Ruben Amorim blames Bruno Fernandes for Manchester United controversy | OneFootball

On the sidelines of the preview for Manchester United - Bournemouth, Ruben Amorim addressed the controversy surrounding the limited use of Kobbie Mainoo, something that has drawn significant criticism towards the management of the former Sporting coach - mainly from Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand, and Nicky Butt. In response, the coach ended up blaming... Bruno Fernandes.

"If Kobbie comes to me and talks, I will speak with him. I won't say what I would tell him, but I would be very pleased if he came to talk to me about it. I just want my players to be happy and I understand that each of them has their own goals. Frustration helps no one," he began by saying, in statements to Sky Sports.

Next, Ruben Amorim reminded that it is due to Bruno Fernandes, the former Sporting midfielder, that Kobbie Mainoo's role is more limited at Old Trafford, as he is "a very difficult player to take out of the team": "He can play in that position, but it's difficult sometimes. If we look at our team, with Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Bruno Fernandes, whom you call a number 10, Mainoo has to think: 'I'm the guy who will block transitions and all those things.' He needs to spend more time on that, but he can occupy that position in the future. I don't know what will happen."

In conclusion, Ruben Amorim chose to respond to those who accuse him of not betting on players coming from the Red Devils' youth academy: "Toby Collyer is from the academy, he played here and went to West Bromwich. Now he doesn't play there. He played for Manchester United, so sometimes it's not about being from the academy. It's a situation that happens. Of course, I value Mainoo, like all the others. The problem is that we play with two midfielders and you look at Kobbie differently than I do. If we played with three midfielders, maybe he would have more minutes. Sometimes someone can lose their place and it's just a moment."

"I think I've already proven that I can change my mind. Casemiro is the best example. He was once behind Toby and now he's a starter. The door is always open for any player to get me to change my mind. In the end, it's about what happens in games and in training. Kobbie is not playing many games, but he had opportunities last season. I just try to look at the team and win the next game. I will do that until the end. Kobbie is a player and I understand all the interests. I understand your hopes because he is English. I want to win and if he is the right player, I will play him without any problems," assured Ruben Amorim.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.