Ruben Amorim has issued a stark warning to Kobbie Mainoo that he must raise his game and show more fight if he wants regular first-team football at Manchester United. The midfielder hasn’t started a Premier League match for United this season and was pushing for a loan move away from Old Trafford before the transfer window closed due to his limited opportunities, though had his request to leave rejected by the United hierarchy.
Mainoo’s struggle for game time saw him left out of Thomas Tuchel’s most recent England squad, with the 20-year-old now fearing he could be overlooked for next summer’s World Cup in the United States. And Amorim has cautioned Mainoo – who could feature in this weekend’s Manchester derby against Manchester City due to Mason Mount and Matheus Cunha’s injuries – that he must elevate his performance levels to reclaim a starting role.
“I believe a lot in Kobbie, but some of you think that he is already done [the finished article],” declared Amorim. “I think he can do so much better, he can improve a lot. For some guys it [talent] is enough, but for him it’s not enough.
“Maybe it’s not fair, but I think I’m helping Kobbie. He will have opportunities like the other guys. If I feel during the week that someone is the best player to play, then he’s going to play and I’ve proved that already to every player here.
“So I believe in him a lot. He’s a top, top player, but he can be so much better.” Mainoo netted United’s decisive goal in the 2-1 FA Cup final triumph over City at Wembley under Erik ten Hag. He also started for England in their Euro 2024 final loss to Spain seven weeks later. Despite his rapid ascent in both club and international football, Mainoo’s development has hit a snag under Amorim.
The Portuguese coach has challenged the Stockport-born player to prove him wrong. “Sometimes it’s the opinion of a coach,” Amorim stated. “I remember Vitinha was not playing for Wolves. Nowadays, you can see that Vitinha is maybe the best midfielder in the world.
“The way I play is completely different from the last manager. I watched a lot of games from the Premier League when I was in Portugal and you could feel the United team was really transitional.
“Kobbie was the only guy who calmed the game down. Now we have other players who can calm the game down. We play a different game and sometimes I expect more from Kobbie – and I know he can give that.
“I know that he started the final of the European Championships in a team that has a lot of talented players. Phil Foden played in that game, Cole Palmer was on the bench and Kobbie was playing. I know all that, but sometimes I have a different way of seeing the game.
“Kobbie is really good at controlling the game, but if he plays as an eight, he has to reach the box, then return and sometimes he has to cover a lot of space with just two [midfielders]. Bruno is doing that job and then sometimes it’s just bad luck.
“Bruno is the more influential player in the last few years and he’s been playing in that position. Kobbie could play as a six [a defensive midfielder], but sometimes he passes the ball and goes away, so we have to balance everything.
“He has the technical ability, but he needs more pace. He needs to understand the position better. He needs to play at different speeds. Sometimes it’s slower. Sometimes it’s faster and I think he can improve on that.
“Then he has to beat Bruno. He has to beat Casemiro. He has to beat Manuel Ugarte. They are also good players and so I need to choose.”
