Andy Mitten: Mainoo must do more to start under Amorim - fan base splits hard

Journalist Andy Mitten shared that inside Manchester United, the message early in Amorim’s tenure was clear: Kobbie Mainoo needed to do more to convince the manager he should start, and that his year had not been good. The line has set off a strong split among supporters. Some agree that standards come first and youth must earn minutes. Others argue Mainoo has not had the chance to build rhythm. The debate has pulled in wider talking points, from comparisons with Chelsea under Maresca to reflections on United’s culture, selection choices, and how a young midfielder should be developed.

In a recent discussion featuring journalist Andy Mitten, an internal view from early in Amorim’s tenure at Manchester United was relayed, stating that Kobbie Mainoo needed to do more to justify a starting role after a below-par year. The conversation sparked wider comparisons with Chelsea under Enzo Maresca and brought in cultural references around United’s midfield standards, with nods to club legends and anecdotes from recent European fixtures. The club’s own promotional push for an upcoming home match framed the timing, while fan channels amplified contrasting interpretations of Amorim’s selection calls and Mainoo’s readiness.

🚨🗣️ @AndyMitten on Mainoo and Amorim: "When the manager first came in, I was told within a couple of weeks, the line was put to me that Kobbie needs to do more to prove to this manager that he needs to be starting and he’s not had a good year." [@TOTDevils]

@UtdXclusive

Impact Analysis

This line about Mainoo needing to “do more” lands on two pressure points at United: selection standards and the academy pathway. If Amorim’s bar is non-negotiable, it signals a merit-first culture that veteran pros welcome. But when the player is a homegrown talent with clear upside, the message can be read as tough love or as a risky chill on youth momentum.

On the pitch, the question is fit. Amorim’s teams typically demand high tempo, aggressive counter-pressing, and clean distribution from the double pivot. Mainoo’s profile suggests calm in tight spaces, tidy ball security, and the ability to connect lines. Where scrutiny bites is off-ball intensity, repeated sprints into recovery positions, and scanning early enough to play forward under pressure. These are coachable, and they improve with minutes, not just meetings.

From my playing days, I remember being told exactly this - do more or you will sit. The response that worked was simple: raise training intensity every day, ask for one-on-one video work, and dominate B-team or cup minutes so the staff cannot ignore you. If the staff’s assessment holds, the pathway is brutal but clear. If the assessment is off, supporters will see it quickly once rotations kick in.

Either way, the impact is real. United cannot afford selection debates to become identity debates. The club needs both an iron standard and a straight path for its best academy graduates. Balance that, and the dressing room buys in.

Reaction

Fan responses split sharply. One camp argues the manager is right to demand more, saying Mainoo has been below average and that favorites should not be protected. Another counters that the youngster has barely played, so asking for more without minutes is a stacked deck. A few went further, calling the coach out and questioning his grasp of the club’s identity and squad strengths.

Some supporters referenced selections they see as puzzling, even citing names like Manuel Ugarte as examples of profiles they believe are being preferred, whether or not those claims align with the actual squad picture. Others pulled in bigger narratives. A graphic contrasted Amorim’s growing pains with the positive noise around Maresca at Chelsea. A clip about Roy Keane and the media’s double standards made the rounds. There was even a Mourinho anecdote about Scott McTominay’s shirt, which fans used to talk about what United reward in midfielders.

Underneath the noise sits a simple tension. Fans want high standards, but they also want their best prospects nurtured. When results wobble, patience for development shrinks. When a talent like Mainoo is framed as needing to “do more,” some hear a roadmap, others hear a roadblock. Online, the temperature reflects both hopes and scars from recent seasons.

Social reactions

A useless manager who nearly got United relegated? He is incredibly delusional.

Osman (@OsM0627)

That still doesn't mean Manuel Ugarte and others should be picking ahead of him in most of the games

Yahuza Gidaje Mohammed (@Yahoozee______)

How can he do more when he’s barely played?

🇲🇺 🇾🇪 (@Letstalkfootie1)

Prediction

Short term, expect Mainoo’s response to be visible in the next 4 to 6 weeks. Cup ties, late-game control states, and tactical reshuffles after setbacks are classic windows for a young midfielder to force the issue. If he nails those reps, he becomes a first-change option, then a starter in select league fixtures.

If minutes still stall, the staff will lean on development handles: targeted gym work for repeat sprint ability, film sessions on body shape when receiving under pressure, and triggers for counter-press. The message to the player will be practical - win more duels, turn on the half, break lines earlier, recover five meters quicker. If the data ticks up, selection follows.

Two broader scenarios could unfold. One, the manager’s standard sticks and sparks a wider midfield reset, with Mainoo earning a role that suits his calm distribution and control in phase two. Two, the team chases short-term certainty with senior profiles, keeping Mainoo on a slower burn until injuries or fixture congestion open a lane. I would back the first path. A balanced double pivot with one destroyer and one controller is how this squad breathes. If Mainoo shows bite off the ball and tempo on it, the shirt becomes his.

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Conclusion

I have lived the conversation that Mainoo is facing. The gap between “nearly ready” and starter is small and brutal. You close it by stacking good days, not good tweets. The manager’s line about doing more is not a door slam. It is a challenge. Meet it, and the whole tone around him changes within a month.

United need this to be a development story, not a culture war. The club wins when standards are high and the academy still feels like a freeway. Keep the bar where it is, communicate the why, and give the kid enough real football to prove the point either way. If the staff are right, the team gets sharper. If Mainoo proves them wrong, they get a better starter. That is how a big club should work.

The next home match will tell us plenty. Watch the bench body language, the in-game trust during tough phases, and who closes the match. That is where a manager shows his hand with a young midfielder.