Giving the youth a chance wasn’t Ruben Amorim’s strongest suit at Man Utd, but he still identified Godwill Kukonki as one of his first favourites in the academy.
As it turned out, Godwill Kukonki remained just an initial hype that saw Man Utd fans get carried away, as Ruben Amorim’s trust in Kukonki never led to an actual debut.
Kukonki trained with the first team many times, even travelled with the squad for marquee games like at Man City, but never quite made the final step under Amorim.
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After his latest exploits in the FA Youth Cup win against Oxford United, it’s clear that Amorim was right about Kukonki, but not giving him a chance exposed a fundamental flaw in his management.
Part I – Ruben Amorim vindicated by Godwill Kukonki
Amorim came with a fine reputation as a champion of youth talent from his time at Sporting, where his list of debutants was a list of superstars.
Therefore, when he came to Old Trafford and immediately took a very public liking to Kukonki, the excitement was palpable.
Not only was Kukonki plucked out of nowhere, but he was also given public praise by Amorim, and the youngster became somewhat of a template for others at the academy.
Amorim clearly saw something in the raw physical tools Kukonki had, as there aren’t many quality players who are also 6’5″, left-footed, and can play multiple positions in defence.
On paper, he was the quintessential Amorim project, as he had nurtured players like Nuno Mendes, Goncalo Inacio, and Geovany Quenda.
In an ideal world, Amorim follows through on his praise for Kukonki, he skips U21s football entirely, and makes a splash in the senior team.
However, despite having nothing to play for in the Premier League for nearly half of the season, that debut never came.
That stance exposes Amorim, even if Kukonki’s transformation vindicates him to an extent.
Part II – Kukonki transformation exposes Amorim
Such was the whiplash in Kukonki’s prospects that he went from being on the cusp of a first-team debut to struggling at the U18s level.
However, he took those struggles in his stride, and recently put on “one of the best outings” of his short career in Man Utd’s FA Youth Cup win against Oxford.
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That speaks volumes about his mentality, as he used those struggles as a springboard to propel himself to a new level this season.
Playing as a left-back, Kukonki has added a final-third threat to his game, which is a nightmare prospect for defenders against a 6’5″ full-back.
His history of playing as a centre-back already makes him adept at reading the defensive side of the game, so he is effectively on the road to becoming a complete player.
It exposes Amorim because all this could have happened had he nurtured Kukonki the same way he did players at Sporting.
The raw physical tools can’t be taught, and Kukonki’s form this season shows the quality is there as well. The mentality wasn’t a question since Amorim praised it himself.
Ultimately, zero chances for Kukonki sum up why Amorim was bound to be a failure at Old Trafford. He didn’t have the courage to give chances to youngsters, and there was no success to boot.
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