Hero and figure, a new idol begins to emerge at Manchester United

It is only right that Kobbie Mainoo is hailed as the hero after his sensational stoppage-time winner at Molineux on Thursday night. After all, he produced the decisive moment to end a dramatic match in which Manchester United were almost as bad as they were good. He wasn't the only United player who made a huge difference. Mainoo might be the one who adorns the back pages, but further inside, there deserves to be a special mention for Luke Shaw, a player who lifted United again.

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The 28-year-old caught the eye with his industrious performance against Newport at the weekend, but the real test was always going to be his first Premier League since before Christmas. Shaw has been short of match sharpness since that latest injury lay-off, yet he still lasted the entire 100 minutes at Molineux, offering a constant threat down the left wing.

His partnership with Marcus Rashford is one of the most unsung in the Premier League and whenever anyone mentions the forward's remarkable 30-goal haul last season, it is important to note his support in making it happen. It is obvious Rashford has seen a clear drop-off in this season compared with last, but it is important to note Shaw's absences as a key factor in that. Shaw only missed eight matches across their mammoth 62-match campaign last season. He has missed 20 games so far this season.

A key part of Rashford's game is running at isolated full-backs and exploiting the space in the channels so that he can cut inside onto his dominant foot. It can be infuriating at times and at others, it can be inspirational. However, for it to work, he needs the support of a left-back who can both underlap and overlap, draw defenders out of position and be available to exchange passes.

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The collective work

Further improvement will be required from both individuals and United as a collective in the weeks ahead, with Shaw one of those who should get even better once he has a run of games under his belt. If all goes well, he will soon be one of the first names on the teamsheet again, a player who is almost taken for granted due to his reliability and monopoly on a starting role. Mainoo deserves to dominate the headlines. Shaw deserves to be recognised for his supporting role.