Gary Lineker is still as perplexed as Manchester United supporters over Ruben Amorim’s treatment of Kobbie Mainoo.
The midfielder scored an emphatic late winner yesterday to seal all three points for United against their arch-rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford, marking a first league double over the Merseyside outfit in a decade.
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How Kobbie Mainoo fared vs LFC
What’s more, the Mainoo-inspired triumph also set in stone that the Reds would indeed be playing Champions League football next season.
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It rounded off an unforgettable week for the 21-year-old, given he had put pen to paper on a long-term, improved contract just three days prior to the game, keeping him tied to his boyhood club until 2031.
Even aside from his goal, Mainoo oversaw yet another five-star display while up against the reigning Premier League winners.
As per Fotmob, he recorded six passes into the final third, two successful dribbles and 49 accurate passes. Defensively, the England star made seven recoveries, two interceptions and one tackle, while also winning five ground duels and two fouls.
Unsurprisingly, he was named Player of the Match for his efforts across his 90-minute shift.
Mainoo continues to silence his doubters – one being his former manager
Mainoo maintaining his tremendous form under Michael Carrick only emphasises how truly bizarre it was for Amorim to be so incessant on not using him.
By the time Amorim was relieved of his duties in early January, Mainoo had not made a single Premier League start, had featured for a total of 212 minutes in 11 appearances and had been an unused substitute four times.
He has since started every game that he’s been available for throughout Carrick’s reign, and United have won 10 of the 13 matches in which he was deployed from the off.
What Lineker had to say about Mainoo
Reacting to Mainoo’s performance against Liverpool on The Rest Is Football, Lineker said: “Kobbie Mainoo, I thought [he] was the star of this game. I am absolutely bewildered by the fact that he didn’t get a look-in under the previous incumbent. It’s incredible.
“I mean, what? What? I don’t get it at all. And even whatever system you play or anything like that, how can you not see how good that kid is?”
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