Manchester United legend Teddy Sheringham is baffled by the situation surrounding one first-team player at Old Trafford under Red Devils head coach Ruben Amorim.
Ruben Amorim faces a huge test in his reign as Manchester United manager when the Red Devils host Sunderland at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.
The 40-year-old Portuguese coach has seen the criticism around his managerial approach reignite once again after United’s defeat to Brentford last Saturday.
Brentford hosted United in the Premier League for the clash at the Gtech Community Stadium and the Bees comfortably picked up all three Premier League points.
United’s 3-1 loss on the weekend was the Red Devils’ third Premier League defeat in the first six league matches of the 2025-26 campaign under manager Amorim.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty ImagesTeddy Sheringham asked if one Premier League club would suit Man Utd and England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo
The scrutiny on Ruben Amorim has extended to the Manchester United manager’s handling of Kobbie Mainoo, who has fallen out of the Red Devils’ starting XI.
Amorim has dropped Bruno Fernandes into a deeper midfield role and often prefers to deploy Casemiro alongside him in the two-man pivot in his system.
Mainoo has been starved of United first-team minutes at Old Trafford this season, with the Red Devils midfielder not starting a single Premier League match so far.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Teddy Sheringham was asked if the 20-year-old Stockport-born player is the type of signing that Leeds United should target.
“Yes – without a doubt,” he told the newspaper.
“Not even six months ago, he was in the England set-up and people were raving about him. He can’t be that bad a player.
“He just needs someone who loves the way he plays. This game is all opinions and just because Amorim doesn’t fancy him, it doesn’t mean to say [Daniel] Farke won’t get the best out of him.”
Man Utd treble winner Teddy Sheringham reveals how a team can ‘unlock’ the full potential of Three Lions midfielder Kobbie Mainoo
All four of Kobbie Mainoo’s Premier League appearances have come from the bench this season and the England star has not scored or assisted in the league so far.
The United youth academy product’s only start for the Red Devils came in the second-round Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town at Blundell Park in August.
Mainoo had reportedly asked to leave United in the summer on loan in a bid to secure first-team minutes, but the club turned down the England ace’s request.
Sheringham has now suggested that Mainoo could be sparked back to life by simply finding a team’s midfield that “accommodates” the United and Three Lions star.
“Put an arm around him and tell him how good he is, team him up with someone in midfield who accommodates him and all of a sudden, you’ve got a player back on your hands,” he added.
Mainoo missed out on England’s World Cup qualifiers during the September break after Thomas Tuchel snubbed the United talent for his Three Lions squad.