Manager accepts his decisions will be questioned if United are not winning enough; he is willing to speak to Mainoo about leaving on loan
Ruben Amorim has admitted he is “not doing good enough” and Manchester United are “underachieving”.
The manager was asked about Paul Scholes’ criticism of him for not playing Kobbie Mainoo. Scholes said Amorim “doesn’t get the club” and urged Mainoo to leave to save his career.
Amorim said he understood that all of his decisions would be questioned simply because United are not winning enough games.
“No, it’s not winning – not winning is the issue,” Amorim said when asked if criticism from United legends makes his job harder. “If I’m winning I can go to the games on a horse, arrive there, play with just two defenders and everything will be fine.
“The problem is that as a manager I’m not doing good enough and that is a fact also. So that is the only problem.
“Me as a manager of Manchester United, we are underachieving. We should have more points, especially this season. So I take that, naturally.
“Sometimes the former players don’t have all the information and they see Manchester United with the standards that they lived here: always winning. So it’s hard for them to see their club in this situation.”
Amorim said he might allow Mainoo to leave on loan if the player comes to speak to him, as he “just wants his players happy”.
“If Kobbie comes to me and talks to me, I will talk to him,” said Amorim. “I’m not going to say what I’m going to say to Kobbie but I will be really pleased if Kobbie comes to talk to me about that. I understand that every individual has their goals.
“The frustration doesn’t help anybody. I had some conversations with him, especially last year, and with other players but about that subject, no I didn’t speak with him. I am completely open to talk.”
Amorim has been heavily criticised for leaving the highly-rated Mainoo on the fringes. The player is yet to start a Premier League game this season, his one start being the infamous defeat to Grimsby in August. The manager said United could change their system in the future, but that the team’s current setup has made it difficult for Mainoo to see enough action.
“I know that for you guys there are some players that you believe in a lot and I believe a lot but sometimes I have to make choices,” said Amorim.
“We play with two midfielders. We could change in the future but Kobbie Mainoo is playing in the same position as Bruno Fernandes and sometimes it’s really hard to take Bruno Fernandes out of the team and that is the only reason.”
Amorim plays with two central midfielders, with one – currently Casemiro – playing as a more conservative ball-winning player. There are questions to be asked over whether Mainoo has the pace and the ball-winning ability to play in that position instead of Casemiro.
Amorim said: “Yes, he can. I think it was against Everton I took Casemiro out and I put Kobbie in there because we were trying to play a different game. He can play in that position.
“But it’s hard sometimes. Sometimes Kobbie Mainoo, you have to think [if he is] the guy for blocking transitions. He needs to spend more time there but he can be in that position in the future.”
