What Paul Scholes once said about Newcastle target Kobbie Mainoo will blow fans away
Comments that Paul Scholes made about Manchester United youngster and Newcastle United target Kobbie Mainoo have recently resurfaced, much to the interest of Magpies fans.
Mainoo wowed in a short cameo as Man United lost heavily to Manchester City on Sunday, with pressure mounting on United boss Ruben Amorim.
Amorim has been criticised for his use of Mainoo, which Gary Lineker described as “baffling,” with the 20-year-old yet to start a Premier League game this season.
Man United’s loss to Man City stung in many ways, but seeing Amorim’s side lose the midfield battle once again with Mainoo sat on the bench was particularly frustrating for United fans.
Kobbie Mainoo ’10 times the player’ Paul Scholes was
Mainoo submitted a loan request at Man United late in the summer transfer window, but the club refused to sanction the move, intending for the Carrington graduate to stay and fight for his place instead.
Posting on his Instagram, Paul Scholes spoke about Mainoo in 2024, saying: “Read a few comparisons between me and this kid last week… don’t waste your time, he is 10 times the player I was at 19.
“Just love the way he receives the ball, the calmness, the awareness of what’s around him and of course big goals in big games. This boy is special…”
Mainoo, who has been linked to Newcastle United, is a fan favourite at Man United due to his journey through the club’s youth academy and the instant impact he made in the first team during the 2023-24 season.
Kobbie Mainoo should be the first team on Ruben Amorim’s teamsheet
Amorim has said that Mainoo is currently facing the daunting task of displacing Man United’s club captain, Bruno Fernandes, if he wishes to start games for the club.
As United’s midfield continues to get overrun with Amorim testing combinations like Fernandes and Casemiro, and Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte, many have wondered why Mainoo doesn’t get more of a chance.
| Kobbie Mainoo 2023-24 | |
| Goals | 3 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Shot-creating actions per 90 | 1.87 |
| Progressive passes per 90 | 2.99 |
Having controlled England’s midfield at the 2024 European championships and held down the position under Erik ten Hag, one wonders what it is that Amorim doesn’t like about the midfielder.
Mainoo will have to wait until January if he’s to seek a move, but before then, a lot may change at Old Trafford, as Amorim’s seat gets hotter with every negative result.