Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim looks set to get more time to turn things around and make his time at Old Trafford a success.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe recently explained that he wants to give the Portuguese manager up to three seasons to prove he is good enough to lead the Red Devils.
As seen in the clip above, the United manager cited Sir Alex Ferguson and Mikel Arteta’s underwhelming starts to their respective careers at Manchester United and Arsenal in defense of Amorim’s record to date.
The former Sporting head coach has led the Premier League giants to a record of 20 wins and 21 losses in 50 games, including a loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final at the end of last season.
You can give credit to Sir Jim Ratcliffe for that, as patience is not often afforded to managers of such pedigree at a club of Manchester United’s size.
One current Red Devils player who may not be too happy with Amorim’s continued support from above is central midfielder Koby Mainu, who has found himself sitting on the bench most weeks.
Why Koby Mainu won’t start for Manchester United
The England international is currently not a regular starter as he will be competing directly with club captain Bruno Fernandes for a place in the starting XI in the 3-4-2-1 system.
As seen in the quote above, Amorim freely admits that Mainu will have to battle Bruno to earn a regular place in the XI, which is why he has yet to start a game in the Premier League this season.
According to Transfermarkt, the Portugal international is the club’s captain and has scored 100 goals in 298 games in all competitions for the club, showing he is a big threat at the top end of the pitch.
According to Transfermarkt, despite all of Maynou’s qualities, the England international’s seven goals and three assists in 78 appearances for United means he is not as influential as Bruno in the final third.
The academy graduate is not an attacking or defensive midfielder and therefore does not fit into the specific role Amorim wants for his midfield duo, but his form under manager Erik ten Hag has shown he is a big talent at Premier League level.
23/24 Premier League | Koby Mainu 90 years old | Comparison of percentile rank and CM |
|---|---|---|
tried the challenge | 2.71 | Top 20% |
Take-up completed | 1.42 | Top 18% |
Take-on success rate | 53.4% | Top 28% |
Action to create a goal (take-on) | 0.09 | Top 4% |
Actions (shots) that create goals | 0.09 | Top 2% |
Actions that result in a goal (with or without a foul) | 0.05 | Top 9% |
Statistics by FBref | ||
As you can see from the table above, Mainu excels in a box-to-box midfield role as part of the midfield three, as he is able to weave through players with the ball and bring his team up the pitch to create dangerous situations.
Regardless of his current situation under Amorim, the central midfielder’s promotion to the first team has been a success, with United developing stars from the academy to Premier League level and then England international level.
Mainou has enough talent to one day succeed at Old Trafford, whether he returns to the team under Amorim despite his current predicament or thrives under another coach if the manager loses his job.
Another player who could step up from the academy to the first team and follow in the central midfielder’s footsteps is Under-21 starlet Sekou Kone.
Why Sekou Kone could be Man United’s next Koby Mainu
The Mali Under-17 international joined Manchester United from Gidders FC in the summer of 2024 and has attracted attention at youth level with the Red Devils over the past 14 months.
Kone is yet to make his first-team debut, but it was reported last month that he is considered the sixth-best central midfielder within the club and could get a first-team chance before the end of the season.
The 19-year-old starlet has unfortunately been sidelined since August with a head injury, but has now returned to training with the Under-21s and is expected to return to the pitch after the current international break, which will give Amorim an opportunity to assess his progress.
Before his injury at the start of this season, he had captivated fans with his impressive form in midfield for Manchester United at under-21 level.
Under-23 scout Antonio Mango claimed the central midfielder has the “skill set to be a beast under Ruben Amorim”. Soccer talent scout Jacek Kulig also compared him to Michael Essien and claimed he had a “9/10” potential.
Kone is yet to make a top-flight appearance for Manchester United, but he showed some of his potential in last year’s EFL Trophy with a 42-minute cameo against Huddersfield Town in League One, but his appearance was cut short due to injury just before the break.
vs Huddersfield (EFL Trophy) | rescue |
|---|---|
minutes | 42 |
Pass accuracy | 82% |
Won a ground duel | 2/4 |
Tackle success rate | 100% |
intercept | 2 |
Number of balls collected | 3 |
dribbled past | 0x |
Statistics by Sofascore | |
As you can see from the table above, the Mali youth international displayed his defensive quality in the center of the park, winning 100% of his attempted tackles without ever being dribbled through.
As these stats and the comparisons between Kulig and Essien show, the 19-year-old star is a strong midfielder and can provide a solid presence, but it is now up to him to prove he can do it at first-team level.
His defensive prowess allows him to fill the defensive midfield role that Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte have shared this season, so he may be more likely to establish himself as a regular starter under Amorim than Mainu.
Manchester United could therefore develop Mainu next to Kone as another academy midfielder who could break into the first team, while the teenage star’s quality could even see him move above the Englishman in the pecking order if Amorim remains in his post.