Gary Lineker blasts Ruben Amorim’s ‘baffling’ treatment of ‘incredible’ Man United player
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has been slammed by Gary Lineker for his treatment of one player.
The Red Devils have started the season in poor form with just one win in all competitions from their opening five matches.
Man City beat Man United 3-0 in comfortable fashion at Etihad stadium to push Amorim’s side down to 14th in the Premier League table.
Altay Bayindir got the nod over Senne Lammens in goal, and Benjamin Sesko made his Man United debut, but Man City‘s class shone through with Erling Haaland netting twice alongside a Phil Foden goal.
Gary Lineker on ‘baffling’ Kobbie Mainoo treatment
Kobbie Mainoo came on as a substitute for the final half hour of the Manchester derby for just his second Premier League appearance of the season.
Mainoo wanted to leave Man United on loan at the end of the transfer window, with Amorim preferring the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro over the 20-year-old in midfield, whilst against Man City Manuel Ugarte earned a rare start.
Lineker, speaking on The Rest is Football podcast [15 September], can’t see the reason why Amorim is not giving Mainoo more chances in the team.
“I mean, I just, that really worries me the way Kobbie Mainoo has been kind of almost dismissed,” Lineker said.
“I mean, he’s such an incredible young talent, local boy as well, doing really well. I mean, I thought actually when he came on, he did really quite well.
“I don’t get it. I don’t know whether it’s something that we don’t know about or anything like that, but it’s slightly baffling to me.”
Mainoo broke through the Man United team under Erik ten Hag in January 2023, and was selected in England’s Euro 2024 squad, starting the final alongside Arsenal‘ Declan Rice.
Ruben Amorim thinks Kobbie Mainoo ‘can do better’
Speaking before the Manchester derby, as per BBC Sport [13 September], Amorim clearly expressed that he feels Mainoo needs to improve his game to break back into the starting XI.
“I believe in him a lot. He is a top player. But some of you think that Kobbie Mainoo is already done [a complete player]. I think he can do so much better,” Amorim said.
“For some guys [talent] is enough, but for him it is not. Maybe it’s not fair, but I think I’m helping Kobbie and that’s it.”
“The way I play is completely different from the last manager.”
| Kobbie Mainoo | Stats |
| Appearances | 75 |
| Goals | 7 |
| Assists | 3 |
Amorim plays in a 3-4-2-1 formation meaning only two central midfielders can fit into his side, whilst under ten Hag the Dutchman primarily used a 4-2-3-1.
“I watched a lot of Premier League games when I was in Portugal. You can feel the Manchester United team was really transitional,” Amorim commented.
“Sometimes I looked at Kobbie Mainoo and felt he was the only guy who calmed the game down. Now we have other players who can do that and we play a different game.
“Kobbie is really good at controlling the game, but if he plays as an eight he has to reach the box and return. Sometimes he has to cover a lot of space with just two [players].
“He could play as a six (defensive midfielder) but sometimes he passes the ball and goes away, which is not a reference as a six.
“We have to balance everything. He has the technical ability but he needs to understand the position better. He needs to play in different speeds – sometimes lower, sometimes faster. He can improve on that.”
Mainoo’s chances in the team are likely to be limited due to no European football at Old Trafford, no cup matches until January following their League Cup defeat at Grimsby.
Man United face Chelsea next in the Premier League with the pressure building on Amorim.