Ruben Amorim has drawn a parallel between Kobbie Mainoo, Harry Amass and Chido Obi, stating that he selected players who are now “struggling in the Championship” and “not always a starter in the Under-21s”, even at a time when people were calling for him to be sacked. The Manchester United head coach was speaking in the embargoed section of the pre-match press conference ahead of Monday’s clash with Bournemouth at Old Trafford. United currently lie eighth in the Premier League, but a win would move them up to fifth. The effect of pundits’ comments The first question in this section was: “We’ve got a few players in the past few days that have their say about Kobbie Mainoo; Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand. I don’t want to get you on Kobbie again. You don’t need to talk about that. But as a manager, as the head coach here, how frustrating is it for you to have ex-players and pundits having their say like this? There’s been previous people that have been in your seat there who have got very frustrated about ex-players here, being quite vocal about what happened.” Amorim answered: “Again, I think it’s normal. I think it’s a fact that me as a manager of Manchester United, I think we are underachieving. We should have more points, especially this season. So I take that naturally. Sometimes they don’t have all the information. They see Manchester United with the standards that they lived here, always winning. So it’s hard for them to see their club in this situation.” “About Kobbie, I can speak about Kobbie every press conference. Sometimes it’s harder for me to speak after the game. It’s always the same situation for me. All of them are the same. I know that for you guys, there are some players that you believe a lot, and I believe a lot. But sometimes I have to make a choice. We play with two midfielders in these games. We could change in the future. But Kobbie Mainoo, he’s playing in the same position as Bruno Fernandes. Sometimes it’s really hard. Sometimes it’s really hard to take Bruno Fernandes out of the team, and that is the only reason.” The reporter asked, “Is what they say making your job harder?” “No, it’s not winning,” he answered. “I think not winning is the issue. Of course, you can point to a lot of things, and they point a lot of things that we need to improve, but the big issue is not winning. If I’m winning, I can go to the games on a horse, arrive there, playing with just two defenders, and everything will be fine. The problem is that me as a manager, I’m not doing good enough. And that is a fact also, and I can accept that. So that is the only problem for them, is that Manchester United is not winning, and is not in the position that’s supposed to be.” Amorim was asked if the pundit comments are different at United compared to his previous club, Sporting. Have you found it to be different here, the way that the ex-players speak in the meantime? “Here, it’s completely different,” he admitted. “We have the best league in the world, and there’s a lot of things around the game. Every press conference, I live here and I’m going to give an interview. So it’s a completely different world. Again, in Sporting, there is no issue because we were winning all the time. So if you are winning, there is no issue. So accolades. So I understand that, and that’s okay.” The next question was about Benjamin Sesko, who Amorim said in the first part of the presser, could return from injury tomorrow. Does Bryan Mbeumo and Amad’s impending absence due to AFCON give him an opportunity to “reset”? Amorim replied: “I think it’s not just Ben, but everyone. I think we need to adapt a little bit the way we are going to play the games. That is a good opportunity to do that because we cannot think that we are going to play the way without Amad, Bryan, and Nouss, but especially Amad and Bryan, because of the characteristics that is really hard to get. They have more or less the same characteristics, both of them, and we are losing them for a few games, but it’s a good opportunity for us to try to play in the different way.” The next question was picking up on Amorim’s comment in the first part of the presser about Bournemouth having a “special player”. Did he mean Antoine Semenyo, and might he be a transfer target? “Yes [I meant Semenyo] … No, it’s not that case [that he’s a target]. I think there is a lot of special players in the league. What I feel is that it’s to summarize, the top manager, top team. I really like the team and the top player, I think, is a special player.” Why does Amorim substitute centre-backs so often? “Just on the centre-backs you discussed it earlier,” the next reporter asked. “I think you’ve made substitutions to centre-back 19 times this season. Is that just for the load management of those players where a few of them are picking up injuries?” “Sometimes it’s a little bit bad luck,” he explained. “Ayden was suffering and asked us to change. Nouss had that knock and asked us, he was talking about that. Diogo is a defender, not a centre-back. He had an issue. Most of the times, Harry Maguire sometimes has an issue. Sometimes, that situation, that occurs a lot of times. Sometimes it’s a tactical issue because I believe that those are the guys that have to start all the plays and the quality comes from. But a lot of times also we need to change because of the physical aspect.” Asked who he leans on when he is struggling, the boss replied: “Myself. I just watched the games and sometimes we play well, sometimes we are not consistent. I think we need to work on the variability of the way we play, especially in the build-up. I think I need to find different ways to take all the juice from the team, from the squad. I need to inspire a lot of players that are not playing in a different way, and that’s maybe something about the way we play. I’m just trying to find out solutions to win more games.” On Luke Shaw‘s form The next question was: “Just ask you quickly on Luke Shaw. He’s played the third most minutes of any United player this season behind Bruno and Brian and Mbeumo. Last season, in previous seasons, he’s not been available that much. What do you think has changed?” Amorim replied: “I think it changed the position, I think it helps Luke Shaw to cope with everything. We are taking care of his body. Now, he’s not a concern. I think he feels motivated. Maybe it’s also something that helps. It’s just Luke Shaw. That’s it. Sometimes it’s just one season that you feel better, you are understanding better your body. I don’t know the specific reason, but I feel that Luke Shaw is in a good moment.” Back to Kobbie Mainoo The reporters steered the conversation back yet again to Kobbie Mainoo. Amorim was asked, “if he comes to you and says, That’s what I want [a loan] in January, will you sanction that, given how little playing time he is getting?” “First of all, I said the same thing. The team comes first,” he said. “If Kobbie comes to me and talk to me, I will talk with him. I’m not going to say what I’m going to say to Kobbie, but I will be really pleased if Kobbie is coming to talk to me about that. I just want my players happy, and I understand that every individual has their goals. The frustration, it doesn’t help anybody. But again, the focus is in this game, and we will see if that happens.” Has he not had that real conversation with him this season, “in terms of him airing his frustration”? “Not about that,” he said. “I had some conversations with him, especially last year, and with other players, but about that subject, no, I didn’t speak with him. Is he open to having that kind of discussion with a player? “Completely open,” he confirmed. “I think that is clear. What I don’t promise is to… I have my ideas, and that is also clear, that I will not change if I don’t believe it, but I’m open to speak with any player. I love that.” Amorim was then asked whether Mainoo could play in Casemiro’s role. “Yes.” The reporter continued, “You always say that he’s competing with Bruno, which I completely respect. But what about that? Because Casemiro sometimes comes off after 60, 65 minutes.” Amorim answered: “I think against West Ham was Manu [Ugarte] that comes for Bruno position. Bruno goes up because I was feeling that with 10 minutes, it’s going to be long balls, second balls. I was thinking that. I think it was against Everton. I took Casemiro out, I think, and I put Kobs in that because we were trying to play a different game. He can play in that position, but it’s hard sometimes if you look at our team with Cunya Bryan, sometimes Bruno, that you guys say that is a number 10.” “Sometimes Kobbie Mainoo, you have to think, I’m the guy for blocking transitions, all these things. He needs to spend more time there, but he can be in the future that position. I don’t know what is going to happen. Again, I’m always talking about the same thing. Toby [Collyer], and this injury, he’s returning here. He is from the academy, he played here, went to West Bromwich, he’s not playing. He played for Manchester United! So sometimes it’s not because he’s from the academy or whatever. It’s the situation, what’s happened. I don’t know what is going to be the future. Let’s see after this match.” The next reporter cut to the chase: “May I just ask for a second, do you actually rate him [Mainoo] as a footballer? Do you think he’s a very good player? Do you actually rate him as a prospect?” “Of course, like everyone else!” Amorim insisted. “The problem is that we are playing with two, and you guys see Kobbie in the different way that I’m seeing. Maybe if you play with three midfielders, not with just two, but with three, Kobbie would have more minutes. And imagine that this happens. Someone in front is going to lose their spot. Sometimes it’s just the moment.” “Again, I think I proved that if you change my mind, because Casemiro, I think, is the biggest example. He was behind Toby, and now he’s a starter.” Would he prefer a player to be “more proactive” and come to him and ask him what he needs to do? “The door is open for any player to change my mind. But in the end, it’s going to be the training, the games. Of course, he’s not playing so many games, but Kobs had opportunities, especially last year. Everyone had. Amass is now struggling in the Championship. Chido [Obi] is not always a starter in the Under-21. All these guys played when a lot of people were saying, sack the manager. So, you can see that I’m not worried. During that time, everybody. I’m just look at the team and try to win the next game and try to think about the team. I will do that until the end. Kobs is one more player that I understand all the interest. I understand how important it is, the hopes that you guys as an English guy has. I also just want to win. If he’s the right guy, I will put him. No problem.” Featured image Warren Little via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social