Michael Carrick is usually not one for hyperbole, but he gave the ultimate compliment to one Man Utd ace after the Chelsea win.
There were many heroes in Man Utd’s 1-0 win against Chelsea as the players put in a solid and professional performance to boost their UCL qualification hopes.
Matheus Cunha scored, Bruno Fernandes assisted, Luke Shaw overlapped, Kobbie Mainoo connected, and Ayden Heaven marshalled a makeshift defence with purpose.
However, Michael Carrick said one of the players played his “best game” under his management so far.
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Michael Carrick hails Kobbie Mainoo
Kobbie Mainoo’s importance to a Michael Carrick side was clear from day one when he bossed Man City in Carrick’s first game in charge.
Mainoo’s absence against Leeds hammered that point home further, and the remaining doubts, if any, were cleared by his presence against Chelsea.
He expertly connected the defence with the attack, kept the play ticking securely, and kept adding to his game off the ball.
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As much as the attackers scored and the defence kept a clean sheet, it’s not an exaggeration to say that this win wouldn’t have happened without Mainoo.
Carrick recognised that after the game, saying it was Mainoo’s best game since he started managing Man Utd this season.
He said: “I thought that was certainly the best Kobbie has played since I’ve been back here. To step up and put so many phases to his game, he looked so composed, so calm, had a really good presence about him, and defended well.
“He showed so much quality and composure and in a tough environment, really in the end, to show us what he can do.”
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Amorim often ignored everything Mainoo could do and hammered him for not being able to do everything else.
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Carrick, in contrast, has put a structure around Mainoo that unleashes him in the best possible way, while also challenging him to add more to his game.
He has now bossed the midfields of Arsenal, Chelsea, and Man City, despite not making his first PL start until after Amorim’s sacking.
If that’s world-class potential, then the definition of world-class needs to be changed, because Mainoo is it.
His absence proved it, his presence cemented it, and he even got Carrick to break character and use words like “best” for him. Compliments don’t come bigger than that.
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