Ruben Amorim angrily defends his treatment of Kobbie Mainoo with brutal reality check

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Considering he has won only eight of his 20 Premier League fixtures at Old Trafford, Manchester United fans have cut Ruben Amorim an awful lot of slack. And the home jeers at the end of a draw against struggling West Ham United were strictly half-hearted.

But if there is one issue that threatens to undermine the support given to the underperforming United manager, it is his treatment of Kobbie Mainoo , once of England, once the best player in an FA Cup final, once a starter in the final of a European Championship. And still only 20 years of age.

In response to an Amorim suggestion that Mainoo was being treated as an equal to other squad members, Paul Scholes took to social media to say: “B******t. The kid is being ruined, not being played in a team that can’t control a game of football. Hate seeing home grown players leave but it is probably best for him now, enough is enough.”

And it is hard to find a United fan who would agree with a selection policy that has seen Mainoo fail to start a Premier League match this season. But no matter what the likes of Scholes say, it is clear Amorim is unconcerned with public opinion and repeats that Mainoo is not doing enough on the training ground to earn himself significant game time.

An exasperated Amorim said: “You always ask me the same thing. I understand what you are saying. You love Kobbie. He starts for England. But that does not mean I need to put Kobbie (in the team) when I feel I shouldn’t put Kobbie (in the team).”

Mainoo is one of very few players in the United first-team squad not to start a Premier League game. And Amorim was asked if he could understand why the academy graduate might be demoralised with his current place in the pecking order.

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The United boss responded: “I see it. I see it and just want to win. I just put the players (in the team) - I don’t look who it is.

“I don’t care about that. I just try to put the best players on the pitch. You have (Manuel) Ugarte that played two games - one of them, Case (Casemiro) was out. Bruno (Fernandes) is always fit. He’s the guy that is doing his (Mainoo’s) position so maybe it has to do with that.”

Many pundits and fans would see that response as an example of Amorim’s tactical inflexibility but the Portuguese coach might have to adapt when he loses Bryan Mbeumo, Noussair Mazraoui and Amad Diallo to Africa Cup of Nations duty. So, will that give Mainoo a chance to re-establish himself?

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“I don’t know, I don’t know,” sighed Amorim. “It’s the same question. I don’t know what is going to happen. It depends. If I see in training that it is the best thing, I will put (do) it. That is the only way I know how to respond to that.”

After the disappointment of conceding a late equaliser to West Ham, Amorim takes his side to Wolves on Monday night to face a side that has yet to record a Premier League victory this season. Rob Edwards' side has just two points from 14 fixtures.

But Amorim warned: “Everything can happen and that will change. There is no team in the history of the Premier League that didn’t win one game.

"It can be any game. So we need to try to improve, rest the players, work really well and prepare for a tough match because with us it’s always a tough match.”

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