Kobbie Mainoo has been the biggest beneficiary of Michael Carrick’s arrival and Gary Neville has just delivered what is a brutal verdict on what Ruben Amorim was conditioning fans to believe.
It has been two weeks of vindication for many at Manchester United, from Michael Carrick, who has calmed the doubters, to Kobbie Mainoo, who is on a “prove you wrong” mission.
Mainoo was not deemed fit enough for Ruben Amorim’s plans at Old Trafford, but he has made a mockery of that claim in the last two games.
Should Kobbie Mainoo be an automatic starter under Michael Carrick now?
Kobbie Mainoo only needed 90 minutes to prove Ruben Amorim wrong!
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After Man Utd’s win against Arsenal, Gary Neville couldn’t believe what Amorim had managed to ‘condition’ fans into believing.
Gary Neville wearing coat and talking.
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Gary Neville shatters Kobbie Mainoo myth
The Arsenal game was just a continuation of where Mainoo left off against Man City, and to do it against the two best teams in the country is vindication indeed.
If the City game demanded physical running and skill on the ball, the Arsenal game was about digging in deep and making the most of the few chances that came United’s way.
Mainoo was key to keeping them ticking, with his combination play in close spaces proving he’s close to being back to his best, adding layers on top.
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Having seen Mainoo in the defensive pivot against the two best teams in the league, Neville was delighted that a Mainoo myth Amorim had conditioned fans to believe in had finally been shattered.
Gary Neville said on his podcast: “Kobbie Mainoo in midfield, to be fair, he’s not his absolute best today. But what you do see is a player.
“This idea, we were sort of conditioned to think that he couldn’t play with Bruno Fernandes in the team…. him or Fernandez. I mean, that’s wrong. That’s wrong.
“I think that Kobbie Mainoo is demonstrating that he can play the two in midfield, even with Casemiro, who is getting on a little bit now, but even he looks different in this last couple.
“They play nice little passes with each other. I’m absolutely delighted with the performances.”
Ruben Amorim’s conditioning almost cost United
After the recent two games, the prospect of Mainoo leaving United is becoming unfathomable, but Amorim almost made it happen.
It was reported recently that United were willing to sanction Mainoo’s sale for £40m in the name of backing Amorim in the summer.
How many points will United get from our next five games?
It's been a perfect start for Michael Carrick, will it continue? Which games are you worried about?
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Amorim had convinced the fanbase that Mainoo lacked the athleticism to play in the Premier League, when the reality was that his system was simply unsustainable to nurture skills on the ball.
Carrick has shown in just two games that not only can Mainoo play in a defensive role for United, but he can also mix up his game to be silky and combative in equal measure.
It is up to the player now to keep this form going and completely prove his doubters wrong, because that list was increasingly getting longer as Amorim’s conditioning was working on a large section of Man Utd fans.
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