Softfootball understands that Manchester United’s struggles continued with a 2–1 defeat to Brighton, and the fallout from the result has quickly shifted attention toward the club’s future direction, both on and off the pitch.
In a video shared on the official X account of the Rio Meet Podcast, club legend Rio Ferdinand held a revealing conversation with Michael Carrick, who has recently been linked with the role of Manchester United’s next interim manager.
Watch the video below:
During the discussion, Ferdinand directly addressed one of the biggest questions facing United’s midfield rebuild: whether Kobbie Mainoo should be the cornerstone of the team going forward.
Rio Ferdinand asked:
Who would you build around in this current team now, in the midfield area? Would it be Kobbie you’d build around?
Carrick’s response was thoughtful and emphatic, highlighting both Mainoo’s talent and the importance of academy identity at Old Trafford.
He replied in full:
Yeah, I think for a club to have a player that’s come through the academy and knows the club and feels it, think you have to have, man United’s got to have an element of that. Always has done, always should always will, know, like, should always have, sorry. And I think to have a talent like that he’s shown already, you’ve got to have players like that.
that you can say, they get it, they know it, let’s help them, let’s build them and stick with them. think there’s definitely a place for them there for sure.
Carrick’s comments arrive at a time when United fans are searching for clarity amid poor results and uncertainty in the dugout, and his emphasis on academy graduates, identity, and long-term trust echoes long-standing traditions at the club and positions Kobbie Mainoo as more than just a promising youngster but a potential pillar of the next rebuild.
With Carrick increasingly mentioned as a possible interim solution and Mainoo already earning praise for his maturity and composure, the podcast exchange has added fuel to discussions about whether Manchester United’s revival should begin by trusting those who truly understand the club from within.
