Softfootball understands that Jordan Mainoo may not have stepped onto the pitch at Old Trafford, but his choice of clothing ensured he was part of the post-match conversation, as reported by Fabrizio Romano via his official X account.
During Manchester United’s dramatic 4–4 draw with Bournemouth, the brother of midfielder Kobbie Mainoo was spotted wearing a “Free Kobbie Mainoo” T-shirt.
View the post below:
A message many fans interpreted as a direct jab at manager Ruben Amorim, who has recently responded to criticism over Kobbie’s reduced starting role.
What might have been intended as family support quickly spiralled into a full-blown social media debate, shifting attention away from Kobbie’s well-received cameo off the bench.
For a section of the fanbase, the frustration centred on timing and consequences. Some felt Kobbie was rebuilding momentum with his energetic appearance, only for outside noise to complicate matters.
Reflecting this concern, Frank (@AmorimEra) suggested the move was driven more by attention than strategy, arguing it risked undoing the goodwill Kobbie had just earned.
He said:
Genuinely lost my head at this. What an extremely selfish move. Yeah, your brother is in a bad situation, but he’s just had an excellent cameo. arguably forced his way into the side next game. But no.. you need all the attention. This will create many problems for Kobbie.
Others took the controversy further, linking it to fears about Kobbie’s long-term future at the club. Hunter (@MUFCVOLT) voiced a sentiment rooted in disappointment rather than doubt over talent, implying that repeated off-field drama could influence football decisions.
He tweeted:
Mate absolutely love Kobbie, but this just makes me want to loan him out in Jan and get another midfielder, you cannot tell me he didn’t know about this. So so so disappointed man.
There were also fans who felt the slogan itself overstated the situation. From their perspective, the language of freedom rang hollow given Kobbie’s status as a well-paid Premier League footballer. Magpie 24/7 (@Magpie24_7) leaned into this argument, questioning the seriousness of the protest.
He posted:
Free him. Oh my god pass me the sick bucket! £100k a week, a lavish lifestyle and playing in the Premier league it’s hardly tough for him is it! Get a bloody grip FFS!
Another line of criticism focused less on the shirt and more on Kobbie’s inner circle. The belief here was that better guidance could prevent unnecessary distractions. 𝘽𝙀𝘼𝙉 (@BEANlE) framed the episode as a learning moment for the young midfielder.
He stated:
If I could talk to Kobbie right now, I’d tell him he needs to talk to his people and make better choices around him. Family and friends shouldn’t be making public scenes that’s for his agent, or he should speak up for himself.
Not everyone saw Jordan’s action as harmful, however. A minority argued it could be a calculated response to perceived pressure from the manager.
Ben (@objective_cfc) suggested the protest might reflect deeper frustrations being aired indirectly, rather than recklessly.
He said:
Amorim likes public media games. He’s thrown players under the bus before publically and he’ll do it again You can’t expect people not to react Garnacho bit back and then got villainised. Mainoo’s brother will be sharing what Mainoo really thinks imo.
In the end, what began as a personal show of support has left Kobbie Mainoo at the centre of a wider debate, one that now stretches beyond performances and tactics into questions of image, influence, and how much noise a young player can afford around him at a crucial stage of his career.
