Chido Obi: United coaches delighted with key improvement

Manchester United’s academy staff believe Chido Obi’s enforced step back from first-team consideration has accelerated one crucial part of his development: the 18-year-old striker’s work without the ball. After Ruben Amorim’s public criticism of the club’s famed youth pipeline earlier in the campaign, Obi—who had already made his senior debut last season—was left out of further senior squads and responded on social media to the Portuguese’s remarks.

Rather than sulk, the Denmark U20 international doubled down on his under-18 duties and, in Saturday’s 3-1 derby win over Manchester City, produced the performance coaches had been waiting for. Obi opened the scoring, taking his personal tally to nine goals across all academy age-groups this term, but it was his pressing, tracking and intelligent running that caught the eye. Staff inside Carrington later described the display as “some of his finest off-the-ball work of the season” and underlined that such industry is now viewed as non-negotiable for any striker hoping to bridge the gap to senior football.

United’s decision to keep Obi learning in academy fixtures—exacerbated by the first team’s early exits from cup competitions—has handed him regular minutes at a time when senior opportunities are scarce. With nine goals and four assists in total, the former Arsenal prospect is adding layers to his game that could yet serve Michael Carrick’s side should injuries or form affect the club’s senior strikers. Joshua Zirkzee has struggled for consistency, and Benjamin Sesko currently operates without an established deputy, leaving the door ajar for Obi to add to the eight senior caps he collected last term.

While Amorim’s early trust in youth has waned, the message from the academy is clear: Obi’s temporary demotion may ultimately prove beneficial, provided the striker continues to marry his natural finishing ability with the relentless defensive effort United demand.