Manchester United fans have shown considerable patience with Ruben Amorim, despite winning just eight of his 20 Premier League games at Old Trafford. The jeers from the home crowd following the draw with struggling West Ham United were particularly subdued. However, one issue that could weaken support for the underperforming United manager is Koby Mainu’s handling of the situation.
Mainoo, a former England big-time player who was named the best player on the pitch as the man of the match in the FA Cup final, is just 20 years old. Reacting to Amorim’s claims that Mainu was being treated equally with the rest of the squad, Paul Scholes took to social media to voice his dissent, saying: “Fuck you. This kid is ruined by not letting him play for a team that can’t control the game of football. I hate to see a homegrown player leave but now is the best for him, enough is enough.”
It’s hard to find a United fan who would support a selection policy that has prevented Mainu from starting a single Premier League game this season. Regardless of what someone like Scholes may say, Amorim is clearly unfazed by public opinion, repeating that Mainu hasn’t performed well enough in training to warrant sufficient playing time.
A frustrated Amorim said: “You always ask me the same thing. I understand what you’re saying. You love Coby. He starts for England. But that doesn’t mean I need to have him in (the team) when I feel he shouldn’t be in the team.”
Mainoo stands out as one of the few players in United’s first team who has yet to start a Premier League game. Asked if he understood why a talented homegrown player would be disappointed in his current role in the team, Amorim was candid.
The United manager replied: “I know that. I know that and I just want to win. I just put players in (the team) and I don’t care who they are. I don’t care about that. I’m just trying to get the best players on the pitch.”
“(Manuel) Ugarte played two games, but Case (Casemiro) was absent for one of them. Bruno (Fernandes) is always in good form. He is a player who plays the position (of Mainu) very well, so maybe that has something to do with it.”
Many pundits and fans may interpret this answer as evidence of Amorim’s strict tactical approach, but the Portuguese manager may need to show flexibility when Brian Mbeumo, Nouser Mazraoui and Amad Diallo depart for the African Cup of Nations.
Will this give Mainu a chance to regain his position? “I don’t know, I don’t know,” Amorim sighed. “It’s the same question. I don’t know what will happen. It depends on the situation. If I find out during training that it’s best, I’ll do it. That’s the only way I know how to answer it.”
After a disappointing late equalizer against West Ham, Amorim will lead his side to Wolves on Monday night against a side looking for their first Premier League win of the season. Rob Edwards’ team collected just 2 points in 14 games.
However, Amorim warned: “Anything can happen and it will change. There has never been a team in the history of the Premier League that has not won a single game.”
“It can happen in any game. So we have to try to improve, rest the players, work really hard and prepare for a tough game, because it’s always a tough game for us.”
