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kobi menu‘s brother wore a T-shirt displaying the message ‘Free Kobi Manu’ to Old Trafford Manchester UnitedThe 4-4 draw with Bournemouth is a clear message to the head coach Reuben Amorim Amid uncertainty over the player’s future.
Manu has struggled for game time under Amorim and is yet to start a match in the Premier League this season After the midfielder’s loan request was rejected in August,
The 20-year-old academy product, who scored the winning goal for United in the 2024 FA Cup final and started for England in the Euro 2024 final, was loudly cheered on the pitch when Amorim brought him on as a second-half substitute on Monday night.
And United fans were not alone in believing that Manu has been under-utilized by Amorim this season. Manu’s older brother and TV personality Jordan Manu-Haims, who appeared as a contestant on Love Island in 2019, unveiled the T-shirt during the match and later posted the photo on his Instagram Story.
Amorim was not asked about the incident after the 4-4 draw but the nature of the pre-planned stunt is likely to have angered the Portuguese, who has acknowledged criticism from United great Paul Scholes over not playing the academy product more, but said on Friday that “frustration doesn’t help anyone”.
Manu could ask to leave his boyhood club in January in search of game time, which will be vital if he forces his way into Thomas Tuchel’s England plans ahead of next summer’s World Cup.
“First of all, I say the same thing: The team comes first,” Amorim said when asked Friday. If he approves the January loan offer If a 20 year old youth comes to meet him,
“If Kobe comes to me and talks to me, I’ll talk to him. I’m not going to say what I’m going to say to Kobe, but if Kobe is coming to talk to me about it I’d be really happy.
“I just want to make my players happy, and I understand everyone has their own goals. Frustration doesn’t help anyone, but again, the focus is on this game and we’ll see if that happens.”
The Manu T-shirt wasn’t the only United-related social media post on Monday, as a pair of teenagers reacted to Amorim’s pre-match press conference.
The Portuguese responded by saying that “(Harry) Amas is now struggling in the Championship” and that “Chido (Obi) is not always a starter under the age of 21”.
Amas is on loan at troubled Championship outfit Sheffield Wednesday and posted a photo of himself holding the club’s player of the month award for November along with a smiling emoji.
Obi also posted an Instagram story showing him celebrating a goal for the under-21s against Manchester City in August.
The 18-year-old youth later deleted the posts.
Includes reporting from PA