Ferdinand urges United to fit Kobbie Mainoo into midfield ahead of Brentford clash
Former defender says the 20-year-old cannot be kept on the periphery as Man United reassess midfield options
Rio Ferdinand has warned Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim that Kobbie Mainoo must not be sidelined as the club reshapes its midfield. The former defender argued the 20-year-old's patience will crack if his minutes remain limited, urging United to find a path back into the starting lineup for a player who has held a prominent place in England youth and senior setups.
Ferdinand told the Manchester Evening News while promoting Talking Futures' Half Time Talks initiative: “I do not want Kobbie Mainoo putting on any other shirt other than England's or Man United's, simple as.” He said a player of Mainoo's trajectory would not accept a watching brief for long and noted that the midfielder had already earned a taste of tournament football with England that ended on a high. “If he was agitating to get a loan now, if he is not playing in January, he will be agitating and knocking the door down even more to go and get game time,” Ferdinand added. “He has had a taste of a tournament with England and came out of it with absolutely flying colours, and he will want a taste of that again. Is there another way to get him in the team, what does he need to do, that is the big thing for me.”
Mainoo’s future at United has been the subject of intense debate this summer after he was linked with a loan move to secure regular minutes. United blocked the move and challenged him to fight for his place, a stance that has been echoed by Amorim in recent press conferences. Ferdinand’s impassioned call adds pressure to the club’s evaluation of how best to employ a promising academy graduate who has trained with Bruno Fernandes in midfield this season.
Amorim has been blunt about where Mainoo stands and why selection has not been automatic. He said the midfielder is competing with captain Bruno Fernandes in a system that has evolved under his leadership, noting that the club now has other players who can “calm down the game” in key moments. “The way I play is completely different from the last manager,” Amorim explained, adding that Mainoo must show more pace and a deeper understanding of positions. “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 is lower, sometimes it is faster, and I think he can improve on that.”
With the Brentford fixture at the Gtech Community Stadium looming, all eyes will be on whether Mainoo earns crucial minutes in what could be a pivotal period for his United career. The clash represents a potential proving ground for Amorim’s evolving midfield plans, and Ferdinand’s public plea has sharpened the focus on whether the academy graduate can break through amid a crowded engine room at Old Trafford.