Image Credit: @UtdFaithfuls Twitter
Youth. Courage. Success. These 3 words are the DNA and philosophy that Manchester United football club is built on; trusting their youth academy, building character, resilience and courage in the face of challenges and of course achieving the ultimate goal which is success which in other words means trophies. Currently under Ruben Amorim’s leadership, Manchester United have not been living up to their club ethos and 2025 has not been a year to remember for Man Utd and its fans. Losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur, being knocked out in the 2nd round of the EFL cup on penalties to Grimsby Town and suffering some of the most of the most humiliating defeats to rival Manchester City, Brentford and 10-men Everton. For most Man Utd fans, they would be willing to look past Man Utd’s recent misery and back Ruben Amorim if the manager continued to do what every previous Man Utd manager has done and invest in Man Utd’s youth however that does not seem to be the case this season especially with Kobbie Mainoo.
Mainoo’s Lack of Inclusion
During the 2024/25 season Ruben Amorim managed Kobbie Mainoo’s minutes after the young English talent began to frequently pick up muscle injuries after completing a breakout season in the Premier League followed by breaking into the England team for the 2024 Euro Championship. Kobbie Mainoo could be seen as fatigued from all the minutes and opportunities he already received in his young career however he was still seen as important of the team, especially with his involvement in Man Utd’s 5-4 victory Lyon in the Europa League Quarter Final 2nd Leg, however this season is a completely different story. As the 11th December 2025, Kobbie Mainoo has yet to make a Premier League start for Man Utd and has played a total of 183 minutes of Premier League football out of a possible 1350 minutes which has become the focal point of Man Utd’s many issues this season as the 20-year-old midfielder has fallen well down the pecking order at Man Utd through no fault of his own. Manager Ruben Amorim appears to lack faith in the young academy graduate which goes against everything Man Utd stands for and it is quite the surprise considering how highly rated Kobbie Mainoo is by many fans, pundits and other clubs. On top of that Man Utd’s midfield seem to be one of the weakest areas that needs strengthening as Amorim’s opts to utilise the duo of captain Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro while the much younger duo of Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo have been subjugated to the bench with few minute cameos to see out the end of matches.
Reasons for Mainoo’s Lack of Minutes?
After Man Utd’s 1-1 draw against Fulham back in August Ruben Amorim, in a post-match interview, explained Kobbie Mainoo’s lack of inclusion in United’s opening 2 games of the season. The Portuguese manager explained that in his system, he sees Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo playing in the same position in his midfield double pivot. Amorim cannot see Mainoo and Bruno playing together in midfield so he decided that Mainoo must compete with Bruno for a start which is a near impossible task as Bruno Fernandes is the kind of player that starts every game and 9 times out of 10 plays the full 90 minutes. Mainoo himself probably saw the signs of his lack of minutes sometime after this interview because a few days after it was reported that Mainoo had requested a loan move near transfer deadline day for more consistent game time. It was later confirmed by Ruben Amorim that he and the club had denied Mainoo’s request as they deem Mainoo important to the team and that they “need Mainoo.” So far this season, Amorim’s actions have not matched his words as Mainoo has only made 10 Premier League appearances this season and they have all come as a substitute. In some games Amorim has substituted Mainoo in the midfield to play alongside Casemiro, allowing Bruno to push up to more natural number 10 position and he has even seen out games as with Bruno and Mainoo playing together in a midfield. These decisions rather contradict Ruben Amorim’s previous statements and views which has frustrated fans especially after one game in particular against West Ham United where Amorim was questioned as to why he did not make any offensive minded substitutes in their 1-1 draw to The Hammers. Amorim asked the reporter which player would have been an offensive change to make, the reporter replied with Mainoo and Amorim laughed off the idea. That moment alone sparked so much outrage from fans and pundits online and have put into question whether Ruben Amorim’s philosophy actually matches Man Utd’s.
Mainoo’s Future?
As it stands many believe Mainoo should seek a move away from Man Utd as the situation does not seem to be improving even with the African Cup of Nations on the horizon. Man Utd are set to lose Bryan Mbeumo, Amad and Noussair Mazraoui to the AFCON tournament which leads many fans who still back the Portuguese manager to believe that Amorim’s hand might be forced and he may finally give Kobbie Mainoo his first Premier League start. Other fans and Man Utd legends such as Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt all recommend Mainoo try once again to push for a exit in January 2026. Reports have come out saying this Napoli are still keen on the young English International among other clubs however the final decision will still be on Man Utd as Amorim claims that he does not want to lose anymore players since he is already losing key players to AFCON. In the next few games Ruben Amorim has the opportunity to give Kobbie Mainoo the platform to revive his career and if not, this may be the end of Mainoo’s career at Man Utd or for this season at least.
