Ruben Amorim has had his say on the t-shirt worn by Kobbie Mainoo's half-brother during Man Utd's 4-4 draw with Bournemouth on Monday night.
Kobbie Mainoo's half-brother Jordan wearing a T-shirt which says 'Free Kobbie Mainoo'
Kobbie Mainoo's brother wore a 'Free Kobbie Mainoo' t-shirt to the Bournemouth game on Monday
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Ruben Amorim laid into the Manchester United legends telling Kobbie Mainoo to leave the club and urged the midfielder to stay and fight for his place, insisting there is no issue after his half-brother wore a controversial t-shirt to the game against Bournemouth on Monday.
Mainoo's brother Jordan wore a t-shirt saying 'Free Kobbie Mainoo', but Amorim said he hadn't felt the need to talk to the academy graduate about the incident and said he wouldn't be punishing him for the actions of a family member. The image went viral after Jordan posed for pictures at Old Trafford wearing the t-shirt during the 4-4 draw.
Amorim stressed that the incident wouldn't influence his team selection and that he had no bone to pick with Mainoo over it, despite it being another issue that he has been forced to deal with this week. "It was not Kobbie that wore the t-shirt. He's not going to start because of the t-shirt but he's not going to the bench because of the t-shirt. He's going to play if we feel that he's the right guy to play," said Amorim.
"That is not an issue. I'm used to it, I'm here for a year, it's not new. So we have to deal with that. But I'm not going to do something to Kobbie because someone in his family is doing something. It's going to be the same. If he's the right guy to play, he's going to play. "
The 20-year-old is yet to start a Premier League game this season and he is open to a loan move in January, with his path to regular action at Old Trafford seemingly blocked by Amorim.
Napoli are still keen to take the England international on loan next month and plenty of former United greats, including Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes, have told him he should leave.
But in response to a question about Harry Amass and Chibo Odi, in which he slammed the entitlement within the squad, he raised those comments and said his players should be willing to fight for their places rather than seeking a way out.
"We have legends of the club saying if you don’t play, leave, because everyone is wrong," he said. "No, let’s stay, let’s fight, let’s overcome, maybe the manager is wrong, so I have that feeling all the time that we have to fight against this feeling."
Amorim said in the summer that he wanted the leadership group to take on more control to police dressing room matters, but he feels that hasn't yet happened and that problems within the club are still landing on his desk.
He also made the point on several occasions that nobody had knocked on his office door this week, after challenging Mainoo to do just that last week, while he also hit out at Amass and Chido for posting their frustration on social media.
"It continues a bit everything on my desk, every problem it is still me, but again my door is still open," he said. "It was not Kobbie. The job of Kobbie is to train and play and I thought he did really well. If he has to play he is going to play, he is not going to play."