Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has voiced his concerns over Kobbie Mainoo’s role in Ruben Amorim’s system.
Mainoo was one of the very few positives for United last year, during a 2023/24 campaign that saw the club finish a lowly eighth in the Premier League.
He broke into the team under Erik ten Hag, earning plaudits for his calm and controlled performances in the middle of the park. In next to no time, Mainoo had cemented his place as a guaranteed starter.
Mainoo scored in the FA Cup final to help United clinch victory over Manchester City at Wembley. He also played a crucial role for England on their way to the Euro 2024 final, where the Three Lions lost to Spain.
This season however, the 19-year-old has struggled partially due to injuries and also some underwhelming performances.
Since Ruben Amorim took over from Ten Hag, Mainoo has struggled to settle into a defined role. Amorim has experimented with him in both the pivot and number 10 positions, but neither has proven to be a perfect fit so far.
Amorim even deployed Mainoo in the false nine role during the 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace and unsurprisingly, it didn’t work out.
There have been question marks over what the future holds for Mainoo under Amorim and now, Scholes has weighed in on the debate.
Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, Scholes remarked, “I think Mainoo is lost.”
“I’ve talked about Declan Rice being lost before – I think Mainoo is lost as well. They don’t know what to do with him.”
“I don’t think he knows where to play on a football pitch because he’s been played in one of the number 10 positions, he has been played in the two in the midfield, which I can see probably doesn’t suit him because I don’t think the greatest athlete.”
Scholes added, “He’s a great footballer. I think the No 10 does suit, (but) the false nine, never in a million years.”
Mainoo and his teammates are back in action on Sunday when they go away to Tottenham Hotspur.
Feature image Michael Regan via Getty Images
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
