Ruben Amorim pinpoints Man Utd ace who flew under the radar vs Athletic but ‘did everything good’, ‘I really like…’

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Manchester United have booked a trip back to Bilbao and it’s all to play for this time as they take on Spurs in the Europa League final.

The 4-1 win vs Athletic showed Man Utd at their best and their worst, missing chances leading to an early scare via Athletic’s opener, then taking control late on for a salvo.

Mason Mount stole the headlines with a brace and a performance that will go some way towards truly launching his Man Utd career.

However, Ruben Amorim reserved special praise for one player who barely played but impressed the Man Utd manager with everything he did.

Man Utd star who did ‘everything good’

The substitutes were the stars of the game vs Athletic, particularly the triple sub made at the hour mark through which Amad and Mount changed the game.

Even Luke Shaw came on and provided an upgrade on Noussair Mazraoui who, by Amorim’s own admission, had “no energy” left to give.

However, among all the subs, Amorim took the time to praise Kobbie Mainoo in particular, the Man Utd star who played just ten minutes or so.

Mainoo came on in the 81st minute and kept the play ticking, even showing some shifty skills on the ball as United looked full of confidence late on.

Amorim said: “I really like Kobbie Mainoo, just 10 minutes on the pitch, but everything he did was really good. Sometimes you are on the bench, but you change the game.”

Mainoo combined with Mount and Fernandes to great effect as Athletic chased the game, and his ability to wriggle out of narrow spaces was crucial to United retaining possession.

Ruben Amorim has figured out Kobbie Mainoo

The biggest benefit to Amorim coming mid-season is now clear near the end of the season because he’s figured out the strengths and weaknesses of his players.

Be it the tactical tweaks loved by Casemiro or now Mainoo, he’s solving tactical dilemmas as he goes and the result is a team that’s increasingly becoming more than the sum of its parts.

For Mainoo, the experiment of playing him higher up the field has been an unqualified success and the same was on display again vs Athletic.

Developments like this allow United to attack the summer market with renewed focus now that Amorim knows which players fit where in his team.

Mainoo had remained an enigma – a player of vast potential but struggling to find a role for himself. He’ll start the next season in a clear role and a player improved having had this experience.