Rio Ferdinand firmly believes that one key Manchester United player can be moulded into the perfect fit for one crucial position in Ruben Amorim’s tactical system.
The 46-year-old former TNT Sports pundit dropped his clear-cut assessment on a “super talent” after Manchester United’s 1-0 Premier League defeat to Arsenal.
Ruben Amorim returned to the Old Trafford dugout on Sunday and the 40-year-old United manager oversaw a solid performance from the Red Devils on the day.
But the Red Devils were left fighting an uphill battle in their opening match of the Premier League season after United conceded early in the first half against Arsenal.
Riccardo Calafiori broke the deadlock for Arsenal in only the 13th minute and the 23-year-old Italian defender ultimately sealed all three points for the Gunners.
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Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand arrives ahead of the Europa League match between Manchester United and Rangers at Old Trafford in 2025 in Manchester.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Rio Ferdinand makes his position clear on Man Utd midfielder Kobbie Mainoo after the Premier League loss to Arsenal
Ruben Amorim opted to deploy a midfield pivot of Bruno Fernandes alongside Casemiro for Manchester United’s first match of the new 2025-26 season.
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Bruno Fernandes played the full 90 minutes against Arsenal on Sunday, while Casemiro made way at Old Trafford in the second half for Manuel Ugarte.
Kobbie Mainoo was on the bench for United’s opening Premier League match of the campaign, but the England star was an unused substitute for the 1-0 defeat.
Rio Ferdinand has now insisted that United already have a player who can “control” matches from deep in the midfield pivot, with Kobbie Mainoo singled out as his pick.
“But what I would say at Manchester United, we have Kobbie Mainoo,” he said on the Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel.
“I think Mainoo can control the game, play deep. I think Mainoo can play that role given the opportunity because you can play through somebody like him and you can get out of tight situations and open the game up for your attacking players.
“You might just have to be a patient young man at the moment for the team to find its way for the manager to then put the trust in him to go and play.”
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Rio Ferdinand’s powerful message to Man Utd and Ruben Amorim about the important role of Kobbie Mainoo
Kobbie Mainoo’s influence for United in the 2024-25 Premier League campaign waned after the 20-year-old midfielder’s season was disrupted by injuries.
United legend Ferdinand admitted that the Three Lions star would be one of the two players that he would play in the pivot of Amorim’s tactical system for United.
The 46-year-old former United and England defender labelled Mainoo as a “super talent” and believes that the player is more than capable of handling the ball.
“But if it was me personally, if I was playing two in the midfield, Kobbie Mainoo would definitely play because he’s a super talent who can handle the ball as well as anybody that Man United have got right now and I would give him that responsibility,” Ferdinand continued.
Mainoo is under contract with United until 2027 and the England international made 37 appearances across all competitions for the Red Devils in the 2024-25 campaign.