The veteran defender hailed Kobbie Mainoo’s dominant midfield display at Old Trafford, labeling the academy graduate’s return to the starting XI as a phenomenal, world-class performance.
Manchester United are back to winning ways after defeating Ipswich Town 5-2 at Old Trafford. A hat-trick from Bruno Fernandes helped United to ease to victory in the end, but there were some more outstanding performances in addition to the captain that turned United's fortunes around.
Michael Carrick's side struggled last time out at Hull City, losing 2-0 in their season opener, so it was essential that they won their first three points as they returned to the Old Trafford crowd.
Marcus Rashford returned to the starting line-up for the first time in 626 days and United also saw the return of Lisandro Martinez, Diogo Dalot and Kobbie Mainoo after their World Cup campaigns.
Although he was named in the squad, Mainoo was one of the only players to not play a single minute in England's tournament, but he was welcomed back home as he returned to the United side.
The academy graduate replaced Andrey Santos in the line-up, partnering Youri Tielemans in the midfield. He brought an abundance of quality to the team, linking up with Bruno Fernandes and his attackers, as well as breaking up the play and driving the team forward.
Luke Shaw on "phenomenal" Mainoo
There were lots of questions around United's midfield last week after they were defeated by Hull. Mainoo made a huge impact on his return to the side, as he was welcomed back by the Old Trafford faithful.
After announcing the signing of Carlos Baleba, United could look to line up with the Cameroonian alongside Mainoo. The two could really compliment each other and form a dominant partnership.
Luke Shaw spoke to the BBC after the match against Ipswich and was very impressed by Mainoo's performance. Although disappointed with himself for one of Ipswich's goals, Shaw was delighted with the team and a positive result for United.
When asked about Bruno Fernandes, he was full of praise for his captain, but he made sure to show his appreciation towards Mainoo, who he claimed was world class in the match.
"I kind of run out of words to speak about Bruno to be honest, he is such a good player," he said.
"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 back to his best
With the return of more first team players, Carrick's second starting team looked slightly different, and one of the differences was Kobbie Mainoo.
The youngster was part of England's World Cup squad but did not play a lot of football over the summer, so it was great to see him back in a United shirt. His performance today might have shown Thomas Tuchel what he could have offered during the tournament.
Mainoo received similar treatment from Ruben Amorim during his tenure, but he has been a vital part of Michael Carrick's plans since his arrival. Although it is a new season, and there have been three more midfield incomings, Carrick's thinking does not seem to have changed.
Mainoo has to play in this team and Carrick understands that. His quality on the ball matched with his intelligence and defensive work brings so much to the team, and he is only getting better.
