[Bojan11]

His poor performances have come when he's been asked to play as wingback and nobody is in front of him.

He's much better when he has a winger in front of him. Even Gary Neville would have looked poor as a wing back because he won't have anyone in front of him to give space to cross.

 

[ZDwyr]

Thought he was impressive in his first game back. Will be interesting to see what happens when Blind is fit again.

 

[Nighteyes]

It's ridiculous that he's so good at 19. Fitness permitting he'll be the best LB in the world in 2 years time.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

His poor performances have come when he's been asked to play as wingback and nobody is in front of him.

He's much better when he has a winger in front of him. Even Gary Neville would have looked poor as a wing back because he won't have anyone in front of him to give space to cross.

I think that Shaw could be an excellent wingback if he had more confidence in his obvious ability to leave people for dead.

 

[Sied]

Just watched MOTD and I'd forgotten just how many times he was excellent going forward. It'll be good to give Blind a bit of a rest... He's had a busy season!

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Thought that was his best performance of the season. So much so that subbing him off really robbed us of our impetus.

 

[Mark_GrumpyLion]

Keep on forgetting he's 19. What a talent.

 

[LR7]

I think we would be awesome with both Shaw and Rafael in the fullback spots.

Shaw took us up a notch yesterday and really got us on the front foot.

 

[m1tch]

Great to see him having a good game, can understand lvg subbing him off given the time he's been out. With the injuries we'll no doubt need him for the run in, so really wasn't worth pushing him to 90 mins just to chase a point.

 

[Brwned]

Thought that was his best performance of the season. So much so that subbing him off really robbed us of our impetus.

Completely agree that it changed the game but let's be honest, that has as much to do with Blackett being a really awful LB. He was scared to even go beyond di María and looked incredibly timid on the ball.

Still, that's the kind of performance from Shaw that we expect and should expect for years to come as the bare minimum. He really is very impressive technically. Even more so than Blind IMO. Lovely first touch, great weight of pass and controls the ball well at great speed. He's a better defender than Blind too. The biggest difference between them has been confidence and a willingness to impose themselves on the game. At the moment Shaw still seems a little timid whereas Blind is making an impact over and over again.

 

[Damien]

For some reason his talent doesn't seem obvious to a lot of people. I really don't know why. I think the kid is going to be great and on the whole barring a mistake here and there he's been good whenever he's played. Yes sometimes he's not been great going forwards and not crossed well but he's only a kid and his game is extremely refined for a teenager.

If he isn't one of the best left backs in the game in a few years I'll be surprised.

Unfortunately people see his frame and start saying the lazy rhetoric that he's fat, or has lack of pace like this:

I worry about his lack of pace. He also seems to be carrying a few too many pounds. Given his age (and the investment of course), he gets time to sort it all out and grow into the team. I think he could do with a commanding presence in the heart of the defence - a real leader.

 

[Raoul]

Thought that was his best performance of the season. So much so that subbing him off really robbed us of our impetus.

Partly that, as well as partly the fact that Blackett and Di Maria had no communication and rhythm together, whereas Shaw and Young were much more effective, as we are Blind and Young.

 

[Raw]

Unfortunately people see his frame and start saying the lazy rhetoric that he's fat, or has lack of pace like this:

I remember that, what an absurd comment.

 

[DWelbz19]

If we do get Depay, that could set our left side up for the next 10 years. Vital that he forms a good partnership with whoever is ahead of him. With Di Maria, he ignores him too much and opts to cut inside. Young is great at allowing overlaps and Shaw looked great due to it.

 

[Trizy]

If we do get Depay, that could set our left side up for the next 10 years. Vital that he forms a good partnership with whoever is ahead of him. With Di Maria, he ignores him too much and opts to cut inside. Young is great at allowing overlaps and Shaw looked great due to it.

Indeed, everyone was grill Shaw about going forward when he played with Di Maria when in truth he used ignore his overlap runs 95% of the time.

 

[Tom Van Persie]

I thought he was brilliant yesterday. Very good going forward and solid defensively. He's a very talented lad and I'm sure he'll be our starting left back for the foreseeable future.

 

[Damien]

Yeah, Young and Shaw are suited to one another... Di Maria and Shaw not so much as Di Maria ignores the overlap runs for whatever reason.

 

[Earthquake]

Indeed, everyone was grill Shaw about going forward when he played with Di Maria when in truth he used ignore his overlap runs 95% of the time.

The amount of times he was free in space only for Di Maria to ignore him was annoying as feck. One of Youngs best features is how well he links with the full back, be it Blind, Shaw, or formerly Evra.

 

[ghagua]

That was an impressive game by Shaw against Chelsea, especially in the first half when him and Young were tearing up the left flank. Need him to stay fit and get some game time now. Did not look like a player who has conditioning issues playing the way he played yesterday. Needs to work on his crossing on the run in the summer and he will be ready for next season.

 

[Brightonian]

Not to rain on anyone's parade in here because Shaw was good today, but Ivanovic has been getting absolutely destroyed pretty frequently for quite a while this season. Even by subpar players he's been getting skinned. Anyone with decent pace can have the better of him.

Really? I haven't been watching him that closely but I could have sworn everyone's been going on about how he's one of the most solid defenders in the league this season? I've always had him down as a brilliant defender, particularly against pace and strength, which was part of what was so pleasing about the way Shaw tore past him.

 

[Joemo]

Really? I haven't been watching him that closely but I could have sworn everyone's been going on about how he's one of the most solid defenders in the league this season? I've always had him down as a brilliant defender, particularly against pace and strength, which was part of what was so pleasing about the way Shaw tore past him.

Yeah, it's literally been the opposite of what that poster said. He's extremely solid defensively, and never tends to have a problem against pace as his positioning is great and once he gets his body in between he goes down very easily for a routine free kick. I think Shaw was just simply TOO fast for him, once he got going there was nothing that Ivanovic could do. Also, Shaw's first touch is quality - he often brings it across the defender meaning he's in complete control (Ivanovic's yellow card yesterday)

 

[Brightonian]

Yeah, it's literally been the opposite of what that poster said. He's extremely solid defensively, and never tends to have a problem against pace as his positioning is great and once he gets his body in between he goes down very easily for a routine free kick. I think Shaw was just simply TOO fast for him, once he got going there was nothing that Ivanovic could do. Also, Shaw's first touch is quality - he often brings it across the defender meaning he's in complete control (Ivanovic's yellow card yesterday)

Ok, thought so cheers. Yep, he's got an incredibly delicate touch when running at pace. The two touches which took him clean round Ivanovic and forced a foul in the second half were superb. And he's the perfect build to be a running fullback in the modern mould - pacy but with a low centre of gravity (so good acceleration and balance), powerful but compact, so it's hard to knock him off course when he's running but he's not clumsy or top heavy.

 

[Sam]

Played yesterday pretty much exactly how he's played every time this season at left back in a back four. I.e very bloody well. Its just that people were ignoring this.

I honestly haven't got a single worry about him. The kid is fantastic and will be our left back for many years to come (barring injury or the like)

 

[SirAF]

Played yesterday pretty much exactly how he's played every time this season at left back in a back four. I.e very bloody well. Its just that people were ignoring this.

I honestly haven't got a single worry about him. The kid is fantastic and will be our left back for many years to come (barring injury or the like)

Basically this, he's mint! Easily one of our players that I'm most excited about.

 

[Brightonian]

Played yesterday pretty much exactly how he's played every time this season at left back in a back four. I.e very bloody well. Its just that people were ignoring this.

Bang on.

 

[Trizy]

Played yesterday pretty much exactly how he's played every time this season at left back in a back four. I.e very bloody well. Its just that people were ignoring this.

I honestly haven't got a single worry about him. The kid is fantastic and will be our left back for many years to come (barring injury or the like)

To be fair he always got huge praise on the Caf for his defending, it was his going forward people used criticize which I don't agree with. It was more so Di Maria ignoring his over lapping and forward runs.

It's scary how good he is at 19, he can easily be the best left back in the world if he puts in the work and avoids injury.

 

[Sied]

To be fair he always got huge praise on the Caf for his defending, it was his going forward people used criticize which I don't agree with. It was more so Di Maria ignoring his over lapping and forward runs.

It's scary how good he is at 19, he can easily be the best left back in the world if he puts in the work and avoids injury.

I was about to say the same. And there were numerous games earlier in the season where he didn't offer much going forward - there's no getting around that. However in hindsight I think this was because of his poor partnership with di Maria (aka di Maria's greed on the ball) and the 352 not suiting him.

 

[SoCross]

He's feckin rapid!

 

[Orc]

Really? I haven't been watching him that closely but I could have sworn everyone's been going on about how he's one of the most solid defenders in the league this season? I've always had him down as a brilliant defender, particularly against pace and strength, which was part of what was so pleasing about the way Shaw tore past him.

Yeah, it's literally been the opposite of what that poster said. He's extremely solid defensively, and never tends to have a problem against pace as his positioning is great and once he gets his body in between he goes down very easily for a routine free kick. I think Shaw was just simply TOO fast for him, once he got going there was nothing that Ivanovic could do. Also, Shaw's first touch is quality - he often brings it across the defender meaning he's in complete control (Ivanovic's yellow card yesterday)

Wrong. I've obviously watched every second of every match we've played this season.

Over on the Chelsea forum I post on the vast majority of us have been calling for him to be dropped, Azpi to move to RB, and Filipe Luis to become a regular. Ivanovic was a beast defensively during that period of the season where we were flying and couldn't be stopped. He's been very poor for months now.

He gets caught miles out of position thinking he's a winger and leaves that side of the pitch vulnerable. He then either gets burnt by a pacey winger or a ball from midfield over the top (like you guys did repeatedly yesterday). This is the main reason our defense has looked much more susceptible compared to last season. Ivanovic gets caught out and Cahill gets exposed.

He obviously has it in him to be fantastic. Best in the league when on form. But for much of this season you can tell that he isn't a natural fullback.

 

[Damien]

Shaw confessed it has been a difficult baptism at Old Trafford.

“Yes, of course, but I am still young and coming to the biggest club in the world hasn’t been easy for me. Hopefully, Saturday was the start for me coming back,” said Shaw.

“I wouldn’t say it has been a hard three weeks, but it has been a three weeks that I have been able to learn a lot more about myself, so it has been a nice three weeks in that respect.

“I haven’t been playing and there has been a lot of negative comments about me. It is something that isn’t nice and I’ve tried to ignore it.

“I saw a comment the other day saying I was taken off at half-time against Arsenal because I wasn’t fit enough, but that’s not true at all.

“I know what the manager pulled me off for and it wasn’t for my (overall) fitness because I could have carried on in the game.

“I spoke with the manager about it. I felt my back a little bit and he just wanted to be careful because I am young and hopefully have a long future ahead of me.”

Shaw’s debut campaign at United has been peppered with niggling injuries and Van Gaal had even told him on the Reds pre-season tour of America last July that he needed to improve his fitness and the defender, who’d been at the World Cup with England, was given a personal improvement training plan.

That public revelation arguably hasn’t helped Shaw’s cause but the teenager hails Van Gaal’s managerial qualities during his tough introduction to United.

"I have family and friends who are helping me on my journey and the manager as well has been unbelievable as well,” added Shaw.

“Over the last three weeks, I have learned a lot from him. He has two sides to him. He is genuinely a really nice guy and a great manager. Credit to him for trusting me in a big game like Chelsea.”

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...news/luke-shaw-manchester-united-move-9075119

 

[Still ill]

Could be one of the greats. Potential is pretty frightening watching him yesterday. Has had a few very public knocks this year and has coped really well with them for such a young guy. Excited to see what sort of a season he has next time out.

 

[AltiUn]

People questioning his pace? He's rapid!

 

[SonnyTheHaloPro]

He was pretty good but his final ball was awful and he needs to start practising how to put in accurate crosses. No good doing a fancy dribble into the box if you're just going to waste it by giving the ball back to Chelsea or giving them a goal kick.

 

[YzWayne]

He was pretty good but his final ball was awful and he needs to start practising how to put in accurate crosses. No good doing a fancy dribble into the box if you're just going to waste it by giving the ball back to Chelsea or giving them a goal kick.

Are you serious? I was looking at his performance again, he provided Rooney with that only good chance, he played a good pass to Falcao, he cut back for Mata, he put in crosses for Fellaini to pass on to Rooney. That's good decision making to me.

 

[SonnyTheHaloPro]

Are you serious? I was looking at his performance again, he provided Rooney with that only good chance, he played a good pass to Falcao, he cut back for Mata, he put in crosses for Fellaini to pass on to Rooney. That's good decision making to me.

I remember the Rooney chance but don't really remember those other moments you mentioned. In the second half he could have provided Falcao with a tap in but instead cut it back to Rooney for no reason.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

I thought he was fecking fantastic on Saturday. I haven't been worried about him coming good eventually anyway but it was still nice to see him play so well and give everyone a glimpse of how good he's going to be.

Injuries have ruined his debut season but he should be our first choice left back for the next 10 years at least. Signing him will be a great bit of business.

 

[Sam]

 

[Lawman]

I thought he was fecking fantastic on Saturday. I haven't been worried about him coming good eventually anyway but it was still nice to see him play so well and give everyone a glimpse of how good he's going to be.

Injuries have ruined his debut season but he should be our first choice left back for the next 10 years at least. Signing him will be a great bit of business.

Perfectly put Djemba

 

[Raoul]

Fantastic tweet. Just the sort of thing the players need to hear publicly.

 

[caisenma]

Fantastic tweet. Just the sort of thing the players need to hear publicly.

it doesn't work on football manager... every fecking time i praise a player publicly they react negatively to it. since i learned my listen i only berate my players publicly - never, ever praise them.