Manchester United's head coach, Ruben Amorim, has launched a strong critique against what he perceives as a damaging culture of 'entitlement' at the club. This criticism comes in response to social media activity from two of the club's young academy talents.
Social Media Posts Spark Manager's Ire
The Portuguese manager specifically pointed to now-deleted Instagram story posts from 18-year-olds Harry Amass and Chido Obi. Amass, who is currently on loan at Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, posted a photo of himself holding the club's Player of the Month award for November. Obi shared a celebratory image from a Manchester United Under-21s match against Manchester City back in August.
Amorim had previously commented that Amass was 'struggling' at the bottom-placed Championship club and noted that Obi was not a consistent starter for the U21s. The young players' posts were seen as a subtle response to the manager's public assessments.
A Call for Cultural Change at Old Trafford
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday, ahead of United's Premier League clash with Aston Villa, Amorim defended his direct approach. 'I think it's a little bit the feeling of entitlement that we have in our club,' he stated when asked about the posts.
He elaborated on the need for a shift in mindset, emphasizing that constant praise is not beneficial. 'Sometimes strong words are not bad words. Sometimes difficult moments are not bad things for the kids. We don't need to be always with accolades in everything,' Amorim explained.
The manager expressed concern that both players and the club itself have lost sight of the standards required. 'The players sometimes forget about what it means to play for Manchester United. We as a club sometimes forget who we are,' he lamented. He also noted that despite his open-door policy, the affected players had not sought direct dialogue to resolve the issue.
Mainoo's Situation Addressed Amidst Selection Headaches
Amorim also faced questions about midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, whose half-brother was seen wearing a 'Free Kobbie Mainoo' T-shirt this week. The 20-year-old England international is yet to start a Premier League game this season.
The United boss was clear that external pressure would not influence his selection. 'It was not Kobbie who wore the T-shirt. He is not going to start because of the T-shirt but he is not going to the bench because of the T-shirt,' Amorim asserted. He confirmed Mainoo would play based solely on merit.
The team faces Aston Villa on Sunday while dealing with several absences. Casemiro is suspended, while Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire remain injured. Furthermore, Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo are all away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.
