Ruben Amorim has given only three debuts to Manchester United academy players since taking over as manager and has cleaned up the club’s youth system ahead of the match against Bournemouth.
Manchester United fans are left stunned after Ruben Amorim robbed the club’s famous academy. United manager Amorim has been criticized for failing to use enough freshmen during his troubled 13-month reign at Old Trafford.
Only three young players have made their debut under the former Sporting Lisbon manager: Tyler Fredrickson, Harry Amas and Cido Obi. The manager has flooded the team with academy products from his former club. But Amorim suggests two of the three, alongside Toby Collier, who made his debut under Erik ten Hag, may have been promoted to the first team too soon.
Obi starred in the first team last season, but this term he has mainly been involved in coaching United’s under-21s, while Harry Amath has been a regular since joining Sheffield Wednesday on loan. Meanwhile, Collier made four appearances on loan at West Bromwich Albion before returning to United after recovering from injury.
While discussing the future of Koby Mainu, who has graduated from United’s star academy over the past few seasons, Amorim began criticizing the club’s youth system. “He (Collier) used to play (for United). He came from the academy. He played here,” the Red Devils manager began.
“He went to West Bromwich, he didn’t play, he played for Manchester United, so sometimes it’s not because he’s from the academy or something.
read more: Full squad for Manchester United vs. Bournemouth announced amid key AFCON decisionsread more: Ruben Amorim hints at Manchester United formation change to save Koby Mainu
“It’s the situation. What happened. We don’t know what the future holds (for Mainu). We’ll see after this game. Amath are currently struggling in the Championship. Chido is not always a starter in the under-21 team. They all played at a time when many were calling for the manager to be sacked!”
Amorim was likely referring to Wednesday’s troubles rather than Amas’s own performance. The Championship club hope to extend the left-back’s loan until the end of the season.
United fans were furious, writing on Another said: “Sacking academy players to protect his stubbornness is a new low for Amorim.”
A third wrote: “Ruben Amorim throwing academy players under the bus, knowing full well that the foundation of the club’s history is built on the academy, will undoubtedly be the last straw for (Jason) Wilcox and INEOS. He is not the right person for the job. We must act before we lose any more young talent.”
Should Ruben Amorim have made such a comment? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
United supporters also fear that the club’s stellar record of featuring a homegrown player in every match for the past 88 years (more than 4,300 games) will end under Amorim due to a lack of trust. In November, midfielder Jack Fletcher was called up for the Red Devils’ trip to Tottenham, ensuring his record remained intact.
“That’s really important,” Amorim told TNT Sports. “We’re in a time where if you cut corners to get instant success, you’re doing it wrong.
“There’s something special about our club that has to be bulletproof. The way we behave, the way we feel about the club. We’re not going to stop at academy players. Results don’t matter.”
“We will continue with those little details that are the foundation of the club. We have that record, but we will not break that record. And Jack is ready to help us. We will show that our academy is our future. The players in our academy must be ready to help us.”
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily Manchester United content from Mirror Football. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports Premier League and EFL package discounts
£43
£35
sky
Get the deal here
Sky has reduced the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 on their bill and offering more than 1,400 live matches from the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will broadcast at least 215 live Premier League matches next season, with an increase of up to 100 more.
