Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Ruben Amorim went wrong with Kobbie Mainoo, while Michael Carrick has fixed it. But how did this all happen?
The resurgence of Kobbie Mainoo has been the biggest story at Man Utd since Michael Carrick took over as manager.
Mainoo looks improved with each game, adding skills to his game that make him genuinely one of the league’s best this season.
It paints Ruben Amorim in a bad light, and Carrick has now hinted at where his predecessor went wrong with such a precocious talent.
Manchester United head coach / manager Michael Carrick instructs Kobbie Mainoo of Manchester United during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Hull City and Manchester United at MKM Stadium on August 22, 2026 in Hull, United Kingdom.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Getty Images
Michael Carrick on what went wrong with Kobbie Mainoo
On paper, it looked like a simple fix for Mainoo once Carrick arrived because all he had to do was put the player back in the XI.
Mainoo simply picked up from where he left off on his meteoric rise, and hasn’t looked back since.
Why, then, was it so difficult for Amorim to do the same? We’ve heard excuses ranging from his passing range to his athleticism, but none hold weight.
Mainoo could have easily done the same for Amorim, but Carrick has hinted that it never happened because Mainoo never felt the trust and had no rhythm of games.
He said: “The experience helps him [Kobbie Mainoo]. The continuity, consistency, the rhythm of playing games, and feeling that confidence.
“I try to put individuals in places and ask them to do things they are good at. He’s also willing to listen and to learn, so he’s improving all the time.”
Ruben Amorim set up Mainoo to fail
Amorim’s excuses for not playing Mainoo would have made sense had he played him, and he looked out of sync with what the manager wanted from him.
Kobbie Mainoo Signs a New Contract at Manchester United
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
The dissonance began when he kept getting ignored on the basis of what he couldn’t do, but didn’t get the chance to prove Amorim wrong.
Now, Amorim is being shown up for his excuses because Mainoo is doing exactly what he was accused of lacking, and at a level higher than ever before.
You cannot say a player is failing to meet your standards without ever giving him a chance to meet them.
That is simply setting him up to fail, and Man Utd fans will be grateful that Carrick arrived when he did, because Mainoo had one foot out the exit door.
That would have been a brutal loss for the club.