According to some opinions, Ruben Amorim does not deserve to be sacked. But in just one Manchester derby, Kobbie Mainoo showed why the decision to leave the Portuguese coach was completely reasonable.
During his time leading Manchester United, Amorim almost abandoned one of the best young midfielders in English football. He only considered Mainoo as a backup option for Bruno Fernandes - a player who does not need a replacement if he is fit enough to play.
That decision is both incomprehensible and counterproductive. Now, Amorim has lost his job, and Mainoo is still staying at Old Trafford.
Former Sporting coach's treatment of Mainoo - who once exploded under Erik ten Hag and was called up to the England national team for EURO 2024 - made the midfielder born in 2005 seriously disappointed. There was a time when the player who grew up from the Carrington academy wanted to leave the club he had been attached to since he was 6 years old.
Mainoo even had exchanges with Napoli, where Scott McTominay is flourishing under Antonio Conte's leadership. The prospect of going to Serie A to rebuild his career is clearly present.
However, everything changed after Amorim was sacked. In Man United's devastating victory over Manchester City at Old Trafford, Mainoo had a top performance in his first start in the Premier League this season. He played calmly, intelligently and completely controlled the midfield in a very high-speed match.
Mainoo played prominently alongside Bruno Fernandes and even made Rodri almost "disappear" for 90 minutes. That is the image of the midfielder who was once a pillar of the England national team at EURO 2024.
With Mainoo in the squad, Man United completely controlled the game and continuously created dangerous opportunities. Harry Maguire once headed the ball into the crossbar, while 3 other goals were disallowed for offside. The xG of the "Red Devils" reached 3.81, clearly reflecting the overwhelming advantage at Old Trafford.
After the match, Pep Guardiola admitted that Man City deservedly lost, and praised the opponent when saying that M.U possesses something that we do not have.
In midfield, Mainoo brings certainty and balance. The English midfielder links a coherent playing style, effectively escaping pressing against high-level pressure from Man City, thereby creating a solid foundation for the attacking front.
Not only doing a good job of defending and organizing the play, Mainoo also directly participated in finishing with a powerful long-range shot from outside the penalty area, forcing goalkeeper Donnarumma to show his talent in saving.
After the match, interim coach Michael Carrick is said to have spoken directly with Mainoo. He affirmed that he is in the plan from now until the end of the season and advised this player to focus on proving his worth.
In just over 90 minutes on the field, Mainoo has done that. Although Amorim's rigidity has caused him to lose half of his season and the opportunity to participate in this summer's World Cup is almost closed, but at a time when Man United is seriously lacking quality personnel in midfield, Mainoo's return is no different from a new contract.
This midfielder still has a bright future ahead and Old Trafford needs to ensure that most of that journey will continue to be associated with the red shirt, despite the fluctuations on the coaching bench.
Mainoo played great alongside Casemiro. They provided a real foundation for the team, along with Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire. It was a calculated gamble to see if Mainoo could finish the match or not, and he did very well" - Carrick said.
