What was Ruben Amorim's worst decision at MU?

Gary Neville thinks Ruben Amorim made wrong calls throughout his frustrating period as Manchester United’s manager, and one of those decisions led to significant fallout.

Overall, Gary Neville agrees with the decision to part ways with Ruben Amorim at Manchester United, stating that the club had no other option after Amorim began criticizing the leadership and the team continued to show an unconvincing performance. The Portuguese coach put pressure on the board in his final days before leaving, but according to Neville, his biggest mistake was how he treated Kobbie Mainoo.

Mainoo was once considered one of the brightest talents at Old Trafford after a breakout season under Erik ten Hag and impressive performances with England – the Euro 2024 runners-up. However, the midfielder gradually lost his place when MU changed managers. Amorim even stated that Mainoo had to compete directly with the influential captain Bruno Fernandes for a spot on the team.

Mainoo requested a loan move away from MU last summer and was reportedly looking to leave again in January before Amorim was dismissed. The 20-year-old became one of the biggest beneficiaries after Amorim's departure, starting most games for MU since January 5th. He has even been one of the standout performers for the Red Devils over the past month, which further questions Amorim's judgment.

“Kobbie Mainoo was hardly given a real chance under Ruben,” Neville said on the Stick to Football podcast. “Seeing Mainoo in the current lineup, it seems like the worst decision Ruben Amorim ever made.”

This is not the first time Neville has criticized Amorim’s handling of Mainoo. Previously, he accused Amorim of “ruining” the academy-developed midfielder.

“I have to admit I never liked how they handled Mainoo,” Neville said in January. “We’ve talked a lot about that on the show. I never agreed with their approach.

“When Amorim said early in the season that it was either Mainoo or Bruno, I never agreed with that. It destroyed Kobbie Mainoo. Then he barely included him in the squad, except for the Carabao Cup match against Grimsby,” the MU legend added..

Amorim, 41, was sacked by MU in January after 14 months in charge. The Portuguese coach arrived at Old Trafford with a strong reputation, having won two domestic titles with Sporting. However, most of his tenure at MU was seen as “underwhelming,” with the team finishing 15th in last season’s Premier League.

Still, Amorim led the Red Devils to the Europa League final, but their unimpressive run ended in a lackluster defeat to rivals Tottenham. This season, MU showed signs of improvement under Amorim, but at the time of his dismissal, they were still outside the Champions League qualification spots.