Bruno Fernandes stole the headlines with a hat-trick and an assist as Manchester United thrashed Ipswich 5-2, but it was Kobbie Mainoo's display that left teammates and coaching staff purring with admiration. Despite Fernandes' heroics, which included a near-miss from the halfway line, several key figures at Old Trafford singled out the young midfielder as the true architect of the win.
Luke Shaw was unequivocal in his assessment, insisting Mainoo deserved to be named man of the match ahead of Fernandes. "I would like to speak about Kobbie. 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," the United left-back said.
The praise carried extra significance given Mainoo's recent struggles for game time. Ruben Amorim did not start him in a single Premier League match last season, while Thomas Tuchel left him without a minute at the World Cup. His revival now appears tied to interim boss Michael Carrick, who has previously played a role in reshaping the England international's career.
Carrick, who made 464 appearances for United as a player, struggled to identify areas for improvement in Mainoo's performance. "On today's performance, not much, really. I thought he was pretty much all-round very, very good for a first start back. I thought Kobbie was immense in the middle of the pitch for us and underpinned the performance of the team," he said.
The timing of Mainoo's return to the starting XI is notable. He had not started a match since England's World Cup warm-up game against New Zealand nearly three months earlier. In that period, United's midfield underwent significant change following Casemiro's departure to Inter Miami. The club responded by signing Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba, with the latter unveiled to fans before kick-off against Ipswich. Santos and Tielemans had previously started together in a difficult defeat at Hull, where United were overrun in midfield.
Carrick opted to pair Mainoo with Tielemans against Ipswich, a combination that appeared to click. The manager acknowledged the ongoing challenge of finding the right partnerships among his options. "We've got good midfielders, so it's trying to make the best of the combinations," he explained.
Harry Maguire also praised Mainoo's growth, particularly his defensive contributions—an area that had previously been considered a weakness. "He was magnificent. He put a great shift in and I think his work without the ball has improved so much since Michael's been in. That's probably credit to Michael and his staff. But I think without the ball now, he's becoming a real monster in there, and I think he wins a lot of second balls. He wins a lot of duels. You won't want to play against him in there and that's the biggest compliment I can give to him from playing and watching him behind," the centre-back said.
Mainoo's technical ability on the ball has never been in question, but his best position remained a source of debate under previous managers. Erik ten Hag never fully utilized him as a holding midfielder, while Amorim often deployed him as a false nine or attacking midfielder rather than in central midfield at all.
If Mainoo can now be trusted as a genuine defensive presence, it raises the possibility that United's summer investment of roughly £150 million in three new midfielders may ultimately be about finding the right partner for him, rather than replacing him. One victory over Ipswich is far from conclusive proof, but the collective praise from United's manager, captain and senior defender suggests something meaningful may be developing in midfield—even if, on this occasion, Fernandes remained the headline act.
Based on reporting from The Independent.