The international break is already tiring people out, which is leading to endless speculation, and Kobbie Mainoo has had enough of it.
Kobbie Mainoo is currently at Carrington, when he ideally should have been with the England squad as they ramp up their World Cup preparations.
Mainoo’s reduced role under Ruben Amorim has seen him miss out on a call-up, hence his request for a loan move in the transfer window.
The relationship between Mainoo and Amorim is clearly uneasy at the moment, leading to speculation that he recently took a dig at the Man Utd manager.
England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo looks on during the Carabao Cup match between Grimsby Town and Manchester United at Blundell Park in 2025 in Grimsby, England.
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
Kobbie Mainoo dragged into Ruben Amorim dig speculation
Mainoo recently posted a series of training pictures on Instagram showing himself hard at work.
Amorim has effectively asked him to oust Bruno Fernandes from the team for minutes, which is as good as telling him he won’t get many minutes.
However, Mainoo has been a model professional who has not kicked up a fuss publicly and has just focused on training hard.
The Man Utd effect is too strong, though, and when the player posted a still from the movie “Whiplash”, it was speculated to be a dig at Amorim.
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Kobbie Mainoo sharing a picture from the movie “Whiplash” which, in one aspect, is about a rising star that can never seem to satisfy their mentor/coach.
Interesting.
(Great movie) pic.twitter.com/uDbQTQv9zI
— Nathan Salt (@NathSalt1) September 5, 2025
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Speculation ran wild that Mainoo threw a sly dig at Amorim for not being able to live up to his impossible standards, and thereby not getting any minutes.
Mainoo mocks speculation
Footballers actively engaging with pointless speculation is often a slippery slope and sets a dangerous precedent because fan channels then start egging them on to receive more responses.
However, this particular bout of speculation clearly annoyed Mainoo, who sent a savage message.
When a certain fan channel posted a video where they ‘analysed’ Mainoo’s actions and the reference to the movie “Whiplash”, Mainoo simply commented “stretch”.
Kobbie Mainoo Instagram comment ending speculation over rift with Ruben Amorim
Kobbie Mainoo Instagram comment ending speculation over rift with Ruben Amorim
He clearly meant that the matter was being blown out of proportion, and what was a simple Instagram post had snowballed into reports of conflict between Amorim and himself.
It’s not for nothing that it’s said news cycles would be finished without Man Utd, and this round of pointless speculation has proven the same.
Hopefully, Mainoo can move forward from it and get back to doing what he does best – wowing the fans with his ability on the pitch.