Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has warned Kobbie Mainoo he must continue to add to his game if he wants to play a greater role at Old Trafford.
Having found himself on the fringes under the new manager, Mainoo is understood to have asked to leave United on loan during the summer transfer window, only to find his request rejected immediately.
Getting the most out of the 20-year-old remains a challenge for Amorim, who acknowledged Mainoo’s technical quality but insisted that is simply “not enough” to justify more minutes in a two-man midfield which poses unique tactical challenges.
“I think for some guys [talent] is enough, but for him it is not enough,” Amorim said. “I believe in him a lot, he is a top top player, but he can be so much better.
“I think he needs to have the technical ability that he has, but he needs more pace. He needs to understand the position better. He needs to play in different speeds. Sometimes it’s slower. Sometimes it’s faster, and I think he can improve on that.
“The way I play is completely different from the last manager. I watched a lot of Premier League games when I was in Portugal. You can feel the Manchester United team was really transitional. Sometimes I looked at Kobbie Mainoo and felt he was the only guy who calmed the game down. Now we have other players who can do that and we play a different game.
“Mainoo is really good at controlling the game, but if he plays as an eight, he has to reach the box, returning, and sometimes he has to cover a lot of space with just two,” he said. “Bruno [Fernandes] is doing that job. And then sometimes it’s bad luck.
“Bruno is maybe the more influential player in the last few years, and he’s been playing in that position. Kobbie Mainoo could play as a six, but sometimes he passes the ball and goes away and it’s not a reference as a six, so we have to balance everything.”
Amorim also confirmed he spoke with Mainoo following the closure of the transfer window to reiterate his plans for the young midfielder.
“I didn’t have a conversation with him before the window closed because I didn’t want Kobbie Mainoo thinking that I was having a conversation with him just to hold on to him,” explained Amorim. “I did it this week.”
Mainoo made his first Premier League appearance of the season before the international break, coming off the bench to replace the injured Mason Mount, and will hope to add to his minutes when United face off against Manchester City on Sunday.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Not Enough’—Ruben Amorim Fires Kobbie Mainoo Warning in Response to Loan Request.