‘It Was Rubbish’—Gary Neville in Disbelief Over Kobbie Mainoo Amid Roy Keane Warning

Michael Carrick is giving Kobbie Mainoo the chance that Ruben Amorim did not.

Kobbie Mainoo has started back-to-back games. | Ash Donelon/Manchester United/Getty Images

Manchester United legend Gary Neville has criticised former manager Ruben Amorim over the way Kobbie Mainoo was handled during the first half of the season, now that the midfielder is suddenly flourishing again under the tutelage of Michael Carrick.

Fellow ex-player Roy Keane suggested it was important that Mainoo actually took the chance, commending the youngster on performances against Manchester City and Arsenal, but is equally refusing to get carried away by the idea that United are suddenly “back” after just two games.

“I must admit, I never liked the handling of Mainoo,” Neville said on the new episode of Stick to Football, accusing Amorim of “killing” the player when it became clear that he wasn’t going to be used in the same team as Bruno Fernandes.

“I thought it was rubbish,” he added. “It killed him publicly. And then he never put him in the team at all, apart from [against] Grimsby. That was nearly pushing a talented player out of the club before he even really had a chance to perform. You look at him now in these two matches, you think, how could that be? How could [Manuel] Ugarte [be picked ahead of him]?”

Keane said, “You couldn’t ask for any more,” and added that the overall turnaround has been “brilliant.”

But, “It is only two games,” he warned, wanting to see more. “I know at United we can be extreme. They’re losing a few matches at the end of the world. They win a few matches, they’re back.”

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Is Kobbie Mainoo the Missing Ingredient for Man Utd, England?

Now that Carrick has changed formation to a system that accommodates Mainoo and Fernandes, with Casemiro also still in the team as a No. 6, United look more polished in midfield.

On the same podcast, Paul Scholes said the balance is better, and arguably even what Premier League leaders Arsenal are “missing” from their team.

“Kobbie and Fernandes, they make your team play football,” he said. “When they had just been doing it with Fernandes, they sent [one] to play. He didn’t really have anyone to play with. Now, Kobbie’s also got that ability to play with someone. It makes a big difference.”

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Kobbie Mainoo Stats vs. Man City, Arsenal

Statistic	vs. Man City	vs. Arsenal
Minutes Played	90	90
Rating (Out of 10)	7.5	6.9
Touches	51	54
Passing Accuracy	91%	86%
Passes into Final Third	1	4
Chances Created	0	2
Defensive Contributions	9	6

Stats via Fotmob.

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If Mainoo can have that kind of impact for Manchester United, could he have it for England too?

The 20-year-old was instrumental as the Three Lions reached the final of Euro 2024 a matter of months after making his senior breakthrough at club level, playing his way into the starting XI during the tournament.

Mainoo has only played for England once since that tournament—and not at all since 2024—because of injuries and later his lack of games for United. But there is every opportunity he could force his way back into the squad in time for the World Cup if things carry on this way.

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Kobbie Mainoo vs. Elliot Anderson for 2026 World Cup Starting Place

Elliot Anderson is currrently the preferred partner for Declan Rice. | Kevin Hodgson/MI News/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Getting back in the squad is one thing, being picked to start is another. Mainoo’s biggest competition to make England’s XI comes from Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, who currently appears to have the shirt alongside Declan Rice in the central double pivot.

Anderson, linked with a move to Old Trafford ahead of the summer transfer window and valued potentially at £100 million ($137.9 million) by Forest, has started five of England’s last six games since his senior debut in September and appears well-liked by manager Thomas Tuchel, who is yet to name Mainoo in a squad since taking over from Sir Gareth Southgate.

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