"Throughout the game, he was very good" - Paul Scholes praises Manchester United star's performance despite 2-0 loss to West Ham

Manchester United icon Paul Scholes has praised Kobbie Mainoo for his performance during the Red Devils' 2-0 loss to West Ham United on Saturday, December 23.

Erik ten Hag and Co. lost their 13th game in 26 appearances across all competitions this season as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at the London Stadium. Jarrod Bowen (72') and Mohammed Kudus (78') scored one goal apiece to seal the three points for the Hammers.

Mainoo was included in the starting XI, making his eighth appearance of the season. Despite making a massive error by losing possession in midfield which led to Kudus' goal, Scholes was impressed by the 18-year-old's performance.

Scholes told TNT Sports (via The Boot Room):

“Kobbie Mainoo, I know he made a mistake, but I thought throughout the game, he was very good. He was very controlled, played above his years really. I thought the young centre-half did okay, didn’t really have too much to do.”

Mainoo had a decent performance against West Ham. He completed 60 out of his 68 passes with an accuracy of 88% and created one big chance. The midfielder also won eight duels, two recoveries, and two clearances.

---

Manchester United star admits it's difficult to remain positive after West Ham defeat

Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw has admitted it's difficult to remain positive after his side's poor start to the season continued with a 2-0 loss against West Ham. However, he stressed the need to bounce back quickly ahead of the busy festive schedule.

The Red Devils dropped to eighth in the Premier League standings with 28 points from 18 games, following their loss to the Hammers. They are now 11 points away from leaders Arsenal and eight points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

Shaw spoke to TNT Sports and when asked if it's hard to stay positive right now, he responded (via @UnitedStandMUFC):

"Yeah, it is, but it's our job. We have to stay positive. This is Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in the world, and like I said before it's not good enough. We know that and we have to dig deep, look ourselves in the mirror and question ourselves and go from there."

Manchester United will be aiming to bounce back in their next fixture against Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Tuesday, December 26.