TBH, think this kid is toast at United. Didn't even make the squad today. The recent report in the papers that he would consider leaving if he doesn't get more minutes, just smacked of a leak from his agent. Think this is the worst thing he could've done. Mourinho's issue with him clearly center around his mentality. Martial got his agent to stfu, and Micky was the consummate professional when out of favour. But Shaw has a report leaked to the paper (impossible to know source) explaining his bafflement at his treatment by the coach. This was a big mistake IMO. If he can't displace Blind, Rojo, Young or Darmian at LB, then the writing is on the wall for him, as all four of them are average or poor full backs. Even Blind, who is our best LB currently, has glaring weaknesses to his game which are regularly exposed against competent or fast wingers.
It's a shame, because I had high hopes for him. But in hindsight paying 27M for a teenage left back and giving him a huge contract, was always a questionable decision. Even Jose, when at Chelsea, said they wouldn't pursue that deal because it would 'break' the club. His injury has had a big effect clearly, but even when he arrived at the club, LVG was on his case for being unfit and over weight. We've made some shocking decisions post Fergie, and both Moyes and LVG filled our squad with average players and made ludicrous contract offers to existing players.
Fellaini 28M
Bastian 3 years at 200K a week.
Rooney 5 years at 300K a week
Januzaj 5 years at 50K+ a week after a few good games
Shaw 27m and 5 years at 120K a week (for a teenage leftback)
Darmian 14M and he's pants
Depay 25M and a big contract
Schneiderlin 25M (I wasn't against this deal, but we obviously had no plan to use him as he was best suited. So why sign him?)
Di Maria 59M and obviously didn't want to be here. There were rumblings of that BEFORE he even came
Rojo 16M and was shocking until Roberto Ayala quantum leaped into his body and changed his life.
Falcao - Eleventy billion a week for an aging player coming off an ACL rupture. Plus a 15M loan fee?
Valdes - Why?
Herrera, Mata and Blind were all good or decent signings. Although we horrendously overpaid for Mata. But, most importantly, we filled the squad with unproven, overpaid, or over the hill signings, and then wondered why the group culture and mentality was so piss poor.
Yet during this we still managed to feck off several serial winners, who were red through and through, like Vidic, Evra, Van Perise, Nani, Rafael, Welbeck and Chicharito - and did so for pennies. Cases can be made for all their exits, but the manner of them - as well as their mediocre or shit replacements - makes for a poor indictment of management performance. We even got rid of Buttner ffs. That's when I think we all knew we were fecked.
Mourinho has been a revelation in breaking this insipid culture and bringing back that winning mentality. This has always been what differentiated United from their rivals, and why Fergie won so many trophies. At times he had an average team on paper, but would nearly always coax winning performances. If players are unable to respond to this kind of pressure, and these demands, then we are better off without them. I hope they have good careers elsewhere. I don't care if it's Shaw, Martial or another of the Caf's fan boys. It's the ruthlessness - and insatiable desire to win - that makes managers like Fergie and Mourinho the best at what they do.
I completely trust Jose when it comes to his judgement on what he is seeing from Shaw. Given the relative weakness of our LB spot, if Shaw was killing it in training, then he'd be back in the team. Something isn't right with the lad, and he better sort it out if he is going to stay. I can only speculate as to whether his mentality, fitness, or ability to follow instructions is to blame - but Jose is clearly unimpressed at the moment. If Shaw can't pull his act together and show the manager he's worthy of a starting berth, I wont lose a minutes sleep, because United will march on regardless under this manager; and any new player joining the club will be under no illusions whatsoever of the standards expected of them.
People love to level the accusation at Jose that he falls out with players or is petty, but look at what he's done with Micky and Martial. Schweinsteiger too. He's shown he's above bullshit politics. He just needs to see what he wants from his players and then they will reap the rewards. If they don't react the way he wants; they are gone. That's not falling out with people; that's being a good manager. There are just too many over paid, over hyped prima-donnas in our squad for these last 3 years. How Mourinho has turned that culture around, is the single most important thing any manager has accomplished for us post-Fergie. Furthermore, his handling of Rooney, and the way he has marginalized him - without humiliating him - has been fecking genius. He's shown the level of deference and respect one should afford a club legend; but also made it very clear that he enjoys no special privileges.
Superb manager. Whatever he decides with Shaw, I am all for it.