Not Bruno: Hargreaves says Utd have a ‘perfect’ star who’s a ‘proper ball player’, ‘everyone loves’ watching him

Owen Hargreaves, like the majority of the Manchester United faithful, was delighted to see Kobbie Mainoo back in the starting XI yesterday.The midfield starlet was granted just his second start of the campaign for the visit of Brighton and Hove Albion in the FA Cup third round.Prior to the tie, Mainoo’s only start in 2025/2026 came in United’s Carabao Cup opener away to Grimsby Town, and culminated with the Reds losing on penalties to their League Two opponents. Appearances Starts Unused sub Minutes played 12 0 4 228 *Mainoo in the Premier League this term (Transfermarkt)Last night, the match unfortunately held near enough the same fate, as United were once again eliminated from a cup competition at the first hurdle.Brighton secured a 2-1 win at Old Trafford to book their spot in the fourth round, confirming that United would be playing their fewest number of games since 1915 (40). How Mainoo fared in dismal Brighton defeat(Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)However, Mainoo’s performance was one that he could be proud of when he departed the field in the 62nd minute.The 20-year-old, according to StatmanDave, created the most chances and completed the most passes of any player on the pitch. Kobbie Mainoo’s game by numbers vs. Brighton: 92% pass accuracy 64 total touches 5 passes into the final third4 defensive contributions 1 foul won Completed more passes and created more chances than any other player on the pitch. 📈 pic.twitter.com/J7LnAkKqcn — Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) January 11, 2026He also recorded a 92 per cent passing accuracy, made five passes into the final third and registered four defensive contributions, showing that he can put a shift in across the pitch even amidst such a cagey affair. 3 – Kobbie Mainoo created three chances from open play in the opening 30 minutes against Brighton; the most by a @ManUtd player in the first half hour of a match since Mainoo himself on Boxing Day 2024 v Wolves (3). Reminder. pic.twitter.com/Ir7JS7Aot1 — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 11, 2026Now, Mainoo will be hoping he’s done enough to retain his spot for Saturday’s Manchester derby, although it’s currently unknown who will be in the dugout for the high-stakes clash in M16.What Hargreaves had to say about ‘perfect’ Mainoo(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)Either way, Hargreaves is certainly of the belief that the Carrington graduate should be in any manager’s starting XI. He said of Mainoo pre-match on TNT Sports last night: “Everyone loves the way Kobbie plays, he’s a proper ball player.“He didn’t play in the other team (under Ruben Amorim) because of the formation that they had, so it didn’t suit Kobbie. But I think now, when you play a midfield three, he’s perfect.“He’s not a defensive midfield player; he’s not a 10, he’s an eight, which means he’s in between the two [midfielders]. He’s the perfect eight because you can play him the ball at any point. He’s crazy confident. I really think he’s going to be a star.” “When you play in a midfield three, he’s perfect” Owen Hargreaves and Steve Sidwell talk Kobbie Mainoo’s first start since August and Darren Fletcher managing his two sons, Jack and Tyler ❤️ 🎙️ @laura_woodsy 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/uLZsv9iHoP — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 11, 2026