Ruben Amorim sends Kobbie Mainoo new reality check over Man Utd future: “It’s not enough”

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has fallen out of favour under Ruben Amorim, with the Red Devils boss making it clear where the player must improve

Ruben Amorim has warned Kobbie Mainoo he must improve and show more fight if he wants to be a regular starter for Manchester United.

Mainoo has not started a Premier League game for United this season and asked to go out on loan before deadline day due to a lack of playing time, a request that was rejected.

Midfielder Mainoo was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad due to his lack of game time, with the 20-year-old worried he could miss out on next year’s World Cup in the USA.

But Amorim warned Mainoo – who is in contention to start today’s Manchester derby because of injuries to Mason Mount and Matheus Cunha – he needs to get better to win back his place.

“I believe a lot in Kobbie, but some of you think that he is already done [the finished article],” said Amorim. “I think he can do so much better, he can improve a lot.

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“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 scored United’s winner in last year’s 2-1 FA Cup final win over City at Wembley and started for England in their Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain by the same scoreline seven weeks later.

Despite such a meteoric rise for club and country, Mainoo’s progress has stalled under Amorim, who told the Stockport-born player it is up to him to prove the United boss wrong.

“Sometimes it’s the opinion of a coach,” said Amorim. “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.”

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