“They’re Rubbish”: Paul Scholes Furious at Manchester United as Icon Blasts Amorim for Benching Mainoo

Paul Scholes furious at Manchester United is becoming one of the loudest voices in the growing debate around Kobbie Mainoo’s future, as the 20-year-old continues to struggle for minutes under Ruben Amorim. The midfielder has played just 183 Premier League minutes this season, all from the bench, leaving club legends outraged and supporters confused about why one of the club’s brightest academy talents cannot get into a struggling side.

Mainoo has been part of Manchester United since the age of nine, rising through the youth system before breaking into the first team under Erik ten Hag. Last season, he scored the winner in the FA Cup final and then featured heavily for England at the Euros. Yet despite that progress, he has been pushed to the sidelines under Amorim, who has shown a firm hand with his squad by creating the now-famous “bomb squad” for players he does not want.

Scholes: Mainoo Is So Good He’s “Embarrassing Casemiro” in Training

In the latest episode of The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, the theme of Paul Scholes furious at Manchester United was unmistakable. The former midfielder could not hide his frustration as he argued that Mainoo is being wasted, overlooked and mishandled by Amorim.

“Ruben Amorim has said Kobbie Mainoo is a starter… but every appearance he’s made in the Premier League has been as a sub. Things like that wind me up,” Scholes said. He went further, suggesting Mainoo is performing at such a high level behind the scenes that established senior players are struggling to deal with him. “I bet he takes the p*** out of Casemiro every single day in training and is brilliant.”

Scholes labelled the situation “embarrassing”, especially when Casemiro is 33, nearing the final year of his contract, and cannot provide the long-term future United need in midfield. While Casemiro has been better this season, Scholes argued that performances in training should matter—especially if the team is “rubbish”, as he bluntly put it.

This was another moment showing Paul Scholes furious at Manchester United not only for poor results, but also for their treatment of homegrown talent.

Nicky Butt: “It’s a Joke… He Has to Leave for His Own Career”

Scholes was not alone. Former teammate Nicky Butt echoed the same anger, adding even more force to the criticism. Butt said he was left stunned after watching United’s 1-1 draw with West Ham, describing the game as “a terrible, boring show” while Mainoo remained unused on the bench.

In his own outburst showing frustration similar to Paul Scholes furious at Manchester United, Butt said: “The Kobbie one is an absolute joke. The player to bring on to change the game was Kobbie Mainoo – but he didn’t get on the pitch. He’ll be another homegrown player who leaves and becomes a superstar somewhere else.”

Butt pointed to a worrying pattern. Players like Scott McTominay, Anthony Elanga and Dean Henderson have left Old Trafford and thrived elsewhere. Butt fears Mainoo could follow the same path—only this time with even higher potential lost.

“If Mainoo was playing for another Premier League club, United go and buy him for £70m or £80m,” Butt said. “But now we’re going to sell him and he’ll be a superstar elsewhere.”

This further reinforced the headline-level theme: Paul Scholes furious at Manchester United for allowing a generational talent to slip away.

Chelsea Move Gathers Pace as Legends Advise Mainoo to Leave

The strongest comments were yet to come. Butt said that if he were advising Mainoo personally, he would tell him to leave immediately for the sake of his career. According to Butt, the midfielder has already “lost 18 months of development” and needs consistent playing time to grow.

He even warned that Chelsea could be the team to take advantage, describing the London club as a side assembling one of the youngest and most exciting squads in English football. Butt believes Mainoo would fit in instantly.

Scholes agreed. “If Chelsea are interested, I’d say go all day long,” he said.

This was another example of Paul Scholes furious at Manchester United, not just at Amorim’s decisions but at the club’s inability to protect or develop their own talent.

Amorim’s Stance and What It Means for United

Ruben Amorim has insisted that Mainoo remains part of his long-term project, yet the numbers paint a different picture. Across United’s last three matches, Mainoo has featured for just 13 minutes. That is a worrying sign for a player who should be entering the most important developmental stage of his career.

United’s midfield has struggled for control in multiple matches this season, yet a player known for calmness, maturity and intelligence cannot get on the pitch. It is this contradiction—between Amorim’s words and the reality—that has left Paul Scholes furious at Manchester United, questioning the logic behind the manager’s decisions.