Ole Gunnar Solskjaer heaped praise on "exceptional" Daniel James after his display in the 6-2 demolition of Leeds United, but he admits there is one thing which continues to irk him.
The Welshman got on the scoresheet for the first time in over a year in the Premier League as United romped to victory against Marcelo Bielsa's side on Sunday afternoon.
James has come in for a lot of flak of late, with his form having dipped following a brilliant start to his life at Old Trafford. It led to speculation over his exit in the summer, with some believing that transfer talk will also be rife when the window opens next month.
However, with three goals in as many games now for club and country, it is heartening to see the Wales flyer hitting some form.
Indeed, Old Trafford great Gary Neville was gushing in his praise of the 23-year-old, calling Solskjaer's decision to select him against Leeds, a club he almost joined back in January 2019, a "masterstroke".
And Solskjaer himself was particularly pleased with James' performance. The only blot on his copybook, however, was being shown a yellow called for what was deemed simulation by referee Anthony Taylor.
At first glance, it looked a particularly harsh call, with James, at full tilt, bundled over by what looked a clumsy challenge, and Solskjaer grumbled that James has perhaps gained an unwarranted reputation which has gone against him.
"He's proven time and time again how he can improve our performances at times with his exceptional pace.,” Solskjaer said of James following the victory over Leeds.
"It's not that I'm too worried about it, but it does do my head in when he gets a yellow card when he should have had a penalty, it's a foul, and he's almost been labelled as a diver before."
What the immediate future holds for James is as yet unclear.
A much-touted loan exit was categorically ruled out during the last window, but it could be revisited as a possibility in January, particularly with the imminent arrival of exciting teenage winger Amad Diallo from Atalanta, who signed in a deal worth £40million and who will join the Old Trafford ranks next month.
But if he continues to get himself on the score sheet then he cannot be ignored. Even United great Roy Keane reserved special praise for the player on Sunday night, saying he was "delighted" for James after enduring such a "tough time" of it.
His backers this side of the Severn will doubtless want him to continue in the same vein and disprove those doubters once and for all, just as he is beginning to do.
