Kobbie Mainoo will go down as Ruben Amorim’s biggest regret, but this season is proving that his handling of Jack Fletcher was a bigger mistake.
Man Utd’s U21s won their league playoff against Sunderland to continue a successful season for the side.
Chido Obi was on the scoresheet again with a fine finish in the first half, the pick of the goals, but it also settled something else.
It’s that Kobbie Mainoo wasn’t even Amorim’s biggest mistake, because Jack Fletcher proved vs Sunderland that the Portuguese manager almost destroyed him.
Next season Jack Fletcher will be…
What are your expectations for Fletcher next season?
Jack Fletcher shows his class in natural position
Fletcher was among the few youngsters who managed to debut under Amorim and actually retained his backing, but it came at a cost.
He largely struggled in his cameos for the first team and invited unnecessary abuse, but he wasn’t even deserving of it.
Not just because he was a youngster making his way in a troubled team, but because Amorim was doing with him what he was doing with many other players.
Naturally a No. 10, Fletcher was stationed as a deeper midfielder, where his defensive anticipation was exposed in the Premier League.
He showed against Sunderland U21s in the playoff victory that he comes alive in the box, netting an opportunistic goal in the first half after the ball bobbled around in the box.
The way he found a gap to guide the ball through a sea of players standing on the goal lines proved he’s a natural attacker.
As he did with Bruno Fernandes, Amorim misprofiled Fletcher. It shackled Fernandes, but he survived because he’s elite.
However, Fletcher’s United career was almost thrown to the wolves due to Amorim’s error in judgement.
Fletcher is rebuilding himself ahead of crucial season
Fletcher will thank Amorim for giving him his first-team debut, because that manager is always special, but the gratefulness will end there.
What position would Man Utd be in NOW if Ruben Amorim was still head coach?
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He’s now rebuilding his reputation for the U21s and showing what a class player he can be when played in his ideal position.
He faces a crucial season in 2026/27 because he’s certain to be a huge part of the pre-season squad.
The World Cup will ensure many senior players will be missing for the first part of the pre-season, giving a chance for fringe youngsters like Fletcher to make a mark.
A starring pre-season or just a good one could be the difference between Fletcher staying at the club as a potential squad option or going on loan, where anything can happen.
No matter what happens, however, one thing United need to ensure is that he’s never played as a defensive midfielder again.
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