Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo returns to the scene of one of his best moments for the club tonight
Kobbie Mainoo celebrates scoring the winner as Manchester United beat Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux
Kobbie Mainoo celebrates scoring the winner as Manchester United beat Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux in February 2024
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Since Manchester United's draw at home to West Ham, the biggest talking point from the game has not been surrounding anyone who kicked a ball at Old Trafford but rather a player who was overlooked yet again. Kobbie Mainoo was once more an unused substitute on Thursday night and his exclusion led to ferocious questioning of Ruben Amorim.
"I just want to win," Amorim told reporters post-game. "I don't look (at) who it is, I don't care about that, I'm just trying to put the best players on the pitch. You always ask me the same thing. I understand what you are saying.
"You love Kobbie. He starts for England. But that doesn't mean that I need to put Kobbie [in] when I feel that I shouldn't put Kobbie [in]. It's my decision." But it is not just those who attend Amorim's press conferences who are fans of the 20-year-old.
Mainoo was given a hero's reception when he came on against Everton in the previous United home match. A lot of that response was shaped by the performances the midfielder made prior to Amorim's arrival at Old Trafford - before the Reds' head coach boxed him in as a back-up to Bruno Fernandes.
While his goal against Lyon in that thrilling comeback is remembered fondly, arguably his finest moment came at tonight's opponents Wolves in February 2024. After relinquishing a 2-0 and 3-1 lead in the 95th minute, Molineux held its collective breaths as Mainoo picked up the ball midway through the opposition half.
He weaved his way past three defenders before placing an effort into the bottom corner to spark wild scenes in the away end. From that moment, Mainoo had cemented himself as a fan favourite and the sky appeared to be the limit for him.
Erik ten Hag admitted as much post-match as he reflected on the moment he thought it was time to promote Mainoo into the first-team plans. He said: "I think very quickly I saw him. I think last autumn I saw him for the first time and at that moment I thought he was playing a little bit too comfortable.
"I saw him playing in the U21s, he should be much more dominant. We pushed him a lot on that side, by pushing him in the training and you see he makes such good progress and he is almost progressing from game to game.
"And of course, it's wonderful to see and I hope he stays calm like he is, as he did with his goal as well. He is determined, he is a good character and I hope he keeps going with this progress."
Ten Hag's tenure will not be looked back on fondly but few can argue with his hopes for Mainoo. Fast forward just under two years and the progress for Mainoo has stalled through perhaps no fault of his own.
As mentioned, the United academy graduate has been relegated to a back-up role at Old Trafford. Following the arrivals of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, the decision was made to keep Fernandes in the line-up, as captain, and push Mainoo back as cover.
If United were in the Champions League this season or had beaten Grimsby Town, which Mainoo is partly responsible for, these issues we are seeing today would not be a thing. Instead, the Reds find themselves in a situation whereby the youngster is frozen out of the starting XI plans.
Even with Benjamin Sesko injured and question marks surrounding Joshua Zirkzee, Amorim still hasn't pulled the trigger on moving Fernandes into the No.10 role, Cunha to false nine and Mainoo back into central midfield. Instead, he persists with the captain in a deeper position and it is no wonder Mainoo now sees his future elsewhere.
Amorim will be keen to keep hold of Mainoo, at 20 his potential is obvious, even to the United manager. But there comes a time when the head coach has to make a decision and it is starting to feel like too much water has gone under the bridge.
Unlike many of the previous managers before Amorim, Mainoo cannot simply wait for the boardroom to become bored of the inconsistency the club are showing. Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made it clear he wants to give the manager time to get things right and that is noble.
But if this is the case, Mainoo will have to ply his trade away from Old Trafford. It is not simply about the World Cup at the end of the season, the 20-year-old needs to go to a club where he is going to play before the progress Ten Hag raved about, stalls entirely.