Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is the most sharply criticized man in world football right now, and he fully deserves it after leading the Red Devils to another disasterclass, getting torn apart 3-0 on the road to rivals Manchester City.
Despite making three massive attacking signings this past summer transfer window, Manchester United have shown very little progress under Amorim, whose tactics are clearly not conducive to scoring goals or maximizing the talents of his players.
He’s also coming under more harsh criticism for his treatment of Man United’s biggest young gem, homegrown midfield talent Kobbie Mainoo, who was a hero of the team in the 2023/24 season.
Mainoo shone off the bench against Man City, leading befuddled fans and analysts alike to heap on more heavy doses of criticism onto th shoulders of the crumbling coach.
The latest is former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves who said of Mainoo to Premier League Productions, “How Kobbie Mainoo doesn’t play in this team I’ll never know. He came on for that game [against Man City] and in half hour he was probably their best player, by a country mile.”
Virtually every single Manchester United supporter would agree. Mainoo was a cut above his teammates in the middle of the park, and perhaps starting him would have kept Man United in the game.
A gem of a player, Man United are at risk of losing Mainoo because of Amorim’s stubborness, and, honestly, I can’t think of a single reason why someone would want to pick Amorim over Mainoo. The coach has to get this sorted and value Mainoo appropriately.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2011. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has contributed to sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. Joe’s work has appeared in ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Sports Illustrated. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling, respectively.