Ruben Amorim kicked off his AC Milan reign with a 2-2 draw at Celtic, and probably enraged Kobbie Mainoo again after the game.
There will be special focus among Man Utd fans on Italian football this summer after Ruben Amorim took the AC Milan job.
The reaction is already feverish after Amorim’s debut against Celtic in a 2-2 draw, and his comments after the game won’t help.
He has already deviated from his philosophy at his new job with comments that would enrage Kobbie Mainoo.
Is Ruben Amorim not playing Kobbie Mainoo the worst decision you can remember from a recent Man Utd manager?
Ruben Amorim comments after AC Milan managerial debut
There must be some handbrakes applied on how much one can learn from a pre-season game, especially from the first one under a new manager.
However, Amorim has always been someone who has been very clear about his philosophy and ideas, sometimes to his own detriment!
After the 2-2 draw against Celtic, where his team came back from 2-0 down, Amorim stressed the long road ahead, but made it clear what he wants from his side.
He said: “I wanted more ball possession today, but it takes time. We tried to keep the ball, and we struggled a bit because we tried to press all over the pitch. We’ll be physically better going forward, and we’ll also understand this pressing concept.
“The team hasn’t fully grasped the idea yet, but I could feel it during the match. We needed more possession throughout the match, but it’s tough these days, and it’ll take some time.”
Unlike at United, where he said these things after a pre-season and more than a year at the club, it makes sense at Milan.
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The team undoubtedly has a long way to go, but Amorim has immediately changed his tune on what he wants from his team, and that would have Kobbie Mainoo fuming.
Kobbie Mainoo would be fuming with Amorim’s comments
It’s ironic that Amorim wants more possession and control from AC Milan after preaching a high-intensity, vertical, second-ball-reliant style at Old Trafford for 14 months.
If Elliot Anderson is £125m… What is Kobbie Mainoo’s market value right now?
Not that he's going anywhere…🔒
The biggest victim of that template was Mainoo, who was discarded by Amorim for his slick and technical style, as he wanted the ball played forward quicker and longer.
Amorim admitted as much during his time as Man Utd manager, saying how Mainoo tends to slow the game down instead of ramping it up further.
It’s why Bruno Fernandes’ grenade balls from deep were favoured by Amorim, even if it meant taking United’s best creator away from the goal.
Had Amorim wanted more controlled possession at United, Mainoo would become the no-brainer choice for a deeper midfield role for his press-resistance, close control, and ball-carrying.
As it stands, Mainoo was almost sacrificed at the altar of an outdated style, one which Amorim himself has discarded at his next job.
Nobody can blame the player for being enraged after reading Amorim’s comments now!
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