December 4th 2025.
After Manchester United's 1-1 draw with West Ham, coach Ruben Amorim revealed that he felt he lacked attacking options on the bench. He stood by his decision to leave Kobbie Mainoo as a substitute during the match, which saw Diogo Dalot score for United before Soungoutou Magassa equalised for West Ham in the final minutes.
Amorim had already used all five of his substitutions, bringing on Leny Yoro, Patrick Dorgu, Manuel Ugarte, Mason Mount, and Lisandro Martinez for Ayden Heaven, Dalot, Matheus Cunha, Joshua Zirkzee, and Luke Shaw respectively. This left Mainoo, who has not started a game since August, as an unused substitute for the fourth time this season in the Premier League.
When questioned about his conservative substitutions after the draw, Amorim defended his choices, stating that it was not a matter of having more men in the offense, but rather winning the crucial second balls. He laughed off the suggestion of bringing on Mainoo, explaining that he was worried about the pace of West Ham's Bryan Mbeumo and wanted to maintain a strong defensive presence.
Amorim also expressed his concern over United's inability to hold onto leads in games, referencing their recent 3-0 win against Brighton where they almost let their lead slip. He acknowledged the team's inconsistency and the need for improvement in this area.
The draw leaves United in eighth place in the Premier League standings, two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea. Despite the disappointing result, fans can stay updated on all things football by signing up for Metro's football newsletter, which offers punchy analysis, transfer talk, and more straight to their inbox.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
