Ruben Amorim openly commended Chido Obi for his impact against Fulham on Sunday, though the Manchester United head coach spotted moments of immaturity in the young player’s game. Following a recent promotion to United’s first team, 17-year-old Obi made his third senior appearance during the 68th minute in the FA Cup fifth round where he created quite the stir and was close to earning a penalty after a physical challenge by Calvin Bassey.
Despite staying on his feet and missing the shot, teammate Joshua Zirkzee appeared to suggest Obi should have opted for a fall to potentially secure a spot-kick.
Acknowledging the youthful zest, Amorim noted that Obi might have been “a little bit naive” amidst the action but didn’t fail to recognise it was a “good day” for the budding talent who bolstered his case for more first-team opportunities through his notable performance both in regular and extra time.
In the wake of United’s exit from the FA Cup via penalties, a rueful Amorim reflected on his team’s chances in an interview with MUTV: “The important thing is that with our players on the bench, the team was close to scoring more than one time. And so that is the most important thing to focus on the game, and we were there, so I don’t want to use that excuse about injuries. We were there with the players we have.
“Chido, great movement, there’s a lot to improve and a little bit naive, but the movements inside the box was a good day for him. Not a good day for the team but very important day for Chido, for example.”
Obi missed out on the trip to London with the Under-18s for their crunch FA Youth Cup quarter-final against Arsenal on Friday, as the decision was made to keep him with the first team squad— a choice that paid dividends in their own senior campaign. The gamble of not featuring Obi with the U18s might have raised eyebrows, yet the juniors triumphed without him, snatching a 3-2 victory after extra-time at the Emirates.
Previously making his debut against Tottenham Hotspur last month, the up-and-coming striker took Rasmus Hojlund‘s place to put in a decent 20-minute shift during the 2-2 stalemate against Everton at Goodison Park, further signalling his ascent within the ranks.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk