0 Duels won & 0 tackles: Amorim gave right treatment to 4/10 Man Utd ace who lost possession 6 times vs Southampton - view
Manchester United battled to a 3-1 victory over Southampton in the Premier League on Thursday evening.
It wasn’t the straightforward win they had hoped for.
Trailing 1-0 at half-time, the Red Devils were on the brink of disaster.
In a stunning late turnaround, Amad Diallo’s hat-trick fired United to victory, sparing them from the embarrassment of dropping points against low-quality opposition.
While Diallo starred for United, Kobbie Mainoo delivered an underwhelming performance.
Out of sync with the pace of the game, Mainoo struggled throughout as he lost all five of his duels.
His defensive contributions were non-existent, failing to make a single tackle or interception.
Additionally, he lost possession six times and was ultimately substituted at half-time by manager Ruben Amorim.
He could have put United ahead but chose to pass the ball rather than firing a shot.
His poor display earned a 4/10 in our post-match ratings.
The Saints have scored the fewest goals in this campaign.
United needed one of their midfielders to be creative with ball distribution.
Mainoo failed to provide that spark, unable to play a single key pass and lacking the vision to involve attacking players.
Recognising the need for more creativity, Amorim moved Bruno Fernandes to the base of midfield in the second half to inject the attacking flair that was sorely missing.
Mainoo had a promising 2023/24 campaign.
While expecting flawless consistency from the 19-year-old is unrealistic, he must focus on his development.
He must work on refining key aspects of his game to fulfil his potential and become a more reliable presence for United.
He is a highly technical midfielder but needs to improve his forward passing and pressing intensity.
Stats from sofascore.com
Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .