Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw has heaped praise on midfielder Kobbie Mainoo after his fabulous performance against Ipswich Town in the Premier League on Sunday.
The Red Devils had a frustrating opening half against Ipswich at Old Trafford yesterday. Leif Davis opened the scoring for the Tractor Boys in the 29th minute. Before that, goalkeeper Senne Lammens pulled off smart saves to deny Julio Enciso and Daizen Maeda.
Bruno Fernandes equalised before the break from a defensive mishap by Ipswich, and this provided the momentum after the interval. United were undoubtedly the dominant side in the second half, and Fernandes bagged the man of the match for a hat-trick.
Speaking after the game, Shaw described Fernandes as such a good player, but added that Mainoo was ‘world-class’. He was impressed with the way the midfielder controlled the game and drove the club forward.
The left-back added that Mainoo was a ‘real leader’ in the centre of the park, and he would put the youngster down for the man of the match despite Fernandes’ third hat-trick of his United career.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live (via BBC Sport): “I kind of run out of words to speak about Bruno to be honest, he is such a good player. I would like to speak about Kobbie [Mainoo].
“I think today he was world class, so so good, the way he controlled the game and the way he drove us forward. I know Bruno scored the hat-trick, but I would put Mainoo down for man of the match.
“He is so young and it is such a joy to see him growing. For me, he was phenomenal today. A real leader in that middle.”
Mainoo was brilliant in the heart of the midfield for the Red Devils yesterday. He won an impressive nine of his 12 duels and also made nine recoveries with a couple of successful tackles.
The 21-year-old completed 92 percent of his passes in the opposition half alongside four dribbles. He did not make a direct goal contribution and played his part in the lead-up to the goals.
Fernandes no doubt deserved his man of the match accolade for his phenomenal hat-trick and an assist. If not for his standout display, Mainoo would have been the man of the match for sure.
Mainoo proved why he is one of the best young midfielders in the country yesterday, and we are still surprised how England head coach Thomas Tuchel ignored him throughout the World Cup.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
