Congratulations to Kobbie Mainoo’s brother for being the most embarrassing relative this Christmas
Sam Cooper Kobbie Mainoo has been told he needs to prove Ruben Amorim wrong
It is usually around this time of year that we are reminded of our embarrassing relatives, whether it’s your mum bringing up everything you’ve ever done/said/eaten over the Christmas dinner to your new partner, or that uncle who starts flirting with the much, much younger bar staff during a festive pint at the local boozer.
For Kobbie Mainoo, the relative embarrassing him this year is his half-brother.
Jordan Mainoo-Hames – who, as a former Love Island contestant is definitely famous in his own right and not just piggybacking off his younger brother’s success – was spotted at Old Trafford on Monday. I say spotted; Jordan did everything in his power to be seen.
With a wristband that almost certainly means he has access to the posh seats on one hand and a presumably expensive gold watch on the other, Jordan took himself to the very front row of Old Trafford, turned around, leaned on the advertising hoarding and with a rather smug look on his face, looked back at the crowd to reveal a T-shirt reading ‘FREE KOBBIE MAINOO’, a slogan that is usually reserved for trapped peace leaders or generally someone who actually deserves such sympathy.
The incarcerated man in question took up a familiar spot on the United bench for Monday’s barnburner against Bournemouth. He appeared just after the hour mark, replacing Casemiro, and went on to have 29 touches in the hockey-style game.
MORE ON UNITED ON F365 *?Amorim change brings glorious Man Utd chaos as Heaven nearly loses game Cunha failed to win *?Amorim plays down Man Utd transfer question as ‘awful’ stat emerges after Bournemouth draw *?‘Got to be stronger’ – Neville slams Man Utd star in stunning Bournemouth draw
The Bournemouth match was apparently the last straw for the Mainoo family. The player has started just one game this season, the club’s embarrassing FA Cup exit at the hands of Grimsby, and has been using every avenue possible to put pressure on the manager to play him or sell him. Media briefings suggest he wants a permanent exit but his status as an academy product with a high potential ability ceiling means United are unwilling to sanction anything more than a loan.
We don’t know how much Mainoo himself had to do with his brother’s ‘protest’ or why Jordan felt now was the time to make a stand for the man on £20,000 a week, but it all seems rather unnecessary.
His early breakthrough makes it easy to forget that he is only 20. For comparison, when Phil Foden was the same age, he made 28 league appearances. Mainoo looks likely to reach that same figure this year.
Mainoo’s case is not helped by the fact that two of United’s best performers this year have been their central midfielders: Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro. Fernandes, as club captain and still the team’s best creator even in a more reserved role, was never going to be dropped, while Casemiro’s form has picked up this year. Jordan’s heart must have sunk when both of them netted against Bournemouth. Or maybe it soared because this was his moment.
Jordan’s PR stunt is particularly poorly timed as is it came at the final game before a number of United’s first-team regulars depart for AFCON. Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui will all leave for the tournament and while not necessarily direct competition for Mainoo, it will likely mean an increase in playing time as Ruben Amorim is forced to use more of his squad.
The final issue, and perhaps most important one, for Mainoo is that he has not been all that good when called upon. Sure, a few minutes here and there is hardly an ideal way to build into a rhythm, but if he was coming on and producing game-changing moments as Foden did, his place on the bench would be a lot harder for Amorim to maintain. Instead, Mainoo has played 212 minutes, made zero assists and scored zero goals.
Manchester United is a club that seems to attract more – for lack of a better term – nonsense than others. Which other Premier League manager can be expected to answer questions about a player’s brother in open revolt one minute and then their thoughts on a man growing his hair until they win five games in a row?
As with any tantrum, you have to wonder what they thought the outcome of all this would be? Did Jordan think that when he unveiled the shirt, the Old Trafford crowd would say ‘do you know what? Forget that we are having our best season for a number of years and that our highly-rated young manager looks to have finally found a way to win games, let’s disrupt the team by chanting the name of a player who is on the bench.’
Or did Jordan think the Stretford End would suddenly burst into such rapturous chanting for Mainoo that Amorim would change his team-sheet before the game. Maybe he hoped he would be captain.
In the end, the actual result is another stick for certain sections of the media to beat Amorim with. Instead of ‘why were you not able to beat Bournemouth?’, it becomes ‘why were you not able to beat Bournemouth and do you think benching the future of English football is clever?’
Have sympathy for the United press officer who presumably had to approach Amorim on Tuesday morning and say ‘Morning boss. Umm have you ever heard of Love Island?’ before explaining the whole sorry affair.
READ NEXT:?Ten daft reasons why this Premier League season is already great and could be the best ever
Manchester United Kobbie Mainoo
Related Articles
Sarah Winterburn
Who will be Spurs manager next season? Top target clear as Tudor exit confirmed
Igor Tudor has left Spurs. There might be another interim coming in to oversee relegation, so the real question is who’s in charge next season?
F365 Features Mauricio Pochettino Ian Watson
Spurs ahead of Arsenal but Man Utd still the most capped Premier League club
Man Utd players have been out of favour recently with England but the Red Devils have over 200 caps more than any other Premier League club…
F365 Features Popular Editor F365
Carrick in or out? Man Utd would be stupid to rush manager decision
Why is anyone urging Manchester United to rush their manager decision? It’s hardly as though Michael Carrick would consider other options…
Mailbox Michael Carrick James Wiles
The best F-ing England team ever features Rio Ferdinand and…
A FIFA fighter, fifties throwbacks and a fantastic nineties frontline. It’s the England F-Team and it features a couple of Ferdinands.
F365 Features Phil Foden Dave Tickner
World Cup records that could be broken in 2026 as Messi, Mbappe and Ronaldo chase more history
As the World Cup in 2026 looms, we look at the records destined to fall in North America as 48 teams gather for an extravaganza.
F365 Features Popular Editor F365
Arsenal face summer ‘transfer conundrum’ as Mo Salah ‘dream club’ revealed
Arsenal have a ‘lost’ talisman and a ‘transfer conundrum’ while Mo Salah’s ‘dream club’ is revealed either nine or three years too late.
Mediawatch Mohamed Salah
Latest Football News
Tottenham player-manager one of seven interim ‘options’ to replace Igor Tudor
Ben Davies Harry Redknapp
Tottenham next manager timeframe revealed after Tudor exit as ‘Spurs man’ backed
Igor Tudor
Tottenham confirm Igor Tudor exit and tease ‘new Head Coach’
Igor Tudor Roberto De Zerbi
‘Not Harvard English’ – Toni Kroos confused by Geordie accent as brother Felix hails Newcastle ‘summer’
Toni Kroos
Hungary manager hits out at Arne Slot ‘nonsense’ after telling Liverpool boss ‘not to interfere’
Arne Slot Mailbox
Man Utd ‘in purgatory’ under Carrick as Klopp ‘logic’ dispels top replacement doubts
Michael Carrick
Carrick in or out? Man Utd would be stupid to rush manager decision
Michael Carrick Popular
Rashford, Foden, Gordon to Liverpool proposed as Salah debate rages on
Mohamed Salah Popular
Mo Salah is no Luis Suarez; the Liverpool fan verdict is in
Mohamed Salah Popular Premier League Table Full Table
#
TEAM
P
W
D
L
GD
PTS
View More
Mediawatch
Arsenal star ‘called out’ as Spurs handed ‘huge boost’ and World Cup ‘nightmare’ emerges
Viktor Gyokeres
Arsenal face summer ‘transfer conundrum’ as Mo Salah ‘dream club’ revealed
Mohamed Salah Popular
Salah exit prompts ‘genuine concern’ about Premier League as two Liverpool mysteries solved
Mo Salah Popular
Arsenal season starting to unravel as ‘injury crisis’ hits at ‘worst possible time’
Copyright Notice: The content of this article is contributed by Internet users. The views only represent the author. This site only provides information storage services and does not own ownership or bear relevant legal responsibilities. If you find any suspected infringement or illegal content, please contact us. We will delete it immediately after verification.