Where the feck is this guy? The one imbalance in our team at the moment is LB, and our most viable candidate is nowhere to be seen.
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Best chance of getting back in the team was against Reading but he was ill. Next time we'll see him will probably be in the FA Cup.
Ah, wasn't aware of his illness and was a bit annoyed he didn't feature in either Cup game. Fair enough.
I'm still gutted by his injury, was convinced this guy would be the best LB in the PL. Still have some hopes for him, but if he's not up to speed by the latter stages of the season then Jose should look elsewhere in the summer.
He seems to have some unlimited credit that others dont have, has been average at best for a while.
He's also a 21 year old fullback who hasn't even had a consistent run in the squad since joining. Calm down.
So now you have credit before you've proven anything? He shouldnt be a starter if he isnt better than the others (not tbat they are too impressive) but Shaw is so limited offensively, poor dribbling, crossing, side and backways passing and he's been defensively suspect as well recently, yet some talk of him as the best LB in the Prem.
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This. A good 5-10 game spell at the start of last season has skewed perceptions. He is young and will come good eventually; in fact, he has a lot of raw talent to become a solid player for us. But as of now, he seems to be getting disproportionate amount of credit compared to Blind, Darmian and Rojo at leftback.
Could have been very useful today, come back Shaw
We either need this guy back in the team, or buy a new left back asap. Too much of our attacking threat from full backs comes from Valencia, and he cant cross. Its a major weakness that needs addressing urgently.
Please come back, Luke.
We need him to support our left winger. Offensively we are impotent on the left
Now's your chance lad.
Unless he's still injured, I don't understand why he's not involved. Would've been a perfect foil for Martial today against the young RB - Darmian did nothing going forward.
His situation is killing us. A proper LB would have put them under massive pressure, given Martial a hand and allowed us to overload their right back
And he adds what exactly in that regard?
We really need this guy.
Biggish if but if he can regain some form, you've essentially got a left back version of Valencia. Brute physical beast and running power.
Ignore the final ball execution and occasional brain fart (every player will have that) but the overlaps and width alone, would do the team a world of good.
He and Valencia can be our Walker and Rose. The ground he can cover when on the counter is amazing. We haven't got that down the left, with Blind or Darmian there.
I can't wait until he gets another run of games. One of my favourite players.
I agree on you with the physical beast and running power but should I ignore the average passing, average dribbling, lack of actions as well? He's probably better than Darmian normally but nowhere near the level we should require yet bar that 5- match run (which the likes of Cleverley and Anderson had as well).
He was excellent before his injury, running up and down and posing a real threat. Sure he was no Marcelo, but his speed and phisicality alone made him an option every time we attacked. He could run to the byline or into the penalty box without a problem with his speed alone. The current version wont help much, but an in form Shaw was an absolute beast and always an option going forward you could pass too. That alone would help us causing more threat on the left side. Blind and Darmian are useless in that regard. Blind has some nice passing, but ultimately failed in his crossing and running. He has better chances to reach that level again than Darmian or Blind being really good LB's.
Way too young to write off but all I have seen is pace and power and good at defending one on one's.
Can he cross? Can he link well ? Can he dribble?
It's concerning that he isn't on the pitch let alone improving his limited game.
Can he cross? Can he link well ? Can he dribble?
It's concerning that he isn't on the pitch let alone improving his limited game.
Average is harsh and maybe true but average might be good enough because we need team synergy more than anything. Average passing and dribbling but being able to bring good defensive ability and raw running power is not bad for a left back.
I mean you've just described Valencia there tbh and yes we can hope for a prime Cafu, Maicon or Alves but that's not going to happen and we've seen how important Antonio's movement is to the team.
Zlatan has no pace, no central penetration and limited off the ball movement but we can work with his finishing ability and hold up play. Same with every player in the squad.
What he lacks in individual ability, his other attributes can help the team in other ways.
See the wider picture.
He'll play when Mourinho deems him ready.
He is still some way off being the player people act like he is. He wasn't exactly pulling up trees before his injuries, he won't magically fix anything.
@izec I get what you two are saying, the bombing down and physique is a good asset and helps the left winger with the extra width and options, but does it really outweigh Blind's individual qualities for example who is a sublime passer of the ball, a better dribler, has better positioning and a better cross and shot? (But weaker defensively and gets outpaced and outmuscled easier) or other options we could get by Rodriguez, Kurzawa, Gaya for example. I dont think what Shaw brings us is good enough for the level we want to be at, but maybe/hopefully he'll get there in time, he's just 21.
he's not good enough for United
he will be lucky to stay in the premiership
he will be lucky to stay in the premiership
I didn't realise you were comparing him with Blind.
In that case, I'd agree Blind's composure in underrated but I think an in form Shaw is probably the better long term prospect in terms of style of play and the way Mourinho sets up the team.
But yeah it's hope atm so we'll just have to wait and see. Definitely can't write him off or say blanket 'he's not good enough' statements, which is bs imo.
Yeah but it's a big hope to hope for something he showed for like 5-10.matches which he didnt in probably 1.5 year of football excluding injuries. He generally hasnt been good enough for us so far overall, he was a beast defensively though but that's not enough for a modern day full back.
There really are a lot of stupid criticisms that get thrown his way on here. He probably won't hit the same heights he hit last season straight away but that doesn't mean he's incapable of contributing to the team in a meaningful way. Darmian has looked okay defensively for the most part but rarely offers much going forward. Blind, for all the fawning over him on here, is far from perfect either.
There will probably be some teething problems when Shaw's restored to the team because he's still young and recovering from a horrific injury but it'll be worthwhile in the long run. Even if he's not at his best, I struggle to see him being any worse than either of Darmian and Blind and he can potentially offer us more pace and width in attack.
There will probably be some teething problems when Shaw's restored to the team because he's still young and recovering from a horrific injury but it'll be worthwhile in the long run. Even if he's not at his best, I struggle to see him being any worse than either of Darmian and Blind and he can potentially offer us more pace and width in attack.
I don't think he's genuinely been given a consistent run of games to say he hasn't been good enough, which is just my opinion but I think that align with Mourinho's too. I.e I don't think he will sold in the summer and with the way Mourinho has been treating his players, equal toughness and trust, the 'hope' for him to come good is as good here as anywhere.
I think he's the perfect archetypal modern day full back actually. Good in possession (not a playmaker but able to receive under pressure and okay at playing out of it), defence and provides width. Of course that was based on those handful of games but it's not a stretch of the imagination to say he can't reproduce those performances. Just look at his first few games under Mourinho (where he was producing good form and showing signs of being that same player pre-leg break) until that Watford game and the niggling injuries that have lead up to now.
He's so young and he's shown great mental strength to come back the same level physically post injury, so I hope and want to give benefit of the doubt before we write him off.
It'd be silly not to persevere with him considering the potential/lack of options we have on that left atm.
Any news or pics of him in training this week? We desperately need to get him back to solid form.
I know Shaw gets a lot of love on here, and for good reason given that he was playing well before his unfortunate injury. But as much as I'd love him to come good and be like Valencia on the left I just don't see it. Even before his big injury he had plenty of injuries, which for a fullback can't happen.
I can't ever imagine him having a proper full top quality season.
If I was Jose and I was looking to win the league in the next two years, then I'd want a really attack minded left back as one of the final pieces of the puzzle.
I can't ever imagine him having a proper full top quality season.
If I was Jose and I was looking to win the league in the next two years, then I'd want a really attack minded left back as one of the final pieces of the puzzle.
Yeah what about this guy then? Still alive?
Played 38 games for Southampton the season before we signed him.
Don't know if this has been posted before.
I'd imagine we've had clubs offer to take him on loan so Mourinho must be planning on giving him a chance in the coming months.
If this stuff about City wanting Bertrand is true, I wouldn't be amazed to see Shaw end up back at Southampton. Whatever the reasons for him not playing, our situation at LB isn't something we can allow to go on endlessly.
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