Ruben Amorim bemoaned a lack of attacking options on his bench as Manchester United drew with West Ham last week.
Manchester United were underwhelming in the final third against West Ham at Old Trafford, but Ruben Amorim said he lacked attacking options despite Kobbie Mainoo and Shea Lacey sitting on the bench.
The United head coach laughed when Mainoo was named by a reporter as an attacking option, and that will only add to the 20-year-old’s frustrations this season.
Push comes to shove: Would you rather have Kobbie Mainoo stay at Man Utd or Ruben Amorim?
Kobbie Mainoo and Ruben Amorim split
Credit: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
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Mainoo appears dejected having only played 171 minutes of Premier League football under Amorim this season.
Up next is a trip to Molineux, and Mainoo has starred against Wolves in the past.
Kobbie Mainoo headshot
Photo by Sebastian Frej/Getty Images
Ruben Amorim’s substitutions have failed
Amorim has been criticised for being negative with his in-game substitutions, including in the latest match against West Ham where he chose to bring on three defenders and Manuel Ugarte.
United tend to collapse when Ugarte comes on, which begs the question why Mainoo is being overlooked.
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To make matters worse for Amorim, United have had zero goals scored by substitutes this season, ranking them worst in the Premier League.
THIS was Ruben Amorim and Kobbie Mainoo’s first meeting – November 12, 2024
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It is a stat that Amorim and his staff won’t want to see, and it pairs with United’s terrible record in second halves of games.
United are throwing away valuable points by not having impactful substitutes to help secure a win or produce a comeback.
Ruben Amorim has no excuse for Kobbie Mainoo
Earlier this season, Gary Neville criticised Amorim for constantly changing his back five during matches, suggesting it could unsettle United’s defence.
Amorim has continued that trend, introducing Patrick Dorgu, Lisandro Martinez and Leny Yoro from the bench against West Ham.
Even when United are chasing games, Amorim tends to chop and change his back line rather than lean on Mainoo to add some attacking threat.
READ MORE: Kobbie Mainoo must be even more panicked after seeing England land his dream World Cup 2026 draw
Amorim has explained that Mainoo is competing with Bruno Fernandes for positions, and the United captain’s incredible availability has not opened up an opportunity for the Carrington graduate.
But Amorim needs to take more risks when United are controlling matches and pushing for a goal. There can be no complaints about options on the bench when Mainoo continues to be overlooked.
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