[Andersons Dietician]

Horrible game from him. Absolutely ridiculous performance, and I can't understand how people downplay performances like that. He is worse than Pogba at times with his slow thinking, jogging around, giving up. He doesn't run forward, he misses passes and has barely had an assist in years yet he is on deadball duty? Club and team is practically bending over backwards to help his game out and he barely puts in an effort in return. It's ridiculous and I've had enough. We need another profile, he needs to leave. Not a kid anymore.

Ummmm what game were you watching? I must have caught a different performance from you.

Thought he had a good solid performance was really aggressive and helped break up a lot of play. Was good bringing the ball out of defence as well. Put in some quality set pieces. Could have done with some help from Rashford on occasion but guess that’s why he is often first choice to cover for the lack of protection the left side gets.

the problem only became compounded when Pogba came on and eventually led to them getting in from that side as no Rashford in sight and Pogba let someone walk.

 

[dev1l]

Horrible game from him. Absolutely ridiculous performance, and I can't understand how people downplay performances like that. He is worse than Pogba at times with his slow thinking, jogging around, giving up. He doesn't run forward, he misses passes and has barely had an assist in years yet he is on deadball duty? Club and team is practically bending over backwards to help his game out and he barely puts in an effort in return. It's ridiculous and I've had enough. We need another profile, he needs to leave. Not a kid anymore.

Really? I thought he was more than decent today

 

[calodo2003]

Second or third best player.

Easily.

 

[calodo2003]

Horrible game from him. Absolutely ridiculous performance, and I can't understand how people downplay performances like that. He is worse than Pogba at times with his slow thinking, jogging around, giving up. He doesn't run forward, he misses passes and has barely had an assist in years yet he is on deadball duty? Club and team is practically bending over backwards to help his game out and he barely puts in an effort in return. It's ridiculous and I've had enough. We need another profile, he needs to leave. Not a kid anymore.

Brother, Shaw doesn’t even figure into the top ten reasons why we tied the match today.

 

[Mickson]

Really? I thought he was more than decent today

It depends on what your expectations are. He's not a great fullback since he doesn't offer anything going forward. However, he is steady in defense. Sadly, he isn't one of our biggest problems.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

It depends on what your expectations are. He's not a great fullback since he doesn't offer anything going forward. However, he is steady in defense. Sadly, he isn't one of our biggest problems.

Wasn’t there a post the other day that showed he is one of the best progressive passers in the league and not just for a fullback.

 

[Roux]

70 mins in - he's completely gassed out - he just doesn't use his energy efficiently. He also doesn't have the ability to play neat one-touch passes like the majority of the players around him.

 

[Jev]

Thought it was another solid game from him in what has become a really good season. He's reliable at the back, rarely makes a bad error, and going forward he's quite important to our passing play. Has proven himself to be by far the best left-back in the squad after Telles' arrival.

 

[arnie_ni]

Wasn’t there a post the other day that showed he is one of the best progressive passers in the league and not just for a fullback.

He is yes but that doesn't fit the narrative

 

[NinjaFletch]

Wasn’t there a post the other day that showed he is one of the best progressive passers in the league and not just for a fullback.

Well, exactly, he stays deep and passes through the lines. It's almost the exact opposite of proof he gets himself forward.

 

[Raven]

70 mins in - he's completely gassed out - he just doesn't use his energy efficiently. He also doesn't have the ability to play neat one-touch passes like the majority of the players around him.

What a laughable comment. He's one of our best passers.

 

[Ekeke]

Its a strange one. People seem to get frustrated that he "isnt good enough going forward", but he's pretty good and has improved there this season with his crossing and set pieces. He can also dribble though he doesnt try it that often, has pace and has an eye for a pass that can set off our counter attacks from an angle.

People also get frustrated that he isn't perfect defensively. He does occasionally lose track of his man on the back post, or maybe a winger gets a cross in where he isnt pressing with full speed and intent.

What you have to understand is that he isn't a defensive fullback and he isnt an attacking one. He's balanced. He's good at both without being the best you will see. He's a better defender than the likes of Chilwell or Robertson, but has less quality in attack. He's a better attacker than AWB but he isn't as great a one vs one defender.

He's the all rounder who doesnt have a particular weakness and does a good job in all areas. He's not a specialist who does one side of the game amazingly but is poor in another area and then you have to compensate for them with other players in the team and tactics.

 

[MikeKing]

Its a strange one. People seem to get frustrated that he "isnt good enough going forward", but he's pretty good and has improved there this season with his crossing and set pieces. He can also dribble though he doesnt try it that often, has pace and has an eye for a pass that can set off our counter attacks from an angle.

People also get frustrated that he isn't perfect defensively. He does occasionally lose track of his man on the back post, or maybe a winger gets a cross in where he isnt pressing with full speed and intent.

What you have to understand is that he isn't a defensive fullback and he isnt an attacking one. He's balanced. He's good at both without being the best you will see. He's a better defender than the likes of Chilwell or Robertson, but has less quality in attack. He's a better attacker than AWB but he isn't as great a one vs one defender.

He's the all rounder who doesnt have a particular weakness and does a good job in all areas. He's not a specialist who does one side of the game amazingly but is poor in another area and then you have to compensate for them with other players in the team and tactics.

I'd agree with that assessment. As frustrating as he can be he is pretty good. If he didn't have the issues he has with injuries, lack of concentration and poor effort I would be more than satisfied with him, even without him becoming the player we thought he would.

 

[Mr Smith]

Its a strange one. People seem to get frustrated that he "isnt good enough going forward", but he's pretty good and has improved there this season with his crossing and set pieces. He can also dribble though he doesnt try it that often, has pace and has an eye for a pass that can set off our counter attacks from an angle.

People also get frustrated that he isn't perfect defensively. He does occasionally lose track of his man on the back post, or maybe a winger gets a cross in where he isnt pressing with full speed and intent.

What you have to understand is that he isn't a defensive fullback and he isnt an attacking one. He's balanced. He's good at both without being the best you will see. He's a better defender than the likes of Chilwell or Robertson, but has less quality in attack. He's a better attacker than AWB but he isn't as great a one vs one defender.

He's the all rounder who doesnt have a particular weakness and does a good job in all areas. He's not a specialist who does one side of the game amazingly but is poor in another area and then you have to compensate for them with other players in the team and tactics.

Good post, I think that's a good summary. I also think a thing that's a bit underrated about him is how often he comes inside and plays penetrative passes into our attackers when the opposition is defending deep. He seems to get criticised for not being good enough in attack (and admittedly his crossing should be better), because he's not a flying, overlapping fullback in the Marcelo or Robertson mould, but he's actually quite good at those short passes into Bruno or Martial once he passes the halfway line. I hope Telles' arrival gives him the motivation to keep improving.

 

[Grande]

Its a strange one. People seem to get frustrated that he "isnt good enough going forward", but he's pretty good and has improved there this season with his crossing and set pieces. He can also dribble though he doesnt try it that often, has pace and has an eye for a pass that can set off our counter attacks from an angle.

People also get frustrated that he isn't perfect defensively. He does occasionally lose track of his man on the back post, or maybe a winger gets a cross in where he isnt pressing with full speed and intent.

What you have to understand is that he isn't a defensive fullback and he isnt an attacking one. He's balanced. He's good at both without being the best you will see. He's a better defender than the likes of Chilwell or Robertson, but has less quality in attack. He's a better attacker than AWB but he isn't as great a one vs one defender.

He's the all rounder who doesnt have a particular weakness and does a good job in all areas. He's not a specialist who does one side of the game amazingly but is poor in another area and then you have to compensate for them with other players in the team and tactics.

Many points I can agree with, and a good summary. If I have to point out one thing I like the most about him, it’s that he has a really good skill set for transitioning play from defence to the attacking zone. Travelling those sixty yards of the middle of the pitch without losing the ball in unbalanced position is a big deal in modern as well as premodern football, shown by as different players as Patrice Evra, the young Christiano Ronaldo, and Duncan Edwards (based on hearsay), and highlighted by the weaknesses of Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay and Aaron Wan Bissaka, bless their souls and compensatory skills.

 

[SambaBoy]

Never understand the hate Shaw gets on here. He's a good full-back, not amazing but he's very good technically, keeps the ball well and use it wisely. Inconsistent delivery but will get a few assists and defensively he's solid enough. Definitely not a major problem apart from his injury record.

 

[Eternitiy]

Horrible game from him. Absolutely ridiculous performance, and I can't understand how people downplay performances like that. He is worse than Pogba at times with his slow thinking, jogging around, giving up. He doesn't run forward, he misses passes and has barely had an assist in years yet he is on deadball duty? Club and team is practically bending over backwards to help his game out and he barely puts in an effort in return. It's ridiculous and I've had enough. We need another profile, he needs to leave. Not a kid anymore.

This is the very definition of an agenda post.

How can you watch the same game as the rest of us and come to this conclusion?

Shaw is easily one of our most important players.

 

[MikeKing]

This is the very definition of an agenda post.

How can you watch the same game as the rest of us and come to this conclusion?

Shaw is easily one of our most important players.

I must have watched a different game from everyone else, because I don't have an agenda going. I thought he took it too easy, dwelled on the ball and got dispossessed, misplaced some passes, let the ball run out of play a couple of times. A thing that bothers me with him, but is not only applicable to him in singular, is that he takes 3-5 touches before he plays the ball, almost always, and he rarely switches play if he has a chance to do so. He'll rather keep the ball for longer and go back to the CB. He keeps it very safe and sometimes that's a good thing, but as a fullback you need to take risks at times to contribute from that position by running into space, dribbling or playing a quick one-two. He is a good player but very predictable and I disagree that he did enough this game in terms of contribution. I certainly didn't see it.

My opinion on this season is that he is the same level as Telles and last year he was out shined at fullback by AWB who had an excellent season. If Shaw could get back to the level he had before his big injury, and keep that level consistently while being injury-free he'd probably be the best fullback in the league. He has had more than a couple of really great games this season but against Leicester he wasn't switched on in my opinion. He didn't do that much wrong, he just didn't do things quick enough and was kinda invisible for large portions of the game despite being involved a lot in general play.

 

[RedDevil@84]

If Shaw could get back to the level he had before his big injury

This is a myth. There was no level that was there before injury. It was a run of 6-7 games where he ran forward like mad. His crosses were still 50-50. But his mad run were successful in linking with forwards. I don't think he would have sustained it for long.

 

[Lennon7]

Horrible game from him. Absolutely ridiculous performance, and I can't understand how people downplay performances like that. He is worse than Pogba at times with his slow thinking, jogging around, giving up. He doesn't run forward, he misses passes and has barely had an assist in years yet he is on deadball duty? Club and team is practically bending over backwards to help his game out and he barely puts in an effort in return. It's ridiculous and I've had enough. We need another profile, he needs to leave. Not a kid anymore.

The feck? Shaw was great against Leicester what the actual feck are you on about

Drive, finesse, final product, set pieces, defensive contribution were all the best we’ve seen him in ages. Still made a couple daft decisions and ran out of steam a bit but that’s up there with one of the most unfair posts I’ve seen on here.

 

[MikeKing]

This is a myth. There was no level that was there before injury. It was a run of 6-7 games where he ran forward like mad. His crosses were still 50-50. But his mad run were successful in linking with forwards. I don't think he would have sustained it for long.

It wasn't a long run of games but it's the longest he has gone looking like the type of left back he should be. It looked like he was on the right track back then. He has struggled a lot after that injury, and how can you blame him but the facts are that we first now are seeing him starting to look like a player again. He could have sustained it for long who knows, he was a huge talent and pretty young back then, probably the right time to see huge development but it didn't go down like that so we'll never know. I think it's unfair to brush it off as unimportant when we assess Shaw, it clearly had a huge impact on his development. He avoided tackles for almost two seasons straight after it.

 

[MikeKing]

The feck? Shaw was great against Leicester what the actual feck are you on about

Drive, finesse, final product, set pieces, defensive contribution were all the best we’ve seen him in ages. Still made a couple daft decisions and ran out of steam a bit but that’s up there with one of the most unfair posts I’ve seen on here.

I know my opinion is in the minority, but I stick by it until I can watch a youtube video of his every touch or something, that might change my mind. Maybe it's unfair but he rubbed me wrong that game. Set pieces is a waste of time, he is cursed on assists, he can hit a perfect cross into open space and the striker would smash it over from a yard out. It's not going in.

 

[Lennon7]

I know my opinion is in the minority, but I stick by it until I can watch a youtube video of his every touch or something, that might change my mind. Maybe it's unfair but he rubbed me wrong that game. Set pieces is a waste of time, he is cursed on assists, he can hit a perfect cross into open space and the striker would smash it over from a yard out. It's not going in.

Nah, sorry mate although he can be frustrating at times since Telles came in he’s upped his game massively and is really one of our most important players. Used to lack the final ball but his crossing from open play and free kicks was superb as well. If we get a better centre back and perhaps right back cover at some point we’re golden.

 

[MikeKing]

Nah, sorry mate although he can be frustrating at times since Telles came in he’s upped his game massively and is really one of our most important players. Used to lack the final ball but his crossing from open play and free kicks was superb as well. If we get a better centre back and perhaps right back cover at some point we’re golden.

I probably went over the top by hoping we'd sell him now, but I think we might need to improve on him and we probably should, sooner rather than later. Looking at players like Kimmich and Davies and what they provide from their positions, it's quite the difference in tempo and creativity.

 

[Rozay]

70 mins in - he's completely gassed out - he just doesn't use his energy efficiently. He also doesn't have the ability to play neat one-touch passes like the majority of the players around him.

Absolute fabrication.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

This is a myth. There was no level that was there before injury. It was a run of 6-7 games where he ran forward like mad. His crosses were still 50-50. But his mad run were successful in linking with forwards. I don't think he would have sustained it for long.

Are we just writing off the season at Southhampton where he did exactly that and ended up in the PFA team of the year?

 

[Mickson]

Never understand the hate Shaw gets on here. He's a good full-back, not amazing but he's very good technically, keeps the ball well and use it wisely. Inconsistent delivery but will get a few assists and defensively he's solid enough. Definitely not a major problem apart from his injury record.

???????? He's literally one of the worst fullbacks in the league when it comes to goals and assists. And he plays for Manchester United! The standard our fanbase requires. I'm shocked.

 

[Red00012]

One of our CBs should've done the same thing earlier in the season, can't remember who it was against but I was almost begging him to mess around with it to stop the opposition taking a quick throw-in.

Maguire v Spurs springs to mind

 

[Red00012]

One of our best performers on Saturday I thought

 

[Galactic]

One of our calmer players lately. Used to be Maguire.

 

[DRM]

Man, I just wish Telles was right footed! Then we'd have really good attacking fullbacks from both sides!

 

[Jonno]

He’s in good form at the moment, Telles clearly pushing him

 

[MetoTTT]

Man, I just wish Telles was right footed! Then we'd have really good attacking fullbacks from both sides!

Well we could try to play him on the right. OGS did it with Williams playing him LB being right footed.

 

[RedDevil@84]

Are we just writing off the season at Southhampton where he did exactly that and ended up in the PFA team of the year?

Not that one. We are talking about United career.

He came to United, suffered an injury. Made his debut. Gave a bunch of ok-ish performances, expected from a young lad, but unexpected from someone who was considered a quality LB already when we bought him. Blind was playing LB I think. Got back his position very late in the season when Blind got injured.

So the good run of form is just the 6-7 games in season 2, before his double fracture. That hardly qualifies as a benchmark.

He is 25 now. If all the talk about "going back to his old self" is referring to what he did when he was 17 or something, then it seems like blind hope, based on nothing.

 

[arthurka]

Not even his fault. Thats on Fred

Why? Fred went out Shaw should have slotted back to his position but he left Perez totally alone.. He did well I thought but again his fitness isn't good at all he looked totally gassed after 65-70min. Think having Telles at the club will only give us a better Shaw, that competition is healthy for a squad.

 

[Ekeke]

Why? Fred went out Shaw should have slotted back to his position but he left Perez totally alone.. He did well I thought but again his fitness isn't good at all he looked totally gassed after 65-70min. Think having Telles at the club will only give us a better Shaw, that competition is healthy for a squad.

Fred was a yard from Perez in the left back spot. Shaw was like 5 or 6 yards over having won a tackle against Justin and pushed him back. So he pressured Justin upon backtracking and retrieving the ball. If he doesnt do that Justin has the time and space that defeats the purpose of trying to tackle him in the first place. Fred and Shaw do not have time to suddenly swap places before Justin plays Perez behind the defence. They cant teleport. So they need to stick

 

[arthurka]

Fred was a yard from Perez in the left back spot. Shaw was like 5 or 6 yards over having won a tackle against Justin and pushed him back. So he pressured Justin upon backtracking and retrieving the ball. If he doesnt do that Justin has the time and space that defeats the purpose of trying to tackle him in the first place. Fred and Shaw do not have time to suddenly swap places before Justin plays Perez behind the defence. They cant teleport. So they need to stick

Fred was already well in front of Shaw. Shaw was out of position and slow to slot back. He was out of steam and had been tried for good 10-15 min before this happened.

But again having no leaders in the backline to keep our shape it's understandable that Shaw was running out and not tracking back. The backline should have stayed home and tighten up when we got back infront but no of course not, getting dragged out of shape again and again is the way this defense defends.

 

[automaticflare]

Fred was a yard from Perez in the left back spot. Shaw was like 5 or 6 yards over having won a tackle against Justin and pushed him back. So he pressured Justin upon backtracking and retrieving the ball. If he doesnt do that Justin has the time and space that defeats the purpose of trying to tackle him in the first place. Fred and Shaw do not have time to suddenly swap places before Justin plays Perez behind the defence. They cant teleport. So they need to stick

This is wrong. Player out wide is not a threat. Biggest threat is Leicester player in behind out back 4 where Shaw should have been (but was already out of position). Shaw as a defender has to get back into position and establish a defensive shape ASAP there.

 

[NoPace]

My guess is Telles will do a Fred in his 2nd season and win the LB job with Shaw becoming a quality backup who plays at LCB in a 3 man defense sometimes too, since that seems to suit Lindelof centrally (less space to get physically overmatched by strikers in the channels and more chance for him to get on the ball) and Maguire (likes to run forward with the ball like a clumsier Lucio).

So yeah, this position seems okay to me since I'm high on Telles once he adapts.

Let's loan/sell Williams and Dalot without an option to buy/with a buyback for us and get a proper 10+ assists right back.

 

[Forevergiggs1]

70 mins in - he's completely gassed out - he just doesn't use his energy efficiently. He also doesn't have the ability to play neat one-touch passes like the majority of the players around him.

Shaw probably has the best first touch or one touch passes out of our entire squad. If not he's definitely in the top 3.