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Rio Ferdinand immediately noticed something different about Kobbie Mainoo under Michael Carrick after the Manchester United and England midfielder’s struggles under Ruben Amorim.
Kobbie Mainoo had been left fighting for a regular place in the Manchester United first-team squad during Ruben Amorim’s reign in the 2025-26 campaign.
The 20-year-old Red Devils talent had been reduced to 12 Premier League appearances under former United manager Ruben Amorim this season.
Amorim had opted to drop Bruno Fernandes into the two-man midfield pivot alongside Casemiro, which left Mainoo tumbling down the pecking order.
However, Amorim’s sacking at Man Utd earlier this month paved the way for Michael Carrick to hand England midfielder Mainoo a fresh start at Old Trafford.
What Rio Ferdinand spotted about Kobbie Mainoo under Michael Carrick and why it was different to Ruben Amorim’s approach
Kobbie Mainoo missed the last four matches of Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United managerial reign before the 40-year-old Portuguese head coach was axed.
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The Three Lions international made his return from a calf injury under Man Utd caretaker manager Darren Fletcher for the matches against Burnley and Brighton.
Michael Carrick, who was appointed United interim head coach last week, handed Mainoo his first Premier League start of the 2025-26 campaign on Saturday.
Speaking after Man Utd’s 2-0 win over Manchester City at Old Trafford, Rio Ferdinand explained why Mainoo was much more effective under Carrick compared with Amorim.
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He asked on Rio Ferdinand Presents: “But you’ve got to think about Amorim and you look back, did he misread a lot of players or was his system not right for certain players?”
Ferdinand continued: “Because you look at Kobbie Mainoo, who comes into the team, and you’re sitting there going, ‘How is this kid not playing?’
“Everybody’s been saying it. Why is he not playing? The system didn’t suit him. That is not an excuse for a player or a slight on a player.
“Sometimes there are systems that aren’t going to suit certain individuals and Kobbie Mainoo… the big difference with this formation that Carrick played to the one that Amorim played is the spaces.”
Rio Ferdinand on Man Utd’s set-up under Michael Carrick after Kobbie Mainoo’s performance vs Man City
Mainoo was deployed in the midfield pivot of Carrick’s 4-2-3-1 formation alongside Casemiro and the Stockport-born midfielder produced a steady performance overall.
Ferdinand insisted that Man Utd’s performance against Manchester City showed that the Red Devils were less vulnerable in the midfield compared with Amorim’s set-up.
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“Space around those players in the midfield area,” he continued.
“[…] [The] 4-4-2 [formation] when Man Utd didn’t have the ball made us so much more connected, especially in that middle area. [Patrick] Dorgu’s dropping in, coming in tighter alongside the midfield.
“You’ve got Bruno [Fernandes] in front of that as the [No] 10, still condensing areas at times.
“And Amad [Diallo] at times, he might have dropped in not as much, but it means that two midfielders ain’t being left on their own, isolated, with big, big, big ground around them to cover and spaces for opposition No 10s, especially to get in and around. It was a big difference for us.”
Mainoo’s performance caught the eye of Man Utd fans after the England international completed the full 90 minutes against Man City at Old Trafford.
