Neville Blasts Amorim's Mainoo Snub as Biggest Blunder at United

Gary Neville has delivered a damning verdict on Ruben Amorim's tenure at Manchester United, singling out one glaring tactical error that continues to haunt the club's hierarchy.

The former United right-back believes benching Kobbie Mainoo represented the "worst decision" Amorim made during his 14-month reign at Old Trafford, a period that ended with the Portuguese coach's sacking and Michael Carrick stepping in as interim manager.

The turnaround since Carrick's appointment has been striking. United have won four and drawn one of their opening five matches, climbing into the Premier League's top four in the process. Mainoo has started every single one of those fixtures—a sharp contrast to his treatment under Amorim, when the England international found himself benched for every other league outing.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Neville was forthright in his assessment: "Kobbie Mainoo didn't even get a chance under Ruben really. If you think about it now and look at Mainoo in this team, that looks like the worst decision Ruben Amorim made."

This marks the latest chapter in Neville's ongoing criticism of how Amorim handled the academy graduate. The pundit previously condemned the manager's approach as publicly damaging, recalling Amorim's opening gambit that forced a choice between Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes.

"I never liked the handling of Mainoo," Neville said last month. "When he said at the start of the season that it was him or Bruno, I never agreed with that. It killed Kobbie Mainoo. It killed him publicly. And then he never put him in the team at all, apart from against Grimsby in the cup."

The midfielder's rehabilitation under Carrick exemplifies the shift in United's fortunes, with a refreshed midfield providing the platform for the club's resurgence.

Meanwhile, former United chief scout Mick Brown has launched a scathing attack on Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS's stewardship of the club. Brown told Football Insider that Ratcliffe's recent comments about Britain being "colonised by immigrants" represent a fundamental betrayal of United's values.

"I've made my feelings on the hierarchy at Man United clear," Brown said. "Since then, I've seen no evidence to make me change my mind, and I can't think of a decision or statement they've made which has been positive for the club."

Brown's grievances extend beyond the controversial remarks. He pointed to staff redundancies, ticket price hikes, and the apparent contradiction between claiming financial necessity for such measures whilst simultaneously investing hundreds of millions in player acquisitions.

"INEOS have destroyed everything Man United stands for," Brown insisted. "It's not just these comments, it's the decision to sack hundreds of staff, to raise ticket prices and all of that. Ratcliffe said the club could have gone bust without those decisions, while at the same time spending hundreds of millions on players. This one is nothing short of a disgrace."

Brown concluded with a pointed observation about where responsibility truly lies for United's troubles: "The players and staff are trying their best to get Man United back to the top. I cannot say the same for INEOS."