[VanGaalEra]

He's good defensively and it's what we need.

He's also good at making overlapping runs, it's why his best performances going forward for us came when we were playing 433 with a winger.

 

[bugmat]

Valencia is doing alright i think.

TBF Valencia was a great crosser for 2.5 - 3 years..then some doppleganger replaced him and now he murders shins for the most part

Shaw does look lost in attack and not only yesterday. I'm hoping that is down to his stop-start season and not having an understanding with our other attackers, but he can improve. His defending is by and large very good though apart from one or two moments this season (when he's played).

 

[Bwuk]

Very strong defensively, but could work on his attack capabilities.

Just me who thinks at a young age, that that isn't the worst thing to be for a left back? It's a lot easier to find attacking full backs than genuinely strong full backs. Shaw seems to link with Rojo well as well.

 

[saivet]

I'd take a full back who's excellent defensively but average going forward over a defender who's excellent going forward but average defensively. Provided we have a good attacker down his side, I don't think his lack of attacking capabilities will be that big of a problem.

 

[Skywarden]

Very strong defensively, but could work on his attack capabilities.

Just me who thinks at a young age, that that isn't the worst thing to be for a left back? It's a lot easier to find attacking full backs than genuinely strong full backs. Shaw seems to link with Rojo well as well.

Definitely agree with you. Having a good, defensive foundation at a young age will certainly make life easier for him as he develops.

 

[jojose]

I'd take a full back who's excellent defensively but average going forward over a defender who's excellent going forward but average defensively. Provided we have a good attacker down his side, I don't think his lack of attacking capabilities will be that big of a problem.

The thing with modern day footballl is players are pigeon holed into a position at a very young age now. Those positions are also very specific. You cant just have a lad who is a midfielder, he must be a Dm, AM, LCM etc etc etc. This can result in players not full filling their potential, or certainly not showing all of what they can do. Anderson being brought up as an attacking midfielder but us trying to show horn him into a defensive midfielder for example.

With shaw, this is a positive thing. He's a left back. Its clear that he's been a left back from the very first school U8's game he played. As a result, even at 19 years old. He knows the position inside out.

I personally think he's an excellant left back and one that will only get better. I agree with the consensus that he offers more in attack when he has a winger infront of him. He's not exactly lightening quick or as tricky as an ecra say but he makes the right choices when attacking. So when he has a winger infront of him, he knows when to overlap, when to use the wingers run and cut inside / carry the ball.

Fingers crossed him and rojo stay fit and continue to improve. If that happens i'll be happy that the left side of our defence is taken care of for a good few years

 

[.Rossi]

Where is he this evening?

 

[Sean_RedDevil]

Where is he this evening?

He was with the squad in the team hotel yesterday

 

[.Rossi]

He was with the squad in the team hotel yesterday

Rules out an injury?

 

[Sean_RedDevil]

Rules out an injury?

Maybe he's ill like me.
But if he was there (like Januzaj) then i doubt there is an inury.

 

[Mickson]

Where is he this evening?

Not fit enough to play two games in three days?

 

[VanGaalEra]

He was with the squad in the team hotel yesterday

Our players always seem to get injured during the last training sessions.

 

[Redo91]

He was with the squad in the team hotel yesterday

Not doubting you but how do you know this?

Edit: Never mind I've just seen your post in the Januzaj thread.

Our players always seem to get injured during the last training sessions.

They would not have been a training session today I'm pretty sure.

 

[bucky]

Our players always seem to get injured during the last training sessions.

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Doesn't sound like it.

 

[VanGaalEra]

Not saying he got injured in training, but how many times have we heard the press conference of LVG on a Friday, then it comes to game day and we find out someone got injured in training.

Hope he's not injured, would be smart to have given him a bit of a rest tonight.

 

[Redo91]

Not saying he got injured in training, but how many times have we heard the press conference of LVG on a Friday, then it comes to game day and we find out someone got injured in training.

Hope he's not injured, would be smart to have given him a bit of a rest tonight.

The thing is going by the above tweet he didn't get injured in training yesterday and we wouldn't have had a training session today.

 

[Damien]

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[SirAF]

Tweet

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[Devil may care]

Maybe LvG was just saving him for the West Ham game and managing his fitness.

 

[Damien]

Maybe LvG was just saving him for the West Ham game and managing his fitness.

Yeah, seems to be the case. No real point in playing him against Cambridge and possibly picking up another injury. He'll have trained as normal as said previously and watched the game from the stands or whatever.

 

[Floyd]

At a Q&A for manutd.com both Young and Wilson said Shaw and Smalling were the fastest players at the club. Wilson and Young also got a mention, from both.

 

[Trizy]

At a Q&A for manutd.com both Young and Wilson said Shaw and Smalling were the fastest players at the club. Wilson and Young also got a mention, from both.

Has anyone here doubted his pace? Even running with the ball at people he's like Bolt.

 

[Jev]

One thing I've been wondering: Didn't he make a lot of assists for Southampton last season?

I've been quite disappointed with his attacking contribution so far. He looks very solid defensively but in modern day football, I personally believe the attacking part of the game is slightly more important for a full-back. He doesn't seem too keen on taking his man on, usually preferring the early cross which mosten often leads to nothing.

 

[Damien]

One thing I've been wondering: Didn't he make a lot of assists for Southampton last season?

I've been quite disappointed with his attacking contribution so far. He looks very solid defensively but in modern day football, I personally believe the attacking part of the game is slightly more important for a full-back. He doesn't seem too keen on taking his man on, usually preferring the early cross which mosten often leads to nothing.

Just two according to transfermarkt

Attacking side of things will improve, just needs two things:
1) to regularly play in a back four, the wingback role doesn't suit him and the little injuries he's picked up so far don't really help.
2) for whoever is on the left flank with him to use him more and build up some sort of understanding... as it is, in the past di Maria has been on Shaw's side and Shaw runs forward only to be ignored completely.

 

[Jev]

Just two according to transfermarkt

Attacking side of things will improve, just needs two things:
1) to regularly play in a back four, the wingback role doesn't suit him and the little injuries he's picked up so far don't really help.
2) for whoever is on the left flank with him to use him more and build up some sort of understanding... as it is, in the past di Maria has been on Shaw's side and Shaw runs forward only to be ignored completely.

Okay, just me then, I remember him getting into crossing positions a lot when I watched Southampton last year so I've erroneously believed him to be an attacking full-back. He clearly needs to work on his crossing.

Agree on point 1, time is on his side and I'm sure he'll be great for us. Would have been nice to have Evra for one more year, though.

As for 2), one of the big issues have been that we haven't had an actual left-winger in many games.

 

[Amar__]

Okay, just me then, I remember him getting into crossing positions a lot when I watched Southampton last year so I've erroneously believed him to be an attacking full-back. He clearly needs to work on his crossing.

Agree on point 1, time is on his side and I'm sure he'll be great for us. Would have been nice to have Evra for one more year, though.

As for 2), one of the big issues have been that we haven't had an actual left-winger in many games.

Is his crossing really bad? I think not, I actually think it's better than the likes of Evra(which isn't hard tbf, but he was here for lot of years and build his career on attacking strength), Rafael(inconsistent), and Valencia from our team. Nothing worse than the likes of Zabaleta and Ivanovic who are first choice in City and Chelsea. He can swing quite decent quality cross at times, but his decision making isn't the best in attacking third(which doesn't have to be his fault).

I think @Damien is spot on, he doesn't really need much work on training pitch, he needs to develop understanding with other players by playing football matches in same position and with same players around him.

 

[goin4glory]

I remember when he first signed at being shocked by the amount of people who thought he was an attacking full back. The comparisons to Ashley Cole seemed in my opinion to be because like Cole he is great defensively and in particular in 1v1 situations is incredibly hard to beat. Cole never contributed massively to Chelsea's attacking which is fairly evident is his goals/assists/chances created numbers and in my opinion never got the criticism he deserved for it.

As for Shaw playing him as wingback where's he's expected (at a minimum) to be taking on the opposition fullbacks isn't a role he's suited for. I agree he needs to be working on his delivery as it's been quite poor so far.

 

[NotoriousISSY]

The sooner we nail down a style of play and system and see some consistency in selections, players like Shaw will benefit.

Of course he will need to stop getting injured.

 

[thejtrain]

He's very solid defensively, but I think he's at least as bad as Valencia when it comes to crossing. He almost adds nothing to the attack and having Januzaj play on the same side doesn't help things. At least he's not being played as a wingback these days, because whenever he played there, he's been awful!

 

[Nighteyes]

His crosses are so fecking weak. At least Valencia smashes in and they go out for a corner. His crosses trickle into the box.

 

[luckyspurs]

He's very solid defensively, but I think he's at least as bad as Valencia when it comes to crossing. He almost adds nothing to the attack and having Januzaj play on the same side doesn't help things. At least he's not being played as a wingback these days, because whenever he played there, he's been awful!

West Ham's left back Cresswell much better going forward, but nothing like the same class defensively. Shaw great defensively and I still believe that matters most. Other areas of the team need to create; not everyone can be as good as Evra in that department.

 

[Lay]

I have no confidence in him when he gets into attacking areas.

 

[Scrumpet]

Thought he was our best outfield player to be honest.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

Very good match for him. Can't fault him for the red card. He was taking one for the team.

 

[Zoo]

He was our best player today.

 

[Sammyjunn]

Unneccasry red card but he was solid.

 

[Stadjer]

I think he was one of the better players today. His second yellow was stupid but it is to be expected from a young player.

 

[Cheesy]

Decent performance today, he's better as a full-back than wing-back by a long distance.

 

[Sam]

Considering he got sent off, this may sound weird, but I thought he was by far and away our best player today.

 

[NotoriousISSY]

Deserved red card (although Clattenburg's inconsistency and leniency towards Song annoys me). Other than that, our best outfield player today.

Was never going to lay on a chance for Falcao or RVP because those two weren't scoring today!