Manchester United have achieved victory only once in four Premier League matches this season, marking their poorest start in the competition in 33 years.
The pressure on Ruben Amorim is mounting by the moment, not solely due to the results, but also because of his puzzling selection decisions in every match.
Kobbie Mainoo has yet to make a start in the league, and despite the injuries to Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount, the young Englishman had to once again settle for a position on the bench during the Manchester derby.
The head coach has already indicated that he views the England international primarily as a No.8, which implies that the Carrington graduate will need to vie with captain Bruno Fernandes for a spot in the starting eleven.
Kobbie Mainoo dilemma
Under Erik ten Hag, the 20-year-old demonstrated his capability to function as a deep-lying playmaker, while also performing exceptionally for the national team in the same role during the Euros.
With Casemiro no longer the dominant player he once was due to his advancing age, and with Manuel Ugarte facing difficulties, it appeared evident that Amorim would look to the young talent.
Due to ongoing exclusions, the midfielder has confided in his close associates that he believes the Portuguese coach does not value his contributions. This insight was provided by journalist Alex Crook from Talksport.
“The Kobbie Mainoo situation is quite frustrating. Reflecting on the 2024 FA Cup final, he scored in that match, he controlled the midfield against Manchester City, and United overcame the odds to secure the FA Cup, which ultimately secures Erik ten Hag’s position.”
Amorim doesn’t rate him
“A few weeks later, he comes in and solves that No.6 issue that England had at the European Championships, he plays in the European Championship final.
“He’s been criminally underused by Ruben Amorim, and I speak to people close to Kobbie Mainoo and they say to me, ‘He doesn’t fancy him’, Kobbie believes the manager doesn’t have any faith in his ability.”
Which explains why Kobbie Mainoo was so keen to leave on loan in the summer, but INEOS did not want to lose him and insisted on him staying and proving Amorim wrong.
But with lack of chances, that has proven to be a lot more difficult than initially expected. Whether the under-fire head coach will finally turn to him in the game against Chelsea will be interesting to see.
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