Kobbie Mainoo says his Manchester United spell under Ruben Amorim included “difficult times,” describing how Amorim struggled to fit him into a changing system. With Amorim sacked in January and Michael Carrick reinstating him in the starting XI, Mainoo’s form
Kobbie Mainoo didn’t need to dress it up. In the middle of being in England’s World Cup squad while the Manchester United season has already turned, he spoke plainly about what it felt like when Ruben Amorim was in charge.
Mainoo has admitted he suffered “difficult times” during Amorim’s tenure at Manchester United, saying the 41-year-old couldn’t find a consistent way to fit him into his system. Amorim experimented with him across different positions, trying to force solutions.
One attempt came when Mainoo was used up front in a home defeat to Crystal Palace. It didn’t become a stable answer. Amorim later decided that Mainoo would be pitted against Bruno Fernandes for minutes in a deeper midfield role.
But the shape of Mainoo’s season under Amorim stayed difficult. He didn’t start a Premier League game this season until Amorim was sacked in January. The change came quickly after the dismissal: Michael Carrick immediately reinstated him to the starting team. From there. Mainoo’s form shifted—sparkling in the second half of the campaign—and that turnaround helped earn him a place in England’s squad for this summer’s World Cup.
Carrick’s timing also fed directly into a personal question Mainoo was asked by England reporters in the USA. When he was asked if he had Carrick to partly thank for the call-up, Mainoo didn’t hesitate. “Definitely, and I told him that I was very grateful,” he said. “Because if he hadn’t put me on the pitch. then I wouldn’t have been here so. I’m always grateful to him for that.”.
Mainoo also said he was delighted when Carrick was appointed. “We were very happy with it, obviously, I love the way he coaches and manages me personally in the team as well,” he said. “I think everyone in the squad can agree with that. When he officially got the job, we were all so happy.”
There’s another practical reason Mainoo’s current moment feels safer than it could have: United rewarded him with a new five-year contract to safeguard his future at Old Trafford. He also said that if Amorim had remained in charge, he would have been forced to leave his boyhood club.
Mainoo’s gratitude isn’t limited to club matters. He believes England can win the World Cup, saying: “One hundred per cent.” In his view, belief inside the squad is shared. “I feel like everyone in the squad, staff, everyone believes we can win it.”
He also stressed the weight of what the tournament represents, and how that dream has followed him for years. “But that doesn’t come easy,” he said. “It’s very special, something I’ve dreamed of, and I’m sure all the players have dreamed of since they were really young.”
Playing in a World Cup. he added. is different from the Euros—though England intend to approach it with the same mindset. “So to be here and say that I’m playing in a World Cup is unbelievable,” Mainoo said. “I’ve always wanted to play in a World Cup for all my life. It’s the biggest tournament in the world. so it’s definitely different from the Euros. but we will try and approach it in the same way with the goal that we want to win.”.
Mainoo is no stranger to major moments. He started in the Euro 2024 final against Spain, and former England manager Gareth Southgate had praised him during that tournament, suggesting the Three Lions had not had a talent like Mainoo in midfield.
Still, his path to this World Cup has carried sharp turns at Old Trafford. During the final week of last summer’s transfer window, Mainoo submitted a request to leave United on loan. That request was denied. and he continued to struggle for game time until Amorim was sacked amid rising tensions with the board in January.
The contrast between those months and the one that followed is what Mainoo is living now: a new contract, a starting role under Carrick, and a place in England’s squad for the World Cup—after a spell he calls “difficult times.”
Kobbie Mainoo Ruben Amorim Manchester United Michael Carrick England squad World Cup 2026 difficult times Bruno Fernandes Crystal Palace Euro 2024 final