Manchester United suffered the team’s worst defeat of the 2023/24 season so far against Crystal Palace earlier this week.
We say ‘so far’ because four tough upcoming fixtures await against Arsenal, Newcastle, Brighton and then Manchester City.
Our player ratings from the 4-0 loss highlight a team that was poor from front to back across the entire 90 minutes.
However, former Premier League star Ian Wright has picked out one Manchester United player who caught his eye for the right reasons.
Ian Wright praises Kobbie Mainoo
Ian Wright explained that even on a very difficult and uncomfortable night for Manchester United, one player stood out for the right reasons.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this was midfield wonderkidKobbie Mainoo, commending his attitude and commitment on the night.
He told his Wrighty’s House podcast: “With Mainoo, what was good about watching a game like that and a lot of people would have done it, I am telling you, all the top managers, everybody will be watching him, all the players will be watching to see how in a game like this, does he still want the ball, is he still trying to do what we have seen him do?
“Because let’s not forget that this guy made his debut for England and was Man of the Match playing in a structured kind of situation. What I saw from him at Palace was somebody that every time he got it, he was trying, he didn’t hide, he was trying to get it, some of the times he had to wriggle out of challenges, he did that.
“He still did what we have seen him do from the start in a game where they were getting absolutely torched, and that was something I was thinking, you are looking at him and thinking his character is right because he is still trying to get on it at 19, playing for Man United and getting humiliated.”
Kobbie Mainoo numbers held up
Despite Manchester United’s struggles on the night, Kobbie Mainoo managed to keep himself together and did not fall apart.
He completed 64 of 68 passes attempted, 94 per cent, and managed 86 touches in total.
He won eight of 11 duels contested, backing up Wright’s assertion that he kept going and did not let his own individual standards drop hugely.
Mainoo would benefit from an improved midfield structure around him, and as pointed out by MUTV pundit Danny Webber, United’s forward players did not offer enough movement or outlets in attack for the midfielders to create chances.