Mainoo is desperate to earn a spot in the starting line up and could feature as a central midfielder.placeholder image
Mainoo is desperate to earn a spot in the starting line up and could feature as a central midfielder. | Manchester United via Getty Images
Kobbie Mainoo has requested to leave Man Utd with Don Hutchison suggesting that it is a sign of a bigger problem.
Manchester United’s summer looked to be heading in the right direction when early transfer moves were made only for the signing of Bryan Mbeumo to turn into a drawn out saga and for ostracised players to still be at the club.
Could Mainoo demand see Amorim’s time at United come to an end?
The surprising news coming out of Old Trafford is that Kobbie Mainoo has asked to leave on loan, a surprise given how important he was previously and also the positive partnership he build up with Manuel Ugarte in pre-season fixtures. With two more defence minded midfielders playing together, United’s engine room looked as balanced as it has for some time. The problem is though, the squad is packed with no.10s which means that Bruno Fernandes has been deployed in a deeper role at the academy product’s expense.
A permanent move seems to have been ruled out by United, with former Liverpool and Everton midfielder turned pundit Don Hutchison reckoning that Mainoo’s request might have repercussions further down the line:
“The fact that K Mainoo wants to go out on loan effectively means he doesn’t want to play for R Amorim. That's very bad sign for the manager when players want away. Lose v Burnley and in my opinion he could be gone. Win and it’s Chelsea and Man City after…..” No wins in the next three games and Amorim’s time at United might come to an end, if the Red Devils’ boss doesn’t walk away before then that is.
Why has Ruben Amorim dumped Kobbie Mainoo?
Speaking on the Inside United podcast, The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell has explained why Mainoo finds himself on the outside looking in and why Amorim hasn’t even been tempted to turn to the England international when he needs fresh legs off the bench:
“But there's obviously a difference I think in terms of what Ruben Amorin wants from his central midfielders and what Kobbie Mainoo can provide. I do, I am a little bit curious about this idea that he's only going to be able to replace Bruno Fernandes, which actually was I think a question that Critch (journalist Mark Critchley) asked after Craven Cottage. And that was the response from Amorin.
“That was the first time I've heard him say that's the only kind of role that he's competing for because, you know, you'd sort of think he, you know, he came into the team as a sort of number six really, didn't he? Where he was picking the ball up off defence and, you know, beating the press and twisting turn and providing those passes to start the build-up. So I still think there's a role for him in this team in that regard.” As Whitwell says, it’s a strange decision from Amorim given the encouraging pre-season form and how Mainoo goes about his business. On paper, he is the perfect fit for a double-pivot alongside Manuel Ugarte. At the very worst, Mainoo should be the first replacement in midfield if things need to be tightened up.
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