EXCLUSIVE: Phil Jones on Amorim’s Verdict, Ten Hag’s Sacking and Kobbie Mainoo’s Future
Joshua Kerr 
This week, the team at Free Bets sat down with former Manchester United defender, Phil Jones, to gather his verdict on some of the game’s leading talking points, including his views on Rúben Amorim’s start at Old Trafford, the breaking news of Erik ten Hag’s sacking at Bayer Leverkusen, and Kobbie Mainoo’s role in United’s midfield puzzle.
Here’s what Jones had to say when speaking exclusively to the team at Free Bets...
United’s Burnley Win and Early-Season Signals
Q: United got over the line against Burnley before the international break. Did you see enough in the performance to suggest Amorim’s system is starting to click?
Phil: Something like that can be the catalyst to go on a run. Last season was awful, there’s no getting away from that, no hiding place, especially at a club like United.
But I watched the Arsenal game on the opening day and thought they were really good. They limited Arsenal to very few chances, controlled large spells and caused Arsenal some scary moments. Attacking-wise, Cunha and Mbeumo looked really sharp and picked up some lovely positions.
If you’re a United fan leaving that game, you’re thinking: ‘We didn’t get the result, but I liked what I saw and I can’t wait to come back and watch us again.’
Then you go to Fulham away — for the first 30–45 minutes I thought we were the better team, should have been two up inside 15 minutes. Cunha hit the post, Mbeumo missed a chance, and every time we went forward we looked like scoring. We came off the gas second half, conceded, and it finished a draw.
So that’s two draws, not bad performances, but you’d want more points on the board. Then came the Grimsby game — and you cannot gloss over that. It was a terrible performance across the pitch in every department. We didn’t defend crosses, we didn’t string attacks together, it was too easy for them.
But let’s give Grimsby credit — they were excellent. I expected them to sit deep, clear balls, defend corners, hope for a late moment. Instead they played, had good patterns, and should have been three up at half-time. They were unlucky it even went to penalties.
So when you went into Burnley, it was a no-win situation: you beat them and people say, ‘it’s only Burnley.’ You lose and the knives are out. That’s football at United. It was lose-lose. But in the Premier League every game is hard — gone are the days when United would rock up and put five or six past Derby or Sheffield Wednesday. Every side has something about them now.
So yes, it was scrappy, but they got the win, five points on the board, and you take it into the international break. It’s too early to shoot the gun.
Q: Amorim has suggested it could be Mainoo or Bruno rather than both. How do you see that midfield shaping up?
Phil: I love Kobbie. What a player. I remember his debut at Goodison Park — best player on the pitch, controlled the whole game at 17, 18 years old. Not an easy place to go. He’s so comfortable receiving the ball, hides it well, links play, sees a pass.
But the manager looks at the legs in midfield, the mobility. Over 90 minutes that’s probably why he doesn’t fancy both him and Bruno together all the time.
If you play him with the right type of partner, he’s outstanding. Imagine Kobbie with Scott McTominay behind him and Bruno higher — what a trio. But then you’ve got Cunha and Mbeumo, who play the same spaces as Bruno, Mount as another option, and Šeško as the nine. It’s a balancing act.
That’s the thing right now: balance. Against Arsenal and Fulham, the signs were there. But when you’ve got Shaw at left centre-back, Dalot at left wing-back, Bruno as a six, Cunha as a false nine — great players, but not all in their natural positions. That takes time to fix.
Reaction to Ten Hag’s Shock Sacking
Q: We’ve just had breaking news — Erik ten Hag has been sacked by Bayer Leverkusen. What’s your reaction?Phil: Honestly, it surprises me that it’s happened so quickly. But I never felt he was the right fit at United either. Not the right personality for the club. That’s not being disrespectful — he’s had a good career in Holland — but I don’t think the players fully grasped what he was about.
Sometimes in football and in life you walk into an office and it just doesn’t fit. That’s what it felt like at United.
But sacked after six or seven weeks at Leverkusen? That’s a shock. If you’re letting a manager go after eight games, you haven’t done your due diligence in the first place. For me, that’s on the sporting director or whoever made the decision. They’ve got to take a look at themselves as well.
Q: Some say United no longer has the pull it once did. What’s your view?
Phil: Absolute nonsense. Honestly, I don’t buy into that for a second. The only club in world football you can even mention in the same breath as Manchester United is Real Madrid. United is still the biggest club in the world — the history, the fanbase, the commercial reach, the expectation — it’s unmatched.
When I first signed from Blackburn and went on tour to Chicago with the U21s, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. There were literally thousands of people camping outside hotels at 3am just to catch a glimpse of us. Not even the senior lads, just the kids breaking through — and it was chaos, police everywhere, fans singing your name before you’d even kicked a ball for the club.
That’s the level of pull United has. It’s not just about signing the absolute elite every single window — yes, sometimes the very top-tier players go elsewhere for different reasons, but United will always attract world-class footballers. The infrastructure, the sponsorships, the visibility, the platform — it’s enormous. People underestimate just how powerful that is until they’ve lived it.
So when I hear people say United’s pull has gone, I shake my head. It’s absolute nonsense. The badge still carries enormous weight, and it always will.
Life After Football: A Tough First Year Out
Q: How tough was your first year after retiring, and what are you focusing on now?
Phil: It was extremely tough, because I didn’t retire on my own terms. It wasn’t like I woke up one day and thought, ‘I’ve had enough.’ It was taken away from me through injury, and when that happens, you feel lost.
I’d played football all my life, loved it, lived for it, and suddenly it’s gone. You don’t just lose the games — you lose the routine, the camaraderie, the banter in the dressing room. Towards the end of my career I wasn’t able to show my best, and that really hurt me. You’re still judged — and rightly so — but deep down I knew the qualities I had. I just couldn’t put them out there anymore because of my body. That was the most frustrating part.
At first, I had to step away from watching football. I’d catch myself thinking, ‘I’m better than that, I could’ve done that,’ and that’s not me. I’m not a bitter or negative person, but when you’re raw and dealing with it, that’s how your mind works. So I distanced myself a little bit to reset.
United were brilliant with me, though. They gave me opportunities to stay involved. I did my A Licence with the U14s and U15s, then went on to work with the U18s alongside Adam Lawrence and Colin Little, two top coaches. I loved it, absolutely loved it — working with the kids, helping them develop, trying to pass on little things from my career. It gave me that buzz back.
Now I’m doing my Pro Licence. It’ll finish next year and then I’ll be fully qualified. Coaching is where I see my future — being out on the grass, helping players, feeling that pressure again, even if it’s in a different way. I’m excited about what’s next.
Q: And one final one from me — how different has it been seeing the club from the outside as a fan compared to being on the inside as a player?
Phil: First and foremost, it was terrible when I had to finish. I loved the club. It gave me an opportunity I never thought I’d get in my life. Going from Blackburn — my boyhood club, which I still love and follow — to Manchester United, the biggest club in the world, was a dream. Winning trophies, making friends, building memories. To have it all end the way it did, not on my terms, that hit me hard.
You feel a bit lost, even worthless. I knew what I could do, but the last two years I just couldn’t show it. I was going into games thinking, ‘How do I get through this without exposing myself?’ That’s not the mindset of a footballer, but that’s where I was physically. It was tough.
So I took myself away. I didn’t want to be seen, didn’t speak to many people. But I still knew everything going on at the club. I still do now. I speak to Harry, Luke, Tom Heaton, Bruno, Diogo. There aren’t many left from when I was there, but they’re good friends and I hear all the stories. The connection never really leaves you.
Being on the outside as a fan is very different, though. You see the noise, the headlines, the hysteria. Inside the dressing room, it’s more focused. You shut it out, concentrate on the next game. On the outside, you see how narratives swing overnight.
But I love it again now. I love the environment, the pressure, even from a different angle. That’s why coaching excites me. I want to be back in that football environment where results matter, where you’re judged, where you have to deliver. That’s what I’ve missed, and that’s what I want to get back into.
Q: Final word — how do you see United’s season shaping up?
Phil: In football, perceptions change like the wind. One week you’re brilliant, the next you’re finished. That’s United.
The key this season is balance. Get players back into their natural positions, get the system working properly, rebuild that winning culture. It’s not rocket science, but it takes time.
Win six or seven games in a row and suddenly everything looks different. That’s football, and that’s Manchester United.
