Kobbie Mainoo was brilliant for Manchester United against Brentford, with one moment earning him a lot of plaudits.
This week looks to be one for Kobbie Mainoo to remember.
First, Mainoo was Manchester United’s man of the match against Brentford as voted by TalkingPoints users in the aftermath of the 2-1 win.
Following this, it has emerged that United are set to announce Mainoo’s new contract as he has reportedly already signed the deal.
But the most exciting for Mainoo might actually be the praise from Matheus Cunha.
You are building Man Utd’s midfield for 26/27: Is Kobbie Mainoo a first choice starter?
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Matheus Cunha labels Kobbie Mainoo as being Brazilian
Against Brentford, Mainoo was world-class as he dominated defensively, but also played some wonderful football and deserved an assist.
After carrying the ball from midfield to the box, then beating a couple of defenders, Mainoo slipped a pass to Amad, who failed to convert the chance despite the open goal, somehow getting his shot blocked.
This wonderful moment, dribbling past defenders with ease, caught Cunha’s eye as he took to his Instagram on Wednesday to hail his teammate.
“Okay Kob”, Cunha wrote. “I’ll get your Brazilian passport”, along with a ‘wow’ emoji.
Cunha added, “You deserved it”, with a Brazilian flag and a heart emoji.
This isn’t to be taken literally, but rather just that Cunha is impressed by Mainoo’s quality on the ball, with beating defenders often seen as a Brazilian player trait, Jogo Bonito.
How would you rate Kobbie Mainoo’s performance vs Brentford out of 10 ???
Mainoo almost produced the assist of the season in the opening minutes…
Mainoo will be able to show his attacking quality for Manchester United next season
With Mainoo’s slow 2024/25 and first half of the 2025/26 campaign, it’s been forgotten just how slick he can be on the ball in the final third.
Mainoo scored a brilliant goal against Wolves in 2024, which required him to beat some defenders before shooting.
There were lots of examples of this in his breakthrough season, not many after, but going forward into next season, we can expect to see this again.
Mainoo will be partnered with a midfielder who will be a lot more mobile than Casemiro, allowing the United number 37 to get further up the pitch and not have to cover for his teammate.
This could see Mainoo start getting among the goals again and showcasing his ball carrying like he did against Brentford.
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