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Mainoo redemption arc proves Amorim should be 'embarrassed' by Man Utd revival
Suraj Radia
- Updated: 8 Feb 2026 04:39 CST
- 4 min read
News
Manchester United’s upturn in form should have Ruben Amorim ‘embarrassed’ according to Arsenal legend Ian Wright.
Saturday’s victory over Tottenham means that United have won four games in a row under new manager Michael Carrick after Amorim was sacked last month, with the team seemingly thriving in a change of system.
In particular, Kobbie Mainoo has played every minute of Carrick’s tenure, having not started a Premier League match this season prior, and Wright insisted that the youngster’s resurgence emphasises what went wrong under Amorim.
Current ETV
Kobbie Mainoo
M, DM (C)
Man Utd
Kobbie Mainoo
M, DM (C)
Man Utd
ETV Range
€55.3M - €67.6M
“Everybody was confused with what was happening under Amorim,” Wright said on Premier League World. “When you look at (Mainoo), someone who's not played, coming into a Man United side that's not in great form. To play in that midfield which is where all the questions have been around... just the quality.
“You're listening to Bruno (Fernandes) saying they've been given the freedom to express themselves because they're good players. And Kobbie is a very, very good player. I'm just pleased we're seeing that now.
'I think it's very embarrassing for Ruben Amorim if we're going to be totally honest. Because what we seen was a Man United youth product not given the opportunity to play and very, very close to leaving the club. He was brilliant today. Magnificent today.”
How Carrick has made a mockery of Amorim’s suffering in less than a month
While it would be foolish to suggest that all of United’s problems have been solved in the space of a month by a formation tweak, the club’s reversal in form has been staggering, particularly against difficult opposition.
Carrick’s tenure has seen nine goals scored in four matches, with victories and clean sheets over rivals Manchester City and Tottenham as well as comeback wins over Fulham and leaders Arsenal.
Amorim will argue that his side were already displaying an improvement in performances, even if the results had not yet followed, but it is a damning indictment that Carrick’s brief stint has seen more wins in three weeks than they had registered in the previous two-and-a-half months.
Indeed, United have won four games on the bounce for the first time in two years, something they never achieved under Amorim, and the energy appears to be changing at Old Trafford despite the Portuguese coach repeatedly insisting the club would first need to ‘suffer’.
However, the biggest condemnation of Amorim will come from his treatment of Mainoo, having failed to give the 20-year-old a serious chance to thrive in his system, which almost led to the youngster leaving the club.
Mainoo could now sign a new deal with the Red Devils and regain his reputation as one of the club’s brightest youngsters which would all but confirm Amorim’s era as one of the biggest blunders in United’s recent history.
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