Kobbie Mainoo has risked the wrath of Ruben Amorim after a “cryptic” post on social media – which the Manchester United starlet promptly deleted – has exploded online.
A tense situation
In a shocking twist at the end of the summer transfer window, Mainoo requested to leave the Red Devils on loan after growing frustrated with his lack of gametime at the beginning of the new season.
The 20-year-old midfielder did not play a single minute in either of the opening Premier League matches – at home to Arsenal and away to Fulham – with Amorim choosing to leave him as an unused substitute.
Despite United chasing a goal in both games, the Portuguese coach turned to options like Manuel Ugarte and even Harry Maguire and Ayden Heaven – two central defenders – instead of Mainoo.
This led the Academy graduate to submit a transfer request to leave Old Trafford on loan for the season in the hunt of more first-team opportunities for the season.
Mainoo has one eye on the World Cup next year, having shone for England at the European Championship in Germany last summer as he helped his country reach the final against Spain – a game the Three Lions ultimately lost 2-1.
But new manager Thomas Tuchel is unlikely to pick a player consigned to the bench, as demonstrated by Mainoo’s absence from the England squad for the international break this week, regardless of previous performances.
Mainoo does not have an obvious home in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, having played as a number eight, number ten, and even as a false nine last season.
The former Sporting manager appears intent on using the youngster in central midfield this year, but stressed he is in competition with club captain Bruno Fernandes for that position – a fight with only one winner.
Furthermore, United have been locked in protracted contract negotiations with Mainoo over a new contract, with his current deal set to expire in 2027.
This has led to a situation where the Red Devils were open to the midfielder’s sale this summer – an unthinkable prospect fifteen months ago, as he produced a superb display in the FA Cup final to help United beat Manchester City at Wembley and lift the cup, winning Player of the Tournament award in the process.
But football moves at a mile a minute and a player who once looked to be the future of a club can quickly become expendable. Just ask Alejandro Garnacho.
A pointed message or an unfortunate coincidence?
United firmly rejected Mainoo’s loan request as the September 1 deadline approached, stressing he remained an important part of the first-team squad.
The closing of the window was a chance to draw a line under the tense situation – with the international break a chance for the club to take a breath.
However, Mainoo has risked pouring fuel on a fire which had appeared to be put out with a post on Instagram today, sharing a picture from ‘Whiplash’ – a movie about a “rising star that can never seem to satisfy their mentor/coach,” Daily Mirror reporter Nathan Salt explains.
Kobbie Mainoo sharing a picture from the movie “Whiplash” which, in one aspect, is about a rising star that can never seem to satisfy their mentor/coach.
Interesting.
(Great movie) pic.twitter.com/uDbQTQv9zI
— Nathan Salt (@NathSalt1) September 5, 2025
Mainoo moved quickly to delete the post, suggesting it may simply have been an unfortunate coincidence which he then realised the implication of; or, perhaps, it was cold feet over a deliberate message about his underlying frustrations with his manager.
Either way, the internet never forgets – and the post has gone viral on social media with fans asking which answer is the truth.
The Peoples Person prefers to believe the former, as Mainoo is an Academy graduate who has demonstrated a professional attitude throughout his meteoric rise at Old Trafford over the past twenty-four months.
Whether Amorim chooses to accept this explanation is another story entirely, however, with the 40-year-old coach having zero patience for players who look to question his authority in public.
Again, just ask Garnacho for his testimony on that.
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
