Kobbie Mainoo was an unused substitute as Man Utd drew 1-1 with West Ham in the Premier League on Thursday.
Amorim was asked about Mainoo.(Image: BeanymanSports via YouTube)
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Manchester United fans were seething after drawing with West Ham on Thursday night, but some became angrier when they got home from Old Trafford and checked their phones. Footage from a tense post-match press conference had been posted on social media, and supporters watched Ruben Amorim laugh at the suggestion that Kobbie Mainoo was a good option to bring on.
"Who is the man we have to put in the offence?" asked Amorim in reply to a question about his conservative substitutions. "Kobbie Mainoo," was the response, and Amorim laughed. The score was 1-1 when Lisandro Martinez was introduced for Luke Shaw with just a few minutes remaining. That change was laughable, not the suggestion that Mainoo would have been a better option to bring on.
United needed a goal and Mainoo has been a scorer of a few brilliant goals since his breakthrough into the side. Mainoo made it 4-4 against Lyon in the Europa League quarter-final epic, he scored a peach against Liverpool at Old Trafford, and his solo effort against Wolves at Molineux was majestic.
Amorim overlooked Mainoo in the final moments of the game in favour of bringing on a like-for-like defensive change. That is not how a United manager should act in those circumstances.
Mainoo was given plenty to think about when Amoirm laughed at the question. Mainoo will see that footage and feel disrespected. He has not started in the Premier League this season, but Amorim's response confirmed what he probably already knew.
Amorim's handling of Mainoo would be accepted if United were flying in the Premier League, but the 40-year-old is not getting the results to vindicate overlooking a wonderful talent.
Amorim laughed when it was suggested Mainoo should have been used.
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The conversation about Amorim's future has intensified again after West Ham. United must make light work of bottom-half opponents to secure Champions League football, but they have struggled to carve out opportunities against Everton and West Ham at home across the last fortnight.
United had the opportunity to move up to fifth in the Premier League table and fluffed their lines again, a recurring theme of Amorim's tenure whenever there is a chance to build momentum.
The failure to secure a string of wins together regularly could be the downfall of Amorim. Ineos will not be able to justify keeping a manager if United continue to falter against teams they should be beating.
What was particularly galling about the West Ham performance was the lack of quality in the final third, with even Diogo Dalot's goal having been fortuitously created following a deflected shot from Casemiro.
Although doubts are growing over Amorim, one of the arguments in favour of persisting with the United boss is that his side are just two points adrift of fourth position. Fans who are still in favour of continuing with Amorim could argue that United could move into the Champions League places if they can build a run of decent results, but the fact is Amorim only recently secured back-to-back league wins for the first time since being appointed over a year ago.
The evidence suggests building a good run of form any time soon is unlikely. And now the clash against Wolves on Monday night suddenly looks like a banana skin.
Wolves are on course to be the worst team in Premier League history. They have amassed two points from 14 games and could beat Derby County's record of just 11 points in 2007/08.
United should win at Molineux, but the West Ham performance has put Amorim on dodgy ground again, and fans are thinking it would be 'typical United' to somehow lose that game.
Losing against Wolves could spell trouble for Amorim. The Portuguese has suffered some dark days during his time in Manchester, but defeat against a pitiful Wolves would be the nadir.
If United respond and claim three points, will they be able to back up that performance? It's tough to see it happening given the evidence available to us. There simply hasn't been enough progress.