Should Luke Shaw be converted to a midfielder?

KennyBurner

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"Should David de Gea be conerted into an attacking midfielder?"
Ever since fellaini left we have been looking for a 6'4 player to lump the ball towards. Okay i'l stop here.

@kode wish I had seen your post before making mine:lol:
 

roonster09

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He does, his first touch is one of the best in the squad usually, and he hits some lovely passes.

Who remembers this assist from Shaw for Rashford? sums up what i'm talking about.


Similar assist vs Watford too.
 

Cassidy

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What makes you guys think he doesn't read the game well? he intercepts well and has a good eye for a pass. I wouldn't put him down as a dumb player.
His decision making on the ball
 

Big Ben Foster

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If it was up to the caf we would be lining up like this:

DDG
Tuanzebe - AWB - Bailly - Williams
Lindelof
Maguire - TFM
Dalot - Greenwood - Shaw​
/thread

I will never understand the caf's obsession with playing our players out of their natural positions.
 

Adam-Utd

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Similar assist vs Watford too.
Almost identical, I had forgotten about that!

from a LCM position also. This is what I mean, he's a better footballer than people give him credit for. Clearly though he's "in the bad books" according to most in this thread, so they're not even wanting to give it a thought.
/thread

I will never understand the caf's obsession with playing our players out of their natural positions.
There's no such thing as a natural position in football. Maybe Shaw was a "natural" midfielder all his life? he's just never tried it. Silly thing to say.

Many players move positions throughout their career, i'd be interested to see Shaw given a chance.
 

Bestietom

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He would pick up more injuries in midfield. Probably play 12 games a season, if lucky.
 

roonster09

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Almost identical, I had forgotten about that!

from a LCM position also. This is what I mean, he's a better footballer than people give him credit for. Clearly though he's "in the bad books" according to most in this thread, so they're not even wanting to give it a thought.
I don't know whether he will be good midfielder (I believe he doesn't have skillset) but I always said he is good footballer. He has very good first touch, can pick pass and also good in tight spaces. He should improve his contribution in final third, he picks the passes but he should learn how to cross with whip.
 

romufc

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/thread

I will never understand the caf's obsession with playing our players out of their natural positions.
Then complain and moan about players being played out of position as well. Never simple at the caf.
 

Conor

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His positional awareness is bad enough at left back, never mind in as a DM, where it matters even more.
 

MyOnlySolskjaer

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He does, his first touch is one of the best in the squad usually, and he hits some lovely passes.

Who remembers this assist from Shaw for Rashford? sums up what i'm talking about.

I was surprised when he did this, I didn't think he had this in his locker.

Albeit it's not something we see from him game in game out. A lot of his crosses have been poor on the whole, he usually goes for the easy cut back or short pass back. A lot of people put him in the category of attacking fullback because he's fast but he doesn't really offer enough on that front.
 

BaneIsPain

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Don't give any idea of not spending on midfielder. Shaw still has future here but I hope Williams will cement his place soon.
 

Raees

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False football player would the best position.
 

Nevilles.Wear.Prada

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Intensive? I'd argue being a fullback is WAY more intensive, especially running.

Midfield you run around the pitch at 80%, bursting into a sprint at certain times. Fullback you're making 100% runs way more regularly. That's a lot harder on your body than it is in midfield.

There's a reason why people like Pirlo, Scholes etc can play there until their late 30s no problem.
Usually midfielders cover more ground i think. Even their mileage is higher than fullbacks.
 

Adam-Utd

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Usually midfielders cover more ground i think. Even their mileage is higher than fullbacks.
Yes they do - but the point is it's a different type of running.

Fellaini used to cover a high amount of ground, but he'd jog around the pitch.

Would you imagine Fellaini doing the same style of running at fullback? it's very different. I think Shaw could cover plenty of ground at a more gentle speed. Midfield really isn't about distance, it's smart running.
 

pascell

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Never should he play or be converted to a CM, simply because of one thing he lacks even at LB, positional awareness and has to use his pace to get him out of trouble. Even Jose had to tell him where to be on the touchline, he should be as far away from our CM as possible.
 

Van Piorsing

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Should be converted into a fit player immediately.

His injury from LvG era was something that made almost every supporter getting behind him 100%, but it's time for him to step up and play regularly.
 

simonhch

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You’re either a genius or a moron. There’s no middle ground with this post.
 

Okey

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Erm... Seriously??? Our very same Luke Shaw? No chance.
 

izec

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Sometimes a position change can transform struggling players, but it is rare. Going from a fullback to a midfielder isnt an easy thing, i dont see Luke Shaw as a midfielder for a top club at all. I could see him at a struggling club filling in as a midfielder when an injury crisis occurs, but he will be a left back here.

He is struggling to make the mark as a left back here and fitness wise keeping up. He is decent defensively, but his attacking runs are bang average. He has no clue how to attack. He can put in a pass every now and then, but i wouldnt say that he is consistently a great passer, dribbler, runner. His defensive contributions keep him solid and consistent in that regard, and thats about it.
 

Amar__

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No wonder you love Pogba so much when you think Luke Shaw should be a midfielder. You can read anything here.

And to be fair he wasn't that great for us even before breaking his leg.
 

roonster09

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Evra, Irwin and Neville's did plenty of that too. Doesn't mean anyone who can get an assist now and then, should automatically become a CM.. Come on....
I never said he should be CM, I said he doesn’t have skill set to be a CM.
 

Gandalf Greyhame

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He can't even work with the defence to consistently work on the offside trap, he's got no positional sense at all to be a midfielder.
Also, if he can't make it work at LB, he should be dropped for Williams/Young. Why is it that he has to play elsewhere?
 

TRUERED89

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No wonder you love Pogba so much when you think Luke Shaw should be a midfielder. You can read anything here.

And to be fair he wasn't that great for us even before breaking his leg.
How do the two things even relate? Pogba and Shaw have 0 similarities. Although I agree with the rest of this thread that there's no chance that would/should happen. Quite comical from OP really.
 

buckooo1978

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the issue with Luke Shaw is he isnt very good at anything

ok fitness
ok speed
ok acceleration
ok presence
ok tacking

you get the picture - contrast that with players like Wan Bissaka who has some excellent attributes or even Daley Blind who read the game excellently and had a wand of a left foot

there is nothing excellent to Shaw's game and with the level he is at he should probably be backup to Williams based on what we've seen so far

He shouldn't be anywhere midfield as he isnt good enough technically, doesn't pass well enough, lacks presence and he has no experience or awareness in that position
 

billybee99

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So, let me start with saying at first before his injury he was showing great promise as a flying fullback. He was strong in pretty much every department, apart from scoring and assisting.

He was doing really well at the start of his career with us, but then the dreaded leg break happened, and it's never really gone right for him since then. He obviously struggles with fitness, he's a big lad and his body type just doesn't suit flying up and down the wing all game.

Probably linked with the injury, he seems to pick up lots of musclar injuries, which I don't think is helped by playing arguably the hardest physical position in football.

For me looking at this list of strengths:

Standing tackles.

Acceleration.

Passing.

Holding the ball under pressure

Individual duels.

I feel that with his traits, he could make a fantastic LCM, or even CDM.

I think he would play the position similarly to a young Anderson, driving with the ball through the middle of the pitch, or able to overlap the winger on occasion.

Defensively there isn't many that'll run passed him, and he's very good at tackling one on one.

In the air he's good and wins plenty of headers.

He's shown recently to have a very good strike on him, and he's quite a creative passer when around the box.

For me with the emergence of Williams i'd love to see Shaw given a try in that position.
So he's a flying fullback who doesn't score or assist? Um...ok
 

Teja

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If it was up to the caf we would be lining up like this:

DDG
Tuanzebe - AWB - Bailly - Williams
Lindelof
Maguire - TFM
Dalot - Greenwood - Shaw​
It's almost as if there's more than one person here ;)
 

Bebestation

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I have to say those pre injury performances by Shaw is one of the most overrated form of a player I have ever heard of.

I loved LVG & his tactics and even I'd overrate the players - but Shaw did absolutely nothing during that period & it was just pure hype from the fan base of having a young English fullback & we have the same player we always had.

He is nothing special good enough maybe to be a back up LB but not long term starting full bakc for United.
 

Dozer

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I have to say those pre injury performances by Shaw is one of the most overrated form of a player I have ever heard of.

I loved LVG & his tactics and even I'd overrate the players - but Shaw did absolutely nothing during that period & it was just pure hype from the fan base of having a young English fullback & we have the same player we always had.

He is nothing special good enough maybe to be a back up LB but not long term starting full bakc for United.
And if you have a backup you need him to be fit when the first choice isn't.

Shaw won't be. He should be on his way out if we can find a buyer.
 

Nevilles.Wear.Prada

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Yes they do - but the point is it's a different type of running.

Fellaini used to cover a high amount of ground, but he'd jog around the pitch.

Would you imagine Fellaini doing the same style of running at fullback? it's very different. I think Shaw could cover plenty of ground at a more gentle speed. Midfield really isn't about distance, it's smart running.
Agree. But running and shaw? Really? Same sentence?