United need to ensure they grow alongside him and make sure the environment around the club continues to grow and improve to help these younger players.
Failure to do so will result in a huge amount of talent wasted.
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