Manchester United's fortunes have already turned around dramatically since Ruben Amorim was sacked and replaced by Michael Carrick. In the new manager's first three games in charge, Carrick has rejuvenated the career of Kobbie Mainoo, too.
The 20-year-old midfielder became an outcast during Amorim's tenure as the Portuguese boss didn't believe the Englishman could fit into the same team as both Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes. Carrick, however, has already proven that to be wrong.
Mainoo started and played an instrumental role in the victories against Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham. Before Amorim's departure, the England international had only started once in all competitions, the loss at Grimsby.
Richard Keys' Theory on Ruben Amorim's Treatment of Mainoo
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Writing on his blog, British presenter Richard Keys has now put forward his theory on why Amorim actually 'ignored' the talented midfielder. The 68-year-old has claimed that the ex-Sporting CP tactician was trying to get himself sacked deliberately. He wrote:
"Isn’t it good to see Kobbie Mainoo back doing what he does best? As regular readers know, I’m a huge fan.
"It was ridiculous that Amorim ignored him as he did. Or was l right all along - ignoring Mainoo was just another ploy to get the sack and bank £10m?"
Keys continued his praise of the youngster, claiming he 'should be at the heart of United's midfield' for many years to come: "Mainoo is a fantastic young English talent who should be at the heart of United’s midfield for the next decade. I’d congratulate Michael Carrick on realising that if it wasn’t so bleeding obvious. What I will say is everything Carrick is doing is based on common sense. Fair play to him."
Gary Lineker and Micah Richards Praise Mainoo
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The praise for Mainoo's brilliant performances in the engine room alongside Fernandes and Casemiro continued to come in after the last-gasp win vs Fulham. Gary Lineker expressed his delight at the Englishman's return to form, saying on The Rest is Football podcast:
"He’s come back when we were all going, ‘What?’ I mean, he was such a good footballer.
"I mean, he was arguably England’s best player at the last tournament [Euro 2024]. Now, he’s back in the starting line-up."
Micah Richards backed up his co-host's claims, and added: "It’s just confidence as well. You know what I like about this more than anything, Gaz, there was a lot of pressure on him going back into the team."