Kobbie Mainoo has been described as “in a good place” by caretaker boss Darren Fletcher as Manchester United prepare for life after Ruben Amorim. Fletcher said Mainoo has been calm around the squad and that a run in the team could be close.

Things became difficult for Mainoo earlier in the season. He requested to leave the club on loan in the summer and was thought to be pushing for a temporary exit this month, only for Amorim to insist he should remain as valuable backup to Bruno Fernandes. With Amorim gone, Mainoo is thought to be in higher spirits behind the scenes.

“He seems in a good place,” Fletcher explained. “Kobbie doesn’t give you much, so you wouldn’t know if he was in a good place or not so good. He’s like that. That’s his natural way.

“But I know him well and I’ve known him for a long time. I’ve seen him around throughout the season and I’ve had conversations with him in general, but he’s in a good place.

“I know Kobbie and I think he knows me and he knows [interim first-team coach] Travis Binnion, so he’s comfortable with his environment, he’s in a good place, he’s trained well.”

Mainoo’s future at Old Trafford is expected to be one of the first matters for United’s interim manager. Former players Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Michael Carrick and Ruud van Nistelrooy are all thought to be under consideration for a role that would buy the club time as they search for a permanent replacement to Amorim.

Fletcher will take charge of Sunday’s FA Cup third-round game against Brighton & Hove Albion, a match that could hand Mainoo just a second start of the season after the infamous Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town.

“I think we’ve had good success in the competition in recent years—won it a couple years ago, lost in a final,” Fletcher continued. “It’s an amazing competition. It’s the first trophy that I won as a player. It’s a special tournament.

“With the season so far—not in Europe, out of the League Cup, Premier League obviously—the FA Cup’s a trophy that we should be vying to win and giving ourselves every opportunity to win.”

Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, Manchester United have appointed a succession of permanent managers with mixed results. None have matched the sustained success of his era, and even the brief high points came with damaging lows.

Ruben Amorim
Games Managed: 63 Win Percentage: 39.68% Trophies Won: 0
A win rate just below 40 percent, the club’s lowest-ever Premier League finish and no trophies in a 14-month spell define Amorim’s time at Old Trafford. Tactical inflexibility and an outspoken approach meant early sympathy for the coach faded as results and performances deteriorated. His tenure is described plainly in the record: a complete and utter disaster.

David Moyes
Games Managed: 51 Win Percentage: 50.98% Trophies Won: 1
‘The Chosen One’ was less Anakin Skywalker and more Jar Jar Binks as David Moyes failed to even see out his debut season as Ferguson’s immediate successor. Moyes did lift the Community Shield over Wigan Athletic, but a poor Premier League campaign and cup defeats to Sunderland and Swansea City led to his dismissal before season’s end. Ryan Giggs finished the 2013–14 season as interim manager as United ended in seventh, their lowest top-flight placing at that time.

Erik ten Hag
Games Managed: 128 Win Percentage: 56.25% Trophies Won: 2
Ten Hag delivered the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, the second-best trophy haul among post-Ferguson managers. Early signs were positive with a third-place finish and two domestic finals, but a dramatic fall in form followed. An eighth-place league finish and poor European results preceded his exit a few months into the 2024–25 season.

Louis van Gaal
Games Managed: 103 Win Percentage: 52.43% Trophies Won: 1
Van Gaal recovered from a poor start to clinch fourth and return United to the Champions League, and later won the FA Cup after a season of mixed domestic and European results. European failures and domestic inconsistency, including a heavy League Cup defeat to MK Dons, ultimately cost him his job.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Games Managed: 168 Win Percentage: 54.76% Trophies Won: 0
Solskjær produced memorable nights: a comeback at Paris Saint-Germain, big wins over Manchester City and a 9–0 victory over Southampton. Yet, despite the good atmosphere and some iconic moments, no silverware arrived and United moved on.

The majority of Manchester United players issued public messages of thanks after the club sacked Ruben Amorim, reflecting broadly positive private relationships between the coach and members of the squad during his 14 months in charge.

“Thank you, Mister,” Bruno Fernandes posted as an Instagram story written in Portuguese. “Wish you and your technical staff all the best.” Amorim had strong individual relationships with several players and had publicly expressed hope that Harry Maguire would sign a new contract. Maguire wrote, “Thank you for everything, boss,” he said. “I wish you all the best in the future.” Matthijs de Ligt shared a very similar message wishing the best of luck.

Amad Diallo, who had been largely frozen out by Erik ten Hag prior to the last managerial switch in 2025 and whose United career was transformed under Amorim, wrote, “Good luck, my coach. Thank you for everything, I wish you all the best.” Joshua Zirkzee posted, “All the best for the future, boss.” Mason Mount said, “Thank you, Gaffer. All the best to you and your staff for the future.” New signings also left positive notes. Matheus Cunha wrote, “Thank you, Mister, for everything. May God bless you and your family always. I wish you success in the next steps.” Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško both thanked Amorim for “everything.”

Regular starters also sent thanks. Luke Shaw posted, “Thank you for everything and wishing you the best of luck with whatever the future holds, Gaffer.” Diogo Dalot said, “Thank you for everything, Mister. And good luck in the future.” Young defender Ayden Heaven, who had been given a large platform by Amorim, wrote, “Thank you for the opportunity to play, boss. All the best.” Leny Yoro added, “Thank you, coach, for everything. All the best for what’s next.”

Not every player has posted public messages. At the time of writing there has been nothing public from Kobbie Mainoo, Lisandro Martínez, Manuel Ugarte or Casemiro. The silence from Mainoo follows a difficult spell under Amorim that included no Premier League starts through the first half of 2025–26 and requests to leave the club. Martínez had limited minutes because of injury and has been linked to a training ground confrontation after feeling snubbed. Amorim arrived in 2024 and was initially seen as the boost Ugarte needed, but Ugarte was allegedly singled out for criticism after last season’s Europa League final and was largely a backup in recent months.