Amorim explains why he ‘didn’t talk’ to Mainoo as Man Utd unhappy with boss over ‘stupid outburst’
Ruben Amorim has explained why he didn’t hold talks with Kobbie Mainoo while the transfer window was still open after the Manchester United star asked to leave the club.
Mainoo asked to leave United on loan towards the end of the window after not starting any of the opening three Premier League games of the season, but was denied his request by the club.
“Like a lot of guys, he wants to play more,” Amorim said ahead of United’s clash with Manchester City on Sunday.
“I didn’t have a conversation with him before the window closed, but I did this week. Because I don’t want Kobbie Mainoo thinking I was having any conversation with him just to hold onto him.
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“I believe a lot in Kobbie, but some of you think that Kobbie Mainoo is already done. I think he can do so much better, he can improve in a lot.
“I think for some guys it is enough, but for him it is not enough. Maybe it’s not fair, but I think I’m helping Kobbie Mainoo and that’s it. He will have opportunities like the other guys.”
A report earlier this week claimed the United board are ‘unhappy’ with their manager and are ‘wanting Amorim to tone down his emotional public outbursts’.
Amorim’s decision to publicly claim that Mainoo will be competing with Bruno Fernandes for a starting spot this season ’caused collateral damage that the Red Devils’ top brass could have done without as they negotiated a tricky end to the summer window’.
Jason Wilcox ended up having to persuade Mainoo to stay late in the window and not pursue a loan move away from Old Trafford and it was ‘seen as a stupid and unnecessary move by Amorim, one lacking emotional intelligence and empathy with Manchester United’s history of homegrown young stars’.
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When asked by reporters how Mainoo is reacting to the situation, Amorim added: “He’s not used to fighting for his place, maybe. He’s uncomfortable, but he’s a very good kid. He wants to learn. Sometimes it’s hard to push different things from the players.
“I remember Vitinha was not playing for Wolverhampton. Nowadays, you can see that Vitinha is maybe the best midfielder in the world. So you never know. Something can happen sometimes.
“The way I play is completely different from the last manager. I watched a lot of games from the Premier League in Portugal. You can feel then that Manchester United really [played in] transitions. He was the only guy that calmed down the game. Now we have other players that calm down the game.
“Sometimes I expect more from Kobbie Mainoo. Sometimes, maybe if I start [him] more, Kobbie Mainoo is going to play and he’s going to get hard to take out. I need to go with what I’m feeling at the moment and that is the only feeling. He’s starting the final of the European Championship in a team that has a lot of talented players – [Phil] Foden played that game, [Cole] Palmer was on the bench. He was playing. I know all that, but sometimes I have a different way of seeing the game.”
