Manchester United legend Nicky Butt has made a clear-cut argument around Ruben Amorim’s handling of Kobbie Mainoo at Old Trafford in the 2025-26 campaign.
Kobbie Mainoo has seen his Manchester United first-team opportunities dramatically slashed this season after losing his place in the starting XI under Ruben Amorim.
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United manager Amorim has been deploying Red Devils skipper Bruno Fernandes deep in the two-man midfield alongside Casemiro in his tactical system.
The 40-year-old Portuguese coach’s approach to Bruno Fernandes in the current campaign has had a knock-on effect on Mainoo’s role in the United squad.
Mainoo has not started a single Premier League match this season and all 11 of the Stockport-born talent’s appearances have come from the United bench.
Nicky Butt makes a powerful Kobbie Mainoo point after Ruben Amorim’s use of the Man Utd midfielder
Kobbie Mainoo has only made sporadic cameo appearances in the 2025-26 campaign, despite the frustration of some Manchester United fans.
The Red Devils midfielder’s only start under Ruben Amorim this season came in United’s embarrassing defeat to Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup back in August.
Speaking to former England manager Sam Allardyce, Nicky Butt has offered his two cents on the head-scratching situation involving Mainoo at Old Trafford this season.
The 50-year-old United legend insisted that it is difficult to measure Mainoo’s quality and impact if he is only playing in cameo appearances for Amorim’s men.
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“The thing with Kobbie [for] me, the only thing with Kobbie [for] me is he’s played nine games this season,” Butt said on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.
“And every single one of them has been [as] the sub.”
Butt added: “So how can you judge someone on that?
“And then what will happen now is, I know, ‘cause I was, when I was at United, I wasn’t always starting, I had [Roy] Keane and [Paul] Scholes in front of me most of the time.
“Sometimes I’m playing in three, sometimes score, I get a lot of games, but I wasn’t, I’m from myself, I wasn’t always, that’s why I left.”
Nicky Butt tells Sam Allardyce his assessment of Man Utd ace Kobbie Mainoo this season
Mainoo has been linked with a move away from United since last summer after the England star’s desire to secure regular first-team football in the 2025-26 season.
The Three Lions international is at risk of not featuring for England at the 2026 World Cup under Thomas Tuchel after seeing his minutes drastically drop at United.
When Sam Allardyce asked Butt if he would play around 25 matches himself per season in his career, the United legend said: “Yeah, easy 30. That’s why I left [Man Utd].
“But it was nothing worse than being out for four or five games, six games. And then the manager puts you in his arms, ‘Go on then, go show them what you got.’ Because you’ve got no rhythm.
“It takes you five games. And your match fitness is good.”
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Butt then added: “Yeah, it takes you five games to get going. At least four or five games. In my own experience, three or four or five [matches], you might get lucky in the second game.
“But in general, you need a good few games to get yourself going, three, four, five games. So, Kobbie gets put in [the] next game, [for] example. It’s, ‘Go on, Kobbie, show us what you got.’
“I guarantee you won’t play well. And then it’s like, the manager then goes, ‘I told you.’ So, he can pick up whoever he wants, mind you.”
Mainoo is out of contract with United in 2027 and the England midfielder had been a regular first-team starter under former Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.
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