Ruben Amorim blowing up at Man Utd finally set Kobbie Mainoo free

James Ducker Tue, 10 February 2026 at 8:01 am UTC·6 min read “Free Kobbie Mainoo”, said his half-brother via a message emblazoned on a T-shirt. A change of manager and system have certainly done that. Ruben Amorim got a lot wrong during his 14-month reign at Manchester United but, for all the debate about his formations, substitutions and public messaging, it is the former manager’s handling of Mainoo that stands out as one of the true oddities of his turbulent tenure.Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mainoo was not trusted with a single Premier League start this season – and appeared to be in real danger of heading out of the door – before Michael Carrick took the helm and drew a...