[el3mel]

He may not appear as a full attacking left back but continuous movement, passing and linking with other players on his flank is valuable to us, things that we don't see much with Young there even if the latter is better crosser.

 

[Nick7]

Isolated and struggled due to that in the first half. Better in the second when we took more control.

 

[Canagel]

He doesn't suit the team when we are defending under pressure. His natural instinct is to go forward and join the attack and that's when he is very good.

 

[The White Pele]

Did better in the second half when he defended on the front foot a bit more.

 

[kundalini]

Terrible first half even taking into consideration the complete lack of help from Sanchez. Much better 2nd half.

 

[Silas]

Felt sorry for him in the first half. Had to deal with multiple threats coming at him on quite a few occasions.

 

[a_devil_inside]

Second half I thought he played well both defensive and offensive

 

[VivaObertan]

Do you think that if Luke hadn't been injured, Memphis would still be at the club given their friendship and on-pitch chemistry?

Trivial, I know...

 

[rampo]

He has grown into the match in the 2nd half, but the number of times Sanchez ignored his runs to his left is baffling. Everyone who plays as left forward for us has a tendency to drive inside, which is fine, but you need to mix it with passing to your left, especially when your LB is making some good runs

 

[NinjaFletch]

Do you think that if Luke hadn't been injured, Memphis would still be at the club given their friendship and on-pitch chemistry?

Trivial, I know...

No because Memphis was shit and Shaw's form has been off an on both before and after his injury. Luke Shaw has only by the skin of his teeth been able to keep Luke Shaw at the club, the idea that he could have been so good that he could completely make up for all of the issues Memphis had seems fanciful.

 

[wythyred]

Thought he was great on Saturday. His dribbling looked as good as I have ever seen it and he looks fitter than he has for a long time.

 

[breakout67]

He doesn't suit the team when we are defending under pressure. His natural instinct is to go forward and join the attack and that's when he is very good.

That is literally the opposite of what Shaw's 'natural instinct' is. Shaw ever since his Southampton days has been a defensive fullback; he was virtually impossible to beat 1v1 in the season he was in the team of the season and was very good at set pieces.

Shaw is in the same mold as Azpiliqueta, a technical fullback that is very good at defending.

He was almost always outnumbered when defending against Huddersfield, and at times had to deal with a 3v1 situations. No defender will look comfortable doing that.

 

[Cliche Guevara]

He was communicating his concerns about being over-run in the first half well. Rightfully demanding help from his team-mates. Second half it looked like he wanted to take matters into his own hands and he made a few brilliant runs forward.

I’d really like him just to be given the rest of the season now. He deserves it and should be able to build up a bit of momentum rather than burn out.

 

[Varun]

That is literally the opposite of what Shaw's 'natural instinct' is. Shaw ever since his Southampton days has been a defensive fullback; he was virtually impossible to beat 1v1 in the season he was in the team of the season and was very good at set pieces.

Shaw is in the same mold as Azpiliqueta, a technical fullback that is very good at defending.

He was almost always outnumbered when defending against Huddersfield, and at times had to deal with a 3v1 situations. No defender will look comfortable doing that.

Yeah, always amuses me to read about him being this amazing attacking full back who lacks defensively. Its the other way around

 

[Wilson33]

He will need become more aggressive with sanchez playing ahead of him. Seemed shaky in the 1st half but grew into the game. His ball control needs some work.

 

[breakout67]

Yeah, always amuses me to read about him being this amazing attacking full back who lacks defensively. Its the other way around

It was a clear issue with him when he first got back into the team. He didn't really have a clue how to go forward; often wandering into midfield and not providing overlapping runs.

Shaw has something silly like 3 assists in his whole career and not a single goal. His attacking contributions are average.

Luke Shaw is a physical beast (pace and power), good in the air, fantastic 1v1 defender.. His judgement was poor when he first came into the team, but with game time he is making fewer mistakes. He is much better defensively than Ashley Young, while Ashley Young is much better going forward.

 

[Nick7]

Yeah, always amuses me to read about him being this amazing attacking full back who lacks defensively. Its the other way around

Yeah it's crazy. The only argument I've ever seen for him being a good attacker is that he's fast.

He's a technical defensively sound full back. He's nice to watch as a full back because he gets the game. Shame he's left isolated on his own time and time again given the way we set up with left wingers.

 

[Rossa]

Before his injury, he was really exciting to watch with his marauding runs. He doesn't seem to have lost much pace, but is his overall play a little, well, meh? He's not the dribbling, great at combining with the attackers Evra or Marcelo. He's not the defensively solid Cole who also contributes with overlapping runs, and he doesn't have the crossing ability of a Baines. Although he is very fast in terms of top speed, he isn't very agile or nimble, so tricky, quick and agile players often seem to be able to go past him.

I think he's solid enough, but he's not very spectacular... Hopefully, he proves me very wrong. His passing is good, and he is strong with a good engine.

 

[AP88]

Before his injury, he was really exciting to watch with his marauding runs. He doesn't seem to have lost much pace, but is his overall play a little, well, meh? He's not the dribbling, great at combining with the attackers Evra or Marcelo. He's not the defensively solid Cole who also contributes with overlapping runs, and he doesn't have the crossing ability of a Baines. Although he is very fast in terms of top speed, he isn't very agile or nimble, so tricky, quick and agile players often seem to be able to go past him.

I think he's solid enough, but he's not very spectacular... Hopefully, he proves me very wrong. His passing is good, and he is strong with a good engine.

Yeah he seems to be lacking that x-factor he had pre-injury or more to the point pre-Jose. He’s seemingly playing with the handbrake on at the minute - though I’m sure being rotated with Young and playing every second/third week isn’t helping.

 

[ti vu]

Before his injury, he was really exciting to watch with his marauding runs. He doesn't seem to have lost much pace, but is his overall play a little, well, meh? He's not the dribbling, great at combining with the attackers Evra or Marcelo. He's not the defensively solid Cole who also contributes with overlapping runs, and he doesn't have the crossing ability of a Baines. Although he is very fast in terms of top speed, he isn't very agile or nimble, so tricky, quick and agile players often seem to be able to go past him.

I think he's solid enough, but he's not very spectacular... Hopefully, he proves me very wrong. His passing is good, and he is strong with a good engine.

It's partly due to tactic. Under LVG or Poch at Southampton, they used 2 proper defensive/ holding midfielders. These guys took care of covering the space Shaw leaves behind in his run. Mourinho only asked one of his midfielder to sit while someone like Pogba is allowed to bomb forward. This means our full back, not just Shaw or left back, needs to read the game and understand when to and not to bomb forward.

Then Shaw is mentally recovered and tactically improved but not yet return to his best shape. He is better than the last season, but not as sharp as he was in the period before the leg break.

 

[roseguy64]

He needs to be playing for a while to discover himself again. He's playing mostly on talent currently IMO. He should be much better next season.

 

[mav_9me]

He may not appear as a full attacking left back but continuous movement, passing and linking with other players on his flank is valuable to us, things that we don't see much with Young there even if the latter is better crosser.

I think that is so obvious. He would always be my first choice and against poor teams at home would maybe bring Young on as a sub.

 

[kouroux]

This kid is the future. Enough with Young starting the most important games, it should be the other way around now. Shaw as a starter and Young as a quality backup

 

[BigBebe]

I would have my transfer request submitted by now if i were Luke Shaw.

 

[R'hllor]

This kid is the future. Enough with Young starting the most important games, it should be the other way around now. Shaw as a starter and Young as a quality backup

Experience beats form, real position or quality in JM`s world.

 

[mav_9me]

Right now this and Martial back on the bench are my biggest issues with Jose.

At least with martial he has a bit of a problem with Alexis and playing 433.

But how young gets games ahead of Shaw is criminal.

 

[kouroux]

Experience beats form, real position or quality in JM`s world.

Sadly yeah.p

 

[bosnian_red]

Why the feck was he not in the squad???

 

[Garethw]

This whole situation is getting farcical now.

How he isn’t getting games ahead of a 33 year old winger is mind boggling.

If Jose doesn’t rate/trust him then fecking sell him and buy someone to replace him.

 

[Garethw]

I would have my transfer request submitted by now if i were Luke Shaw.

That would be a bit cnutish after the club stood by him during the injury and the two years it’s taken him to fully get over it.

 

[Loublaze]

This whole situation is getting farcical now.

How he isn’t getting games ahead of a 33 year old winger is mind boggling.

If Jose doesn’t rate/trust him then fecking sell him and buy someone to replace him.

You're right. Its beyond ridiculous now

 

[Andersons Dietician]

Doubt he’ll be selected today. I’m guessing it will be a back 3 which would suit him I think but will most likely be Ashley in the team.

 

[Litch]

I like Shaw but sometimes my argument to play him is based on absolutely no substance at all. My willingness for him to succeed even goes to the fact he's completed a full game. Then you think of Irwin, Evra, Nev's and I realises how much my expectation has lowered since the glory days. It's not his fault but in honesty can't continue to play people cause of them potentially being good sometime soon, this is not a science anymore than me putting the numbers on the lottery cause I might win it in the future...

 

[GreenHeron]

My argument to play him is, as well as looking better with him in the side, the results are better as well. Since November we have won 7 and drawn 2 of the 9 games in which Shaw has started, whilst winning only 6 and losing 5 of the 13 in which he hasn't.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I like Shaw but sometimes my argument to play him is based on absolutely no substance at all. My willingness for him to succeed even goes to the fact he's completed a full game. Then you think of Irwin, Evra, Nev's and I realises how much my expectation has lowered since the glory days. It's not his fault but in honesty can't continue to play people cause of them potentially being good sometime soon, this is not a science anymore than me putting the numbers on the lottery cause I might win it in the future...

Yeah, same here. When he got a run of games recently and Mourinho was talking him up I was willing to get on the hype train and convince myself he was playing really well and would nail down that LB positions. But, if I’m honest, he wasn’t very good at all. Not good enough defensively and didn’t offer much going forward. He has an uncanny knack for consistenly arriving a second or two too late at both ends of the pitch.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

Did anyone watch Pool yesterday and see the performance Robertson put in? Fair enough our tactics don’t allow for Shaw to attack that freely or get himself in those positions but that is what I want from a fullback and Shaw is capable of doing it it just seems like he isn’t allowed to over commit to me. The Pool 4th Goal, Robertson starts it then bombs forward continues his run gets in the box Firminho slips a ball in to his path in the 18 yarder and he lays it across for Mane. That’s a simple thing that neither our left or Right fullback ever seem to get in the position to do it.

 

[el3mel]

He should take a run as a starter, for the sole purpose of analysing his position and performance to see if we'll buy a new LB in summer or not. Playing Young is pointless since he's not a long term option and won't tell us if we should support this position or not.

 

[Santoryo]

He should take a run as a starter, for the sole purpose of analysing his position and performance to see if we'll buy a new LB in summer or not. Playing Young is pointless since he's not a long term option and won't tell us if we should support this position or not.

This is also my thinking. Fair enough if Jose wanted to reward Young for his earlier performances but since the Spurs game he's been shown up, especially defensively and doesn't warrant an automatic start anymore.

In the meantime Shaw had a good run of games(which he badly needed) and had been solid, same as when he's been called upon. Young should have always been a stop gap and when Shaw get back to his feet or even starts seeing a semblance of solid form we should have simply stuck with him given he's supposed to be our future.

Playing Young right now feels like a waste of time.

 

[Witchking]

That would be a bit cnutish after the club stood by him during the injury and the two years it’s taken him to fully get over it.

It is also a bit cnutish of the club to prefer a winger as a left back when you have a dedicated left back in good form sitting on the side lines even after some good performances in the rare games he got to play. He owes the club nothing if Jose is hell bent on being defensive and using a winger as a left back. Shaw has his career to think about and anyone in his place will think about quitting the club to get more playing opportunities.

 

[diplomat]

I have a feeling that if he starts and doesn't play well, Mourinho will bench him for good unless no-one else can play LB for the rest of the season.