Gordon Hill has shared his advice for Kobbie Mainoo as the Manchester United midfielder continues to struggle to get into Ruben Amorim’s starting line-up.
Under the guidance of Ruben Amorim, Manchester United have made a poor start to the 2025/26 season. The Red Devils have been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Grimsby Town and sit 10th in the Premier League, winning just four of their first seven games.
Although Sir Jim Ratcliffe has pledged his support to Ruben Amorim, the United head coach has been heavily criticised for being too stubborn and unwilling to change from his 3-4-2-1 system.
Amorim has also been accused of having favourites in the squad, but, perhaps more worrying is his willingness to overlook a talented prospect like Kobbie Mainoo when the midfield gets overrun by most opponents.
Mainoo has not started any of United’s Premier League matches this season, with Amorim sticking with a double pivot of Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro.
Gordon Hill urges Kobbie Mainoo to fight for his spot at Man Utd
It’s been a difficult start to the season for everyone at United, but Mainoo has been limited to substitute appearances and one start in the Carabao Cup.
Mainoo is at risk of missing out on a World Cup spot, even though England have booked their place at the 48-nation tournament. He has until the end of the season to prove his worth to Thomas Tuchel, and it will be difficult to achieve that sitting on the bench at United.
The only United player in the England squad right now is loanee Marcus Rashford.
Former United and England winger Gordon Hill has sent an important message to Mainoo, telling the youngster to settle on what he wants, which could mean fighting for his future at United.
“I look at it on the other side of it and I say, well, OK, Kobbie, you cannot do any more than what I hear that you’re doing,” Hill told United In Focus. “You’re training hard, you’re getting extra sessions, you’re doing everything that you could do. If he doesn’t pick you, then basically you can’t produce to show him.
“And that to me at the moment is like, for me as a player or a former player, I look at it and say, ‘Do I fit in your plans or are you thinking of moving to get somebody else in?’ If you’re doing that, then the writing’s on the wall for him.
“But if he doesn’t and he still thinks, I tell you what, I’ll grit and bear it and I’ll get through it and I’ll keep training and I’ll keep plotting and maybe, maybe I will get that chance. When you get that chance, you need to take it. You need to grab it with both hands and give everything you got.
“To me, it comes down to wanting to play. If you’re doing it for the money, I can’t buy it. But if you’re doing it because you are a player that says, I don’t care if you give me £5 or £50 or £50,000 a week, I will perform.
“I think sometimes it is missing. And that’s what hurts me most of all. It irks me when I see these players going out there. The difference is, they bled when I was playing. We bled for the shirt. We had the red shirt on, which was our blood. Today’s players seem to just be wearing the red because it’s Man United.”
Kobbie Mainoo’s World Cup chances look bleak
Mainoo started the European Championship final in midfield for England after enjoying an impressive tournament under Gareth Southgate.
The United academy graduate went to the Euros after scoring in an FA Cup final win over Man City.
Unless Mainoo gets back to playing regular football, he is unlikely to be rewarded by Tuchel with a place in the World Cup squad.
Adam Wharton and Jude Bellingham were left out of the recent England squad, so there’s already plenty of competition for Mainoo.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/KR0xY95