Young MU player openly challenges Coach Amorim

Manchester United is experiencing a period of instability both on the field and inside the club, with recent remarks from Coach Ruben Amorim regarding the youth academy players causing a quiet stir.

The two most notable names are Harry Amass and Chido Obi, young talents who were given their first-team debut opportunities by Amorim himself.

The issue began at a press conference before the match against Bournemouth, when Amorim was asked why Kobbie Mainoo has not been utilized in the Premier League this season. Instead of focusing solely on Mainoo, the Portuguese coach expanded the topic to the overall quality of MU’s academy players. He stated that some youngsters currently do not meet the required standards and directly mentioned Amass and Obi, which surprised many.

Although MU later tried to clarify that Amorim’s comments were largely related to the circumstances of the clubs where the young players were loaned, the players’ reactions still showed dissatisfaction. Harry Amass posted a photo of receiving Sheffield Wednesday’s Player of the Month award on his Instagram, as a way to assert his abilities. Notably, this post was quickly removed after just a few minutes.

Chido Obi acted similarly. The 18-year-old forward shared a celebration photo of a goal scored for MU’s U21 team, a response seen as a direct reply to the claim that he rarely starts. Obi temporarily removing Manchester United-related information from his profile further fueled speculation that there is a rift developing between the young player and the head coach.

In fact, Obi is currently joint top scorer for MU’s U21 team this season, while Amass has started four Premier League games out of seven appearances for the first team. Both are regarded as promising talents from the Carrington academy. Therefore, Amorim’s public assessment of the academy has left many within the youth setup confused.

Since taking over at MU, Amorim has shown little enthusiasm for using young players. Besides Amass, Obi, and Tyler Fredricson, very few academy products have been given playing time. Names like Shea Lacey and Jack Fletcher often appear on the squad list but have yet to make an appearance.

Kobbie Mainoo is the most controversial case. Despite being expected to become a future key player, the 20-year-old midfielder has not started any Premier League matches this season. His loan refusal during the summer has led many MU legends such as Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes, and Nicky Butt to express concern about the club’s approach to developing young talent.

As MU continues to struggle to regain its identity, the issue of how young players are treated has become a hot topic, raising serious questions about the future of the academy once considered a source of pride for Old Trafford.