Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has revealed he took a bit of a risk deploying Kobbie Mainoo in Manchester United’s 4-0 victory over Everton in the Premier League. Mainoo put in a brave shift against the Toffees, but will not be available in the midweek clash against Arsenal due to an accumulation of cards.
Manchester United Manager Ruben Amorim Says Rotation is Key
Amorim took charge of Manchester United for the third time as they locked horns with Everton on Matchday 13 of the 2024-25 Premier League season on Sunday, December 2. The Red Devils produced a stunning performance and came away with a thumping 4-0 victory, with Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee chipping in with a brace each. The Man of the Match award, meanwhile, went to Amad Diallo, as he chipped in with two fine assists.
Amorim welcomed 19-year-old midfielder Mainoo to the starting XI after he only made the bench in the matches against Ipswich Town and Bodo/Glimt. He put in a commanding shift over 80 minutes but ended up picking a yellow card, meaning he will not be available for the crucial clash with Arsenal on December 4.
After the win over Everton, Amorim said he took a risk fielding Mainoo as he was only supposed to play for 60 minutes.
The Portuguese tactician stated:
“We start this job now and have a lot of games. We are changing some details in training.
“The games, the way we play is different, sometimes we have more pressure and cover more distance running. We have a lot of players returning from injury. Kobbie Mainoo was a little bit of a risk because he was supposed to play just 60 minutes.”
Amorim Happy With Man Utd Performance
Manchester United looked on song throughout the game against Everton. They passed accurately, pressed with intent, and took their chances, making Amorim a happy man.
Analyzing his team’s performance, the former Sporting CP manager said (via Manchester United’s official outlet):
“They are smart players and we try to help them. We have to tell them sometimes when to start the pressure, so everybody has the same mentality this is the right moment. We tried that for every game.
“You could see, after 15 minutes, Everton changed position and [Idrissa] Gueye was nearer the line of the centre-backs. It was difficult for us to cope with that because we’ve not had training and you cannot adapt like that. We are trying and the players are believing that, in the right moments, you can press and win the ball.”
With the win over Everton, Manchester United has climbed to ninth place in the Premier League rankings. They now sit four points behind fourth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion.