Mainoo adds further embarrassment to Amorim

Ruben Amorim’s decision to repeatedly overlook Kobbie Mainoo was a puzzling one for most fans with questions being asked of how the club’s brightest young talent couldn’t get any game time. In the summer before Amorim was appointed Manchester United manager, the midfielder started for his club in the victorious FA Cup final against local rivals Manchester City, as well as the Euros final for England. But under the Portuguese manager, Mainoo could barely get a look in.

Amorim’s preferred formation saw space for just two midfielders, with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes preferred to the youngster. This meant playing Europe’s best attacking midfielder in a defensive role though, as well Mainoo missing out.

United’s embarrassing 15th place finish from last season, as well as defeat to the worst Tottenham Hotspur team of a generation, meant no extra playing time in Europe, as well as the disastrous defeat to Grimsby that led to an early exit from the League Cup.

With the World Cup a few months away, Mainoo needed playing time. He hadn’t started a single game in the league under Amorim this season and was desperate to play so he could win his place back in the England squad. Reports at the time suggested he had no interest in a permanent move away, just a loan move in January to get more minutes on the pitch.

When his brother showed up at Old Trafford wearing a “Free Kobbie Mainoo” t-shirt, Amorim was surprisingly defensive of the player, but some of the fans started to turn on the youngster. There was a feeling he should or could control what his brother did, or that he should come out and publicly condemn his family member for undermining the manager. It felt as though things were about the turn ugly.

However, Amorim was sacked, and everything has changed.

Having picked up a total of just three points in home games against Wolves, Bournemouth, West Ham and 10 man Everton, United were as close to 12th in the table as they were to 4th when Amorim was finally sacked. Incredibly, it wasn’t the results on the pitch that got him his marching orders either, but the meltdown from the manager which led to a breakdown in relationship with the club’s leadership.

Under Michael Carrick, and no longer restricted by a formation that doesn’t suit our personnel, Bruno has been moved in to his favoured position and is scoring or assisting every game now. He is being tipped as a potential winner of Premier League Player of the Season, as he closes in on the all-time assists record.

To add insult to injury for Amorim, Mainoo has been playing every week and shining. We’ve moved up to third in the table, having beaten every other team in the top four with Carrick’s leadership, and today it was announced that Mainoo is back in the England squad. Harry Maguire has also rejoined the selection.

Congratulations Kobbie! All’s well that ends well.

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