Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has backed Koby Mainu as the midfielder continues to be left out of Ruben Amorim’s starting XI. Mainu has only played 183 minutes in the Premier League this season, all of them as a substitute, with Amorim yet to hand the 20-year-old his first start of the season. The youngster has been at United since joining the academy at the age of nine, working his way through the youth system before establishing himself in the first team under Erik ten Hag.
However, since Amorim arrived last November, the midfielder has found it difficult to get regular starting minutes. United’s current manager remains adamant about restructuring his team, banishing several first-team stars to what has come to be known as the “bomb squad” over the summer. Mainu was spared membership in that particular group, but his limited playing time is starting to raise concerns. He has played a total of just 13 minutes in United’s last three games.
Mainu’s predicament is starting to frustrate Scholes, with the United legend suggesting his talent is likely to be “embarrassing” Casemiro in training.
Speaking on The Good The Bad and The Football podcast, he said: “Reuven Amorim said Koby Mainu was a starter… all his Premier League appearances were as substitutes. That’s what bothers me.”
“If he was on a good team and they were winning every week and holding the ball, I wouldn’t care. But they’re crap. Coby’s a 20-year-old kid and he’s not playing. He’s going to have to leave the team.”
“You know what’s going to happen? Amorim will bring him to the games, but he won’t be great, but that’s because he needs regular games.”
“Obviously as a manager sometimes you don’t like your players, but look at what he’s already achieved – scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup final, playing every game at the Euros.
“He’s definitely taking the crap out of Casemiro in training every day and he’s a great player. I don’t know why the club is allowing Amorim to treat a homegrown talent like that.”
Nicky Butt was similarly unhappy with Mainu’s situation and hinted at a potential destination for the midfielder.
He said: “If Mainu was playing for another Premier League club, United would go and buy him for £70m or £80m. Now we’re going to sell him and he’ll become a superstar elsewhere.”
“We are sacking players who love their football club. It’s mind-boggling. I understand what happened with[Alejandro]Garnacho, because his attitude and his actions were terrible, but you don’t hear that about Coby.”
“He’s a top, top, top player and we’re making a fuss. Coby has to go. If I’m looking after him, I’m going to tell him, ‘We’re going to kick you out of that football club.’
“For the sake of his football career, he has to leave United. He has lost 18 months of development. I hope he goes abroad, because it would be embarrassing for him to go to Chelsea, so it could happen.”
“They have a very good young team and they keep signing young players, so they might go for him. He could easily stay at Chelsea next season.”
“I’ve known Coby since he was 8 years old, and if you told him to stay back and not do that behavior, you wouldn’t be doing him justice. That’s very sad to me.”
Scholes agreed, saying: “You know what? I’d have to advise him to go[to Chelsea]right? If he called me and said, ‘Look, Chelsea are interested, what do you think?’, I’d say go all day.”
