Man Utd gem, 19, could become a ‘beast under Amorim’

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim should be given a lot more time to turn things around and make a success of his time at Old Trafford.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe recently explained that he would like to give the Portuguese manager up to three seasons to prove he is a good enough coach to lead the Red Devils forward.

As heard in the clip above, the United chief referenced Sir Alex Ferguson and Mikel Arteta’s disappointing starts to their respective careers at Manchester United and Arsenal to defend Amorim’s record to date.

The former Sporting manager won 20 and lost 21 of his 50 matches in charge of the Premier League giants, including a Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at the end of last season.

Patience is not often afforded to managers with that kind of track record at a club the size of Manchester United, which is why Sir Jim Ratcliffe can be applauded in that regard.

One current Red Devils player who may not be too happy with Amorim’s continued support is central midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who finds himself sitting on the bench most weeks.

Why Kobbie Mainoo isn’t starting for Man Utd

The England international is not a regular starter at the moment as the 3-4-2-1 system means he is in direct competition with club captain Bruno Fernandes for a place in the starting line-up.

Amorim, as seen in the quotes above, has clearly confirmed that Mainoo has to fight with Bruno to earn a regular place in the XI, which is why he is yet to start a match in the Premier League this season.

The Portugal international is the club’s captain and has scored 100 goals in 298 matches for the club in all competitions, according to Transfermarkt, showing that he poses a huge threat at the top of the pitch.

For all of Mainoo’s qualities, the England international’s return of seven goals and three assists in 78 appearances for United, according to Transfermarkt, shows he is not as influential as Bruno in the final third.

The academy graduate does not fit into the specific roles Amorim wants in his midfield, as he is not a specialist attacking midfielder nor a specialist defensive midfielder, but his form under Erik ten Hag has proven that he is a top talent at Premier League level.

As you can see in the table above, Mainoo can excel in a box-to-box midfielder role within a midfield three, as he can outrun players with the ball and bring his team up the field to create dangerous situations.

Regardless of his current situation under Amorim, the central midfielder’s progression to the first team has been a success as United have developed a Premier League-level and England international-level star from their academy.

Whether he returns to the team under Amorim, despite his current struggles, or excels under another coach if the manager loses his job, Mainoo has enough talent to ultimately succeed at Old Trafford.

Another player who could follow in the central midfielder’s footsteps by coming out of the academy to shine in the first team is U21 starlet Sekou Koné.

Why Sekou Kone could be the next Kobbie Mainoo for Man Utd

The Mali U17 international joined Manchester United from Guidars FC in the summer of 2024 and has attracted the attention of the Red Devils youth side over the past 14 months or so.

Kone is yet to make his first-team debut, but it was reported last month that he was internally regarded as the club’s sixth-best central midfielder and could be given a chance in the senior team before the end of the season.

The 19-year-old starlet has unfortunately been sidelined since August due to a head injury, but is now back training with the U21s and is expected to be back on the field after the current international break, which will give Amorim the opportunity to assess his progress.

Before his injury earlier this season, Kone’s form for Manchester United at U21 level had attracted admirers due to his impressive performances in midfield.

U23 scout Antonio Mango says the central midfielder has “the skills to be a beast under Ruben Amorim”. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig also compared him to Michael Essien and claimed he had “9/10” potential.

Kone is yet to make a senior appearance for Manchester United, but he demonstrated some of his potential in a 42-minute cameo against League One side Huddersfield Town in the EFL Trophy last year, an appearance which was cut short by injury just before the break.

As you can see in the table above, the Malian junior international demonstrated his defensive quality in the middle of the park, winning 100% of his tackle attempts without being dribbled past once.

The 19-year-old star is a powerful midfielder who can provide a solid presence, as these stats and Kulig’s comparison to Essien illustrate, but it’s now up to him to prove he can do it at first-team level.

His defensive prowess could give him a greater chance of becoming a regular starter under Amorim than under Mainoo, as he could fill the defensive midfielder role that Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte have shared this season.

Therefore, Manchester United could be grooming their next Mainoo in Kone, as another academy midfielder who could break into the first team, while the teenage star’s qualities could even see him overtake the Englishman in the pecking order if Amorim stays in the job.