Rio Ferdinand has praised Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo after three solid performances under Michael Carrick.
Manchester United have been in great form since Michael Carrick took charge, with the Reds winning games against Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham.
They will be hoping to continue winning games and secure their place in the Champions League for next season. Carrick’s side are currently in fourth-place.
One of the major talking points since the managerial change is the reintroduction of Kobbie Mainoo to the starting lineup.
The youngster was a bit-part player under Ruben Amorim and was searching for a loan exit in the January window due to his lack of minutes.
But under Carrick, who rates him highly, Mainoo has played 90 minutes in all three games and played a big part in the Reds’ winning streak.
Ferdinand says Mainoo has a ‘superpower’ that Carrick loves
Mainoo has been reminding United fans in recent weeks why they loved him so much after his breakthrough under Erik ten Hag.
He does a lot of the kind of work that goes unnoticed, knitting the play together in the middle, and Rio Ferdinand believes that Mainoo’s ability to beat a press is his ‘superpower’.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand said: “Kobbie Mainoo’s superpowers are that he’s press-resistant, and he can beat the press. His ability to manipulate the ball and use his body to get out of any situation in any area of the pitch, and to have the balls to say ‘I want to take the ball in those tight areas.’
“There are a lot of players who can do this in training sessions, but when it comes to a match, forget doing it, they don’t even show to receive the ball to do it.
“Kobbie Mainoo has done it at the highest level, in finals where he has been the main player to win games for Man United and England in a tournament.
“That’s a superpower in his game, and sometimes you think ‘well, he might be a little bit weak here and there, but if I can get him in the position to do that, it doesn’t matter so much’… This kid, his talent.”
Mainoo has Carrick’s trust
United are playing through the middle a lot more under Carrick and part of the reasoning for that has been the return of Mainoo to the side.
He does seem like areas of his game have developed as well. Against Fulham, the 20-year-old showcased an improved passing range while also having the physicality to help defensively.
Read More: Troy Deeney performs U-turn over “wonderful” Man Utd star vs Fulham after ‘really important’ skill
Carrick has already explained that he is a big fan of the player and that trust will only help Mainoo heading into the final stretch of the season.
He will also have one eye on a potential England spot at the World Cup and that very well could come for him if his form continues for the rest of the season.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 14:00 pm (GMT) on the United View YouTube channel.