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Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has defended his failure to start any academy player in the Premier League this season and repeated his reasons for not giving Kobbie Mainoo an opportunity.
Amorim has stressed previously he feels the academy is doing a good job.
He has also said he will not break the proud record that dates back to 1937 of United having at least one homegrown player in the matchday squad.
United are paying a lot of attention to the academy. They hired Stephen Torpey from Brentford to lead it and, last night, 15-year-old star forward JJ Gabriel was in the directors’ box at Old Trafford to watch the 1-1 draw with West Ham.
Yet, actual playing time for the club’s academy players at first team level has been limited.
Mainoo and local-born defender Tyler Fredricson both started the EFL Cup defeat to League Two Grimsby in August.
Fredricson has not played another minute for the first team since, while Mainoo has featured for 171 minutes across nine substitute appearances in the Premier League. He came on in the final minute at Crystal Palace at the weekend and remained on the bench throughout the West Ham game, when Amorim used five substitutes.
When Mainoo was injured, Jack Fletcher, son of former United midfielder and current Under-18s coach Darren, was on the bench for the draw at Tottenham last month. For the last three games, England Under-20 forward Shea Lacey was an unused substitute.
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Mainoo’s problem is that Amorim sees him in competition with skipper Bruno Fernandes, who has not been replaced since the win at Liverpool on 19 October six games ago.
The 20-year-old could have joined Napoli on deadline day in the summer, having told United he wanted a loan move in order to try and preserve his place in England’s World Cup squad.
That plan was blocked but it is understood Mainoo’s opinion remains the same and he feels he needs a loan move to help develop his career.
Amorim has shown signs of frustration at the regular questions about a player who in 2024 scored in the FA Cup final victory over Manchester City and followed up by starting the Euro 2024 final with England.
Asked if he understood why Mainoo’s status as a homegrown English player made him of specific interest, Amorim said: “Of course I understand, and my job is to answer.
“But you always ask me the same thing. I understand what you are saying. You love Kobbie. He starts for England. But that doesn’t mean that I need to put Kobbie [in] when I feel that I shouldn’t put Kobbie [in]. It’s my decision.”
Amorim offered no guarantees the situation will change even when Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo leave for Africa Cup of Nations duty with Cameroon and Ivory Coast later this month.
“I don’t know, I don’t know,” he said.
“It’s the same question. I don’t know what is going to happen. It depends. I’ve seen the training, if it’s the best thing for the team, I will put [him in], that is the only way I know how to respond to that.”
Amorim has opted not to give Lacey his senior debut even though United have failed to win two of the three games he was on the bench for and the Liverpool-born player was the only attacking option with Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha both missing games through injury.
The lack of involvement gives the impression Amorim doesn’t trust the academy to develop players to the standard he needs.
“Any players?” he said. “We have Kobbie Mainoo…”
When asked specifically about Lacey, he added: “So you are asking me why I don’t put Lacey (on) to play, when I have other guys that are internationals who are also on the bench.
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