[MikeKing]

Took responsibility at the back. Played like a leader. The confidence boost he got from playing CB was a genius touch and seems to have rejuvenated his passion for defending. His defensive ability has always been there, but I don't think I've seen him this sharp in years honestly. Our best defensive player today alongside Maguire. I have no issue with his chronic shitty end product if he plays like this 7/10 games. He'll be mint.

Only thing I didn't like was his standard arms out posture, spending 2 minutes on the ball just because nobody pressed him. I mean it was alright, but it just displays a lack of understanding of the game and worst of all complacency. If he never did that before, I wouldn't care at the end of the game but he needs to cut that shit out even at that stage after a great game.. He didn't do it once during the game and had his best game in years, get it together.

 

[Shimo]

Key to our win today. Excellent performance overall to add - up there with Bruno for MOTM for me.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

Only thing I didn't like was his standard arms out posture, spending 2 minutes on the ball just because nobody pressed him. I mean it was alright, but it just displays a lack of understanding of the game and worst of all complacency.

Are you talking about the bit at the end where he was killing time, When he was eventually pressed he gave it to Maguire then Maguire gave it back and he did the same thing. This time however him just standing on the ball opened up the space for him to play a nice pass in to our midfield that started another attack?

 

[kiristao]

Looked very solid defensively. I still feel he can do better trying to stop crosses coming in like AVB on the other side. Tends to stay a bit to far almost worried the winger might run past him.

 

[Prodigy24]

Credit where it's due, was excellent today! Hope he can keep it up like this for the rest of the season and stay fit.

 

[SAFMUTD]

I’d like to see him as a CB in a back 4 line, he’s proved he can do it in a back 5 he’s got the speed and height and has a decent technique to play out of the back we may end up surprised.

 

[Raven]

He's just a quality player.

 

[Jinn]

Just needs to be consistent throughout the season.

 

[Foxbatt]

Glad he's getting some good comments, looked pretty decent and comfortable today.
Glad we stuck with him against a lot of reason at times!

I don't think he was decent today. I thought he was brilliant.

 

[Nick7]

Very very good today.

 

[Buster15]

Credit where it's due, was excellent today! Hope he can keep it up like this for the rest of the season and stay fit.

Couldn't agree more.
He was very good at Southampton and initially good when he joined United.

But his bad injury affected his development and progress.
He has come through a lot and it is a massive credit to him and the club and Ole that he is now starting to show him full potential.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Hitting some form just at the right time. Seems the challenge of Williams has helped him buck his ideas up, but I think playing as a CB for a while has made him appreciate his positioning more and staying a bit more switched on.

Was a very good performance, and he saved our asses with that tackle in the 3rd minute, the game could have been very different if he didn't do that.

 

[Mainoldo]

I still have hope he can get back to what he use to be.. He's talented just doesn't have a clue what he's doing going forward anymore.

 

[Samid]

Been very good recently. Hoping he has finally matured and can kick on from here. Although I'm not holding my breath because he has had countless false dawns up until this point.

 

[TrustInOle]

Tremendous performance from Luke today and seems to have really turned a corner recently. One thing, he comes across amazingly well in interviews, even during the tough times he is honest but always encouraging of his team mates.

 

[cyberman]

The way he gave away the corner for their disallowed goal annoys me. He could clear it out easily with his right but lets it roll across his body with the full intention of giving away a corner.
It was really odd looking

 

[Floyd]

The way he gave away the corner for their disallowed goal annoys me. He could clear it out easily with his right but lets it roll across his body with the full intention of giving away a corner.
It was really odd looking

Come on now, that was a difficult situation. I was just relieved he didn't score an own goal there.

He had a great game yesterday, there were even a few times where he was channeling his inner Robertson and bombing forward with great acceleration.

 

[NoPace]

For me, in theory he's our 5th "best" player after Pogba, De Gea, Bruno and Rashford but in practice he can't really be counted on and we need to sign an LB to compete with him.

 

[BarstoolProphet]

He's so physically dominant when he's in form that it's actually laughable. I love it when the opponent winger tries to play the ball around him but just end up running into a brick wall.

 

[DoomSlayer]

For me, in theory he's our 5th "best" player after Pogba, De Gea, Bruno and Rashford but in practice he can't really be counted on and we need to sign an LB to compete with him.

What's wrong with Williams?

 

[ArjenIsM3]

What's wrong with Williams?

From what I've seen so far he's a decent player with the right mentality but I'm not convinced he's a LB with him being right footed. It makes it hard for him to overlap and cross. He always cuts back to his right which slows down the play and usually it means he'll pass the ball back to a cb or cm. Might be better off on the right.

 

[izec]

He has so much potential, but his mentality is letting him down. Only a matter of time until injuries and fitness issue creep in.

 

[2 man midfield]

It’s definitely a mentality issue with him. Ole basically admitted post match that he’s told Shaw time and time again to make those forward runs, and when he listens he’s top class.

 

[Thepinhead]

Think the push from Williams has given him a lift.

Perhaps that's just what some of our players need. They got too comfortable.

I think that and something else I noticed in his post match interview, was that he said he really wanted to fight for Ole. I think Ole is more Lukes type of manager. He does seem to need that type of manager who puts an arm around his shoulders and gives him confidence. It's odd that a pro footballer who earns millions and has a great masculine look lacks confidence, but you can tell by the way he stands in interviews that he isn't the most confident guy.

 

[RedIan]

Lets not forget the horrendous injury Shaw had a couple of years ago, he almost lost his leg. It must have left psychological scars. He is looking back to his best, just needs to believe in himself going forward more because he is electric when he does.

 

[romufc]

Annoys me when everyone thinks LB is crucial this summer. We have 3/4 other areas before we need a new LB.

Defensively, he is one of the best LB's in the league. He needs to improve attacking, I think he an contribute more like the threat he was udder LVG.

 

[harms]

From what I've seen so far he's a decent player with the right mentality but I'm not convinced he's a LB with him being right footed. It makes it hard for him to overlap and cross. He always cuts back to his right which slows down the play and usually it means he'll pass the ball back to a cb or cm. Might be better off on the right.

Paolo Maldini, Giacinto Facchetti, Nílton Santos, Paul Breitner, Leo Júnior, Andreas Brehme (although almost completely ambidextrous)... if you look at any list of an all-time great left backs, more than a half of them would be right-footed. Denis Irwin, if you need an example more relevant to Manchester United.

 

[ArjenIsM3]

Paolo Maldini, Giacinto Facchetti, Nílton Santos, Paul Breitner, Leo Júnior, Andreas Brehme (although almost completely ambidextrous)... if you look at any list of an all-time great left backs, more than a half of them would be right-footed. Denis Irwin, if you need an example more relevant to Manchester United.

I'm not saying you can't be a LB if you're right footed, but from what I've seen from Williams he seems a bit one dimensional that's all. Of course the jury's still out with it being his first season and he's still young but he hasn't convinced me just yet.

 

[Floyd]

Paolo Maldini, Giacinto Facchetti, Nílton Santos, Paul Breitner, Leo Júnior, Andreas Brehme (although almost completely ambidextrous)... if you look at any list of an all-time great left backs, more than a half of them would be right-footed. Denis Irwin, if you need an example more relevant to Manchester United.

Sorry to nit pick, but Brehme was left footed although extremely capable with his right.

But what do these players have in common? They're all retired decades ago. Football has evolved, and full backs are much more important in the attacking play nowadays. And now with inverted wingers it's even more useful with full backs keeping width and overlapping. When you play on the "wrong" side of the pitch you tend to drift into the middle.

Any top teams now, or even in the last decade, who's played with a right footed left back? Expect Lahm! Genuinely curious.

 

[limerickcitykid]

Sorry to nit pick, but Brehme was left footed although extremely capable with his right.

But what do these players have in common? They're all retired decades ago. Football has evolved, and full backs are much more important in the attacking play nowadays. And now with inverted wingers it's even more useful with full backs keeping width and overlapping. When you play on the "wrong" side of the pitch you tend to drift into the middle.

Any top teams now, or even in the last decade, who's played with a right footed left back? Expect Lahm! Genuinely curious.

Azpi has regularly played LB over 100 times.

 

[Floyd]

Azpi has regularly played LB over 100 times.

Good call!

Carragher too, come to think about it. None of them contribute in attack mind. And that's kind of my point.

 

[harms]

Sorry to nit pick, but Brehme was left footed although extremely capable with his right.

But what do these players have in common? They're all retired decades ago. Football has evolved, and full backs are much more important in the attacking play nowadays. And now with inverted wingers it's even more useful with full backs keeping width and overlapping. When you play on the "wrong" side of the pitch you tend to drift into the middle.

Any top teams now, or even in the last decade, who's played with a right footed left back? Expect Lahm! Genuinely curious.

He usually took penalties with his right, although his free kicks were mostly left-footed. I guess when you're that ambidextrous, it can create a confusion

Were there that many great left backs recently? Marcelo, Cole, Evra? I very much doubt that any of the above-mentioned would struggle to perform today. Lahm is an obvious call, although you've mentioned him. Azpilicueta. Zanetti had often played on the left and he retired in 2014, same with Zambrotta. More so, if we're talking about modern trends, it's probably the inverted fullbacks, not the inverted wingers, which has been the norm at least from the mid 00's.

 

[roonster09]

He is in very good form, played very well as LCB and then as a LB vs Watford. If not for Bruno, he would have been my man of the match.

Our build up for the Martial goal deserves more appreciation, one of the key player for that is Shaw. He was the one who set the tempo for that move. Competition for places is something we have missed for all positions, it really brings best out of players.

 

[Skills]

He is in very good form, played very well as LCB and then as a LB vs Watford. If not for Bruno, he would have been my man of the match.

Our build up for the Martial goal deserves more appreciation, one of the key player for that is Shaw. He was the one who set the tempo for that move. Competition for places is something we have missed for all positions, it really brings best out of players.

He's always had competition - so much so that he couldn't get a look in for 2 years. What he's lacked is regular gametime and a bit of luck with injury.

It's weird how people have come to the conclusion that Williams threatening his place has pushed him on, when he's been playing second fiddle to Ashley Young for years.

 

[roonster09]

He's always had competition - so much so that he couldn't get a look in for 2 years. What he's lacked is regular gametime and a bit of luck with injury.

It's weird how people have come to the conclusion that Williams threatening his place has pushed him on, when he's been playing second fiddle to Ashley Young for years.

Losing to experienced players like Young who had the trust of all the managers we had is different from losing his place to 19 year old who was playing for U18s just a year ago. He lost his position even when he played well under Jose. It was only in 2018-19 season he won the position and was first choice starter for the team.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

Very good again.

 

[Machine Elements]

Bruno & Fred will grab the headlines after this game but I thought he was very very good again. Reminded me his immense performances at the start of 15/16 season before the leg break. Maybe because we played against Club Brugge then too? But it's clear that he could be a very important part of this team if he can get this consistency now. He was probably our best player last year, this season so far is very good too. With the emergence of Williams this season, we don't really need a new LB at all.

 

[Jonno]

Excellent again. He’s a confidence player, and its sky high right now. 6 clean sheets in 7, he‘s defending well, attacking well, looks fit. Spoke well pre-match and was bombing forward 80 yards a good 80-85 mins in.

 

[Tiber]

Very good. But that's standard for Shaw these days

 

[RedIan]

Yep he was excellent. been consistantly great for 4 or 5 games now.