Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has taken aim at former players he believes are sending the wrong message to the club’s next generation.
At the centre of the debate is Kobbie Mainoo, one of the brightest talents to emerge from United’s academy in recent years.
Despite his reputation and potential, Mainoo has found opportunities hard to come by under Amorim’s reign.
The midfielder is yet to start a single Premier League match this season, a situation that has sparked widespread debate.
Former United stars like Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Rio Ferdinand have advised Mainoo to stop wasting time and find a new club in January.
In his latest press conference, the United head coach has delivered a pointed response aimed directly at such advice.
He said (via ManUtd.com): “You guys talk about a lot of players nowadays, that they speak, they go against the clubs and everything happens because they feel entitlement.
“Then you have legends of the club who say if you don’t play, leave, because everyone is wrong.
“No, let’s think about… let’s stay, let’s fight, let’s overcome, maybe the manager is wrong. So, I have that feeling all the time that we need to fight against this feeling.”
Amorim is ready to be proven wrong
Former United captain Roy Keane echoed a similar sentiment on The Overlap, offering a blunt assessment of Mainoo’s situation.
Keane challenged the 20-year-old to stay put, dig deep and earn his place rather than look for an easy escape.
That message aligns perfectly with Amorim’s philosophy, which demands relentless competition for every starting spot.
The Portuguese coach, in particular, wants young players to feel privileged to wear the United shirt and hungry enough to fight for it.
Legends like Scholes and Butt will forever remain part of United’s rich history, and their voices naturally carry enormous weight.
Their opinions spread quickly because of who they are and what they achieved at the club.
But in this instance, Amorim and Keane appear firmly on the mark.
Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes have chipped in with important goal contributions.
Has Mainoo done enough as a substitute to force Amorim to start him? We do not think so.
Yes, he is supremely talented and surely deserves more playing time.
However, at elite clubs, potential alone is never enough.