Liverpool legend says Man Utd star has been ‘discovered’ under Ruben Amorim | Football

Steve Nicol believes that Kobbie Mainoo’s frailties off the ball are why the Manchester United midfielder has barely featured under Ruben Amorim this season.

Mainoo has not began any of United’s first seven Premier League games in a transparent sign that he has fallen down the pecking order under Amorim.

The 20-year-old enjoyed a breakout season under Erik ten Hag, culminating in him starting for England within the Euro 2024 final, but Amorim has preferred to partner Bruno Fernandes with one in every of Casemiro or Manuel Ugarte in his two-man midfield.

Seeking regular minutes, Mainoo sought to engineer a loan move away from Old Trafford in the summertime window to spice up his probabilities of making England’s World Cup squad.

The Red Devils refused to sanction a move, though, meaning Mainoo is now seemingly consigned to cameo appearances off the bench unless he can one way or the other force his way into Amorim’s plans.

And former Liverpool defender Nicol fears that might be unlikely, suggesting that Mainoo ‘doesn’t do enough’ to assist his side out of possession.

‘For my part, Mainoo is great with the ball at his feet but when the opposition has the ball, he doesn’t do enough,’ Nicol told ESPN.

‘The truth is, he doesn’t do anything. He doesn’t stop people getting at Man Ut’d back 4. And the indisputable fact that that’s one in every of the most important problems United have and this guy still can’t figure it out.

‘I believe mainly he’s been discovered because at the top of the day, once you play for the highest clubs and you should be difficult, your players should contribute on either side of the ball.

‘And if there may be one thing Mainoo doesn’t do, it’s contribute defensively.

‘The indisputable fact that Casemiro is starting over him consistently tells you that there’s a problem and the child shouldn’t be pretty much as good as we thought he was when he first burst onto the scene.

Asked if Amorim could work with Mainoo to enhance on those parts of his game, Nicol responded: ‘It’s interesting you say work with him, since it looks just like the work rate on that side isn’t there.

‘Any coach who has a player who he thinks isn’t giving their all, relating to having to play one guy or one other, that guy is getting shoved away.

‘If you happen to’re the coach at United and also you’re watching Mainoo time after time letting people run off them and searching as if you usually are not that bothered about it, you’re going to the underside of the pile.’

Speaking last month, Amorim insisted that Mainoo needed to enhance with a purpose to secure more playing time at United.

‘Like quite a lot of guys, he desires to play more,’ Amorim said.

‘I consider rather a lot in Kobbie but a few of you’re thinking that that Kobbie Mainoo is already done. I believe he can achieve this significantly better. He can improve in rather a lot.

‘And sometimes I believe for some guys it’s [the level he’s playing at now] enough. For him, it’s not enough. Possibly it’s not fair but I believe I’m helping Kobbie Mainoo and that’s it.

‘He can have opportunities like the opposite guys. If I feel throughout the week that he’s one of the best player to play, he’s going to play and I proved that already to each player here.

‘I consider rather a lot in him. I actually have the identical thing [opinion] that you’ve gotten and that could be a top, top player, but he might be so significantly better, so I’m focused on that.’

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