Ruben Amorim has dismissed Paul Scholes’ comments regarding the limited playing time of Kobbie Mainoo at Manchester United, with the Portuguese manager claiming, “I honestly don’t care.” Scholes recently expressed his frustration, branding Amorim’s handling of the young talent as “bullsh*t.”
Mainoo, who has yet to start a Premier League match this season, is reportedly seeking a loan move in January after accruing just 171 minutes on the pitch in the top flight. This lack of game time is a stark contrast to his previous breakthrough under Erik ten Hag and his impressive performances for England at Euro 2024.
Legendary United midfielder Scholes did not hold back on social media, stating, “Bullsh*t… the kid is being ruined by not playing in a team that can’t control a match. Hate seeing homegrown players leave, but it’s probably best for him now, enough is enough.”
Ahead of Monday’s clash with Wolves, Amorim addressed the issue once more: “You always ask me the same thing. I understand your affection for Kobbie. He starts for England. But that doesn’t mean I have to play him when I feel it’s not right.”
Amorim went on to explain his selection choices, noting, “I want to win. I choose players based on performance, not names. Manuel Ugarte has played in recent fixtures when Casemiro was unavailable and Bruno Fernandes consistently features in Mainoo’s position. That might explain his limited role.”
With Bryan Mbeumo, Noussair Mazraoui, and Amad Diallo set to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations, speculation has risen that Mainoo might see increased playing time. Amorim, however, insists that the decision rests on Mainoo impressing in training: “I don’t know what will happen. If I see that it’s beneficial in training, I will consider it. That’s my only approach.”
The situation at Old Trafford remains tense as fans and pundits continue to scrutinise Amorim’s tactical decisions and development of young talent like Mainoo.