Amorim blasted for ‘taking the pee’ out of ‘top’ Man Utd player he now needs | OneFootball

A former Manchester United star thinks Ruben Amorim has mismanaged a Red Devils player he’ll now need more than ever.

It’s been anything but smooth sailing since Amorim took charge at Man Utd, with the Portuguese guiding United to their lowest ever finish in the Premier League last season (15th).

Results have improved to some degree this season, though what positives there have been have largely come without the input of homegrown ace, Kobbie Mainoo.

The midfielder is still to start a single Premier League match this term. All 11 of his league outings have come from the bench and three appearances have consisted of single figure minutes.

It’s a situation that prompted Mainoo to request a loan exit last summer and given it hasn’t improved in the months since, the expectation was Mainoo would again ask to leave next month.

And according to former United attacker, Ravel Morrison, Amorim and Man Utd have effectively “taken the p***” out of one of their own with their handling of Mainoo’s game-time.

“They’re taking the p***. He’s a top player isn’t he? I know you can’t really say it’s bad just coming on for a minute,” said Morrison on the Filthy Fellas podcast.

“But I don’t know if they brought him on just to take the p*** just for a minute because he should really be playing a lot more than that.”

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Amorim now needs Mainoo more than ever

As mentioned, Mainoo was expected to request to leave Man Utd once again ahead of the January window.

But with Bruno Fernandes now sustaining a hamstring injury, Mainoo is set to be handed a run of starts, assuming he overcomes his own minor calf injury before the captain returns, of course.

Part of the reason why Mainoo has barely featured is due to Amorim’s view on the player.

The manager has publicly stated on multiple occasions that Mainoo is in direct competition with Fernandes for the more attack-minded of the two central midfield spots. Amorim doesn’t feel Mainoo can feature anywhere else in his 3-4-2-1 formation.

And given Fernandes is United’s best player, the captain, and until now, rarely got injured, Mainoo was forced to accept being on the bench every week.

But with Fernandes now sidelined, Sky Sports reporter, Dharmesh Sheth, believes there’s no scenario in which Man Utd let Mainoo go in January.

And given the 20-year-old will receive a significant increase in game-time (at least until Fernandes returns), remaining put might not be so bad after all.

“Ruben Amorim has said that he wants Kobbie Mainoo to stay,” said Sheth. “He has maintained that he has to perform and convince him that he should be in the team ahead of Bruno Fernandes.

“Whenever he is asked why Mainoo can’t get in the team, it’s because Ruben Amorim says he is competing with Bruno Fernandes in the team.

“With Fernandes maybe out for some of January, you can’t imagine a scenario now where Manchester United to allow Mainoo to go.”

Sheth added: “Would it benefit Man United to let Kobbie Mainno go out on loan? Probably not because he’s part of their squad and he has been coming off the bench.

“Particularly with the AFCON on and Bruno Fernandes injured… it was bad timing for Mainoo yesterday when he picked up the calf injury and miss the game against Aston Villa.

“Ruben Amorim has already suggested he may miss the game on Boxing Day against Newcastle United, but thereafter if he gets himself fit, there may be an opportunity for Mainoo to establish himself once again in the Manchester United starting XI.”

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has revealed the change Manchester United promised to make if Antoine Semenyo agreed to join, but the Bournemouth winger only had eyes for Manchester City.

Elsewhere, Man Utd have a new winger target in mind already after seeing rivals Man City close in on Antoine Semenyo.