Luke Shaw accepts blame for Ipswich opener as Kobbie Mainoo earns his praise

Luke Shaw has taken responsibility for Ipswich Town’s opening goal in Manchester United’s emphatic victory, while describing team-mate Kobbie Mainoo as the outstanding player on the pitch.

Speaking to the BBC, the Manchester United defender admitted he was disappointed with his own contribution but praised the way his side responded after conceding early.

“It was a very good day in the end. It has been a difficult week, so we had to come back and get a positive result,” said Shaw.

“I am disappointed with myself for the first goal. With my experience, I should have done much better, so I take responsibility for it. That is not my level, and I was very disappointed with myself.”

Shaw said Manchester United’s second-half performance was much closer to the standards expected of the club and believes there are several positive aspects to take forward.

“The second-half performance represented Manchester United, and there are a lot of good things we can take from the game,” he said. “Of course, there are always things we can improve, but it was very important to get the three points today.”

He added that the team had needed to respond after a disappointing previous week, particularly with the optimism surrounding the first match of the season.

“It is never good to lose a game, especially the first game of the season when there is a lot of optimism,” said Shaw. “The best thing you can do is block out the noise and focus on ourselves. There are a lot of good things we can build on and move forward with.”

Shaw backs Mainoo for player of the match

Bruno Fernandes scored three goals, but Shaw said Mainoo deserved the man-of-the-match award for his influence in midfield.

“I have almost run out of words to say about Bruno, honestly. He is such an incredible player,” Shaw said.

“But I would like to talk about Kobbie Mainoo. I thought he was world-class today; he was so, so good. The way he controlled the game and drove us forward was amazing.”

“I know Bruno scored three goals, but I would choose Mainoo as man of the match. He is still so young, and it is so enjoyable to watch him develop. For me, he was unbelievable today. He was a real leader in midfield.”

Shaw described the result as especially significant after the disappointment of the previous week and again acknowledged his frustration at being involved in Ipswich Town’s first goal.

“It was a very important win. We knew how important it was to win today,” he said. “I feel a little disappointed and angry with myself because of the first goal, but I am extremely happy with the team in the second half. It was brilliant.”

The defender also pointed to the quality within Manchester United’s squad and the influence Fernandes can have in both creating and scoring goals.

“With the quality we have in our squad, we should always believe that we can win games,” Shaw said. “It always helps to have a player like Bruno in your team because he is capable of scoring and creating goals.”

Manchester United, Shaw added, should be expected to win matches such as this one, despite making the worst possible start.

“Manchester United should be expected to win here,” he said. “After last week, we were extremely disappointed and knew we needed a reaction today. Obviously, conceding the first goal was not what we wanted, but the way we came back after it was important.”

Shaw said the team’s determination to maintain a high tempo and continue searching for further goals was encouraging, while also identifying it as an area to develop during the season.

“We kept the pace of the game high and continued looking for more goals, and that is one of the things we can improve this season,” he said.