Another challenging season is currently being endured by Manchester United. It appears that the Red Devils will not be able to win any of the three competitions that they are still competing in.
When Ruben Amorim took over for Erik ten Hag at the end of the previous year, he did so with the intention of bringing about a transformation in the team.
Regrettably, that circumstance has not yet materialised. It has been acknowledged by Amorim that the team will experience “suffering” before any progress can be made.
According to the opinion of one analyst, these adjustments are causing one of United’s most talented players to suffer a loss.
Ruben Amorim has been described as “confusing.” A. Mainoo, Kobbie
In spite of the fact that he was one of the best players for the Red Devils during the previous season, Kobbie Mainoo, who made his debut thirteen months ago, has struggled during this term.
Amorim has used the young midfielder in 16 different games, including one in which he played a role that was very unfamiliar to him. During United’s home loss to Crystal Palace by a score of 2-0, Amorim utilised Mainoo while playing the position of False 9 for the team. The experiment received a great deal of criticism, and it is highly unlikely that it will return.
And talkSPORT’s Tony Cascarino is of the opinion that the United manager’s persistent alterations and alterations to the demands are having a greater impact on Mainoo than on the majority of players.
He stated, “When he [Mainoo] first came into the Man United team, I thought he really did it at a breeze.” “I thought he really did it very easily.”
“It was quite comfortable for him, he felt confident on the ball, he knew what he was wanting to try and achieve — gets him in the England squad, does really well in the Euros — plays well, doesn’t look out of place, really high standard, but watching Kobbie Mainoo last night, and it’s not on him, I’m putting this on the manager and the coaching team around him because I think he looks a confused footballer now.
“Because Kobbie is turning around an excessive amount of times. I have the impression that he is terrified of losing the ball, which is something that can occur when you involve yourself in a really technical setup, which is exactly what Amorim is attempting to accomplish. […] As I watch Kobbie Mainoo, I can’t help but feel that he isn’t very sure what he’s supposed to be doing at this point in his life. Considering that he is only 19 years old and is still learning on the job, I feel sorry for him.
His performance against Ruud van Nistelrooy’s struggling Leicester was unimpressive. Mainoo’s performance was a lacklustre one.
It was just after the hour mark that he was replaced by Joshua Zirkzee, a decision that turned out to be the correct one after the Dutchman scored the equaliser for United just three minutes later.
Problems with Mainoo need to be resolved.
As a result of Mainoo’s breakthrough, Ten Hag played him as a defensive midfielder, but he was given more creative freedom to carry the ball through the lines of the opposition.
The fact that Amorim has not given that instruction as frequently as he normally does may be the reason why we are not seeing the same Mainoo this time around.
The adolescent is undeniably talented; however, it was quite absurd to anticipate that he would suddenly transform into a lone attacker. Furthermore, he does not appear to be a number 10 player.
The most significant challenge that Amorim faces is figuring out how to accommodate Mainoo in the lineup alongside Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte, two players who are nearly impossible to drop under the direction of the Portuguese manager.
Under any circumstances, the failure to extract the maximum potential from Mainoo will lead to ongoing difficulties.
It is concerning that in the event that Manchester United finds themselves in a situation during the summer in which they are required to sell a homegrown talent due to the fact that Aston Villa did not exercise Marcus Rashford’s buy option, fans will reluctantly request that Mainoo be sold before Alejandro Garnacho. Furthermore, Amorim will not gain any popularity points with supporters if he is the one who puts them in that position.
