After Manchester United defeated Manchester City in the derby at Old Trafford, Coby Mainu gave his verdict on the current situation under manager Michael Carrick.
Koby Mainu looks like he will be a big player for Michael Carrick (Image: 2026 Allstar)
Manchester United midfielder Koby Mainu uploaded a photo of himself with Michael Carrick after contributing to the win against Manchester City.
The United academy graduate started alongside Casemiro against Josep Guardiola’s side despite barely making any appearances this season. Mainu did not start a single Premier League game under recently sacked manager Ruben Amorim, with the Portuguese manager claiming the 20-year-old was in direct competition with Bruno Fernandes.
He played the full 90 minutes against the Cityzens, a huge show of confidence from newly appointed caretaker manager Carrick. After the match, Mainoo posted his first United-related social media post since October.
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The midfielder uploaded a shirtless photo of himself walking through the tunnel at Old Trafford, surrounded by Carrick and Mason Mount. “Believe it,” he wrote in the caption.
Carrick’s confidence comes at a pivotal time for the young man. Under Amorim, Mainu’s future appeared to be away from United, with the likes of Chelsea being linked with him.
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Realizing that he would have fewer chances to start under the former Sporting Lisbon manager, he requested a loan move last summer, but the Red Devils immediately rejected his request.
However, his mature performances at Old Trafford suggest he will return to the starting eleven for the time being. This will be crucial for Mainu, who is aiming to earn a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup.
He has not appeared for the national team since the 2-0 away win over Ireland in the Nations League, when Lee Carsley was interim manager. Tuchel is yet to call up any of United’s academy graduates since taking over the reins of the Three Lions.
After the match, an impressed Carrick praised Harry Maguire, saying: “I thought Coby was a great player along with Casa. Between the two of them, I thought that gave us the foundation. It was actually Richa and Harry and kind of the block. I think that gave us a really strong foundation.”
“I felt like this was a game for experience and to know what it feels like. That’s a big ask of H and credit to him. I think we take it for granted sometimes that our players played today and got through it.”
Mainu was a bit player under Amorim (Image: Manchester United FC 2025)
“It was a bit of a calculated gamble on how long he could play and if he could get through it, because he’s been training literally two or three days for the last eight or nine weeks.
“It really shows that it means a lot to him and I thought he was great. The thought between him and Richa was that they were very solid at the back and gave us a foundation to build on.”
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