Shaw is our best full back and best FB in Europe (edited)



He's still pretty quick and offers a decent attacking outlet, but it's weird watching this, almost like a different player especially his speed and willingness to attack, I remember him once being labelled as being as good and as quick as Bale at the same age...
 
starman said:


He's still pretty quick and offers a decent attacking outlet, but it's weird watching this, almost like a different player especially his speed and willingness to attack, I remember him once being labelled as being as good and as quick as Bale at the same age...
Click to expand...


He was a bullet for us at times before the leg break. I imagine he's like Alan Smith in that he's permanently declined slightly from the level he'd been at; sucks to think about when you consider just how good he'd been
 
starman said:


He's still pretty quick and offers a decent attacking outlet, but it's weird watching this, almost like a different player especially his speed and willingness to attack, I remember him once being labelled as being as good and as quick as Bale at the same age...
Click to expand...

He’s more than pretty quick.

And I’m not sure how you’re seeing a different player, it’s essentially the exact same.

That video is largely him playing low crosses or trying to pick out players to feet in the box. Exact same as he’s done for years.

Videos shows him making surging runs infield, exact same as he still does. Video says his strengths are tackling, acceleration, and decision making. He’s still rapid, still a great tackler, and his composure and decision making on the ball are easily the best of any of our defenders. So still the same strengths.

He’s never been anything like Bale. Bale as a youth player was a free kick specialist known for have a great shot and cross on him. Something Shaw has never been known for. Someone once completely getting it wrong doesn’t mean much.
 
Hes definitely the most solid in terms of his general game. AWB is better defensively, but Shaw is a very good defender as well, and tidy on the ball.

His attacking output could be better, but overall his game is very rounded, without being spectacular in any department.

That leg break, along with Mourinho, really did a number on him. 5 years later and he still looks like he's only coming back into form and self belief again.

Solid player, and looks to have sorted out his fitness and injury issues as well. LB has gone from an area in desperate need of upgrade to a luxury position in terms of when to buy another.
 
limerickcitykid said:
He’s more than pretty quick.

And I’m not sure how you’re seeing a different player, it’s essentially the exact same.

That video is largely him playing low crosses or trying to pick out players to feet in the box. Exact same as he’s done for years.

Videos shows him making surging runs infield, exact same as he still does. Video says his strengths are tackling, acceleration, and decision making. He’s still rapid, still a great tackler, and his composure and decision making on the ball are easily the best of any of our defenders. So still the same strengths.

He’s never been anything like Bale. Bale as a youth player was a free kick specialist known for have a great shot and cross on him. Something Shaw has never been known for. Someone once completely getting it wrong doesn’t mean much.
Click to expand...

In 2013 there were lots of Bale comparisons.
 
starman said:
In 2013 there were lots of Bale comparisons.
Click to expand...
There were also a lot of people calling him weak defensively, because a young fullback must automatically be good going forward and weak defensively. Clueless posts in 2013 are still clueless in 2020. He was never anything like Bale.
 
starman said:
I am not talking about someone randomly posting on here....it was being discussed in the media

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/shaw-shapes-up-as-the-new-bale-8434325.html?amp
Click to expand...
That doesn’t say anything about how he is in anyway similar to Bale other than playing on the left for Southampton.

The media spout absolute crap all the time anyway. They label players the “new someone” based on nothing at all. They also called Adnan the new Giggs despite being completely different type of player, almost like being left footed at the same club doesn’t make you a similar player.

He’s never been anything like Bale, the fact you can’t accept that isn’t Shaw’s fault and it doesn’t mean his playing style has changed, because it really hasn’t much.
 
limerickcitykid said:
That doesn’t say anything about how he is in anyway similar to Bale other than playing on the left for Southampton.

The media spout absolute crap all the time anyway. They label players the “new someone” based on nothing at all. They also called Adnan the new Giggs despite being completely different type of player, almost like being left footed at the same club doesn’t make you a similar player.

He’s never been anything like Bale, the fact you can’t accept that isn’t Shaw’s fault and it doesn’t mean his playing style has changed, because it really hasn’t much.
Click to expand...

Ok, whatever, there's literally lots of articles about a comparison so its nothing to do with me accepting anything as I never made the claim. You can keep repeating "that he's never been been like Bale", but that's your opinion that hes not less direct or slower than he was at 17.
 
Last edited:
Raven said:
He's massively underrated, similar to Martial before his reaching world class levels. People here aren't satisfied unless every player is world class, not how it works in reality.
Click to expand...
Now that it seems Martial has been firmly accepted by the masses at least for a while, do we create a Shaw FC until the less enlightened realise how good he is.
 
Raven said:
He's massively underrated, similar to Martial before his reaching world class levels. People here aren't satisfied unless every player is world class, not how it works in reality.
Click to expand...

The one thing that is in favour of Luke Shaw is age. He is only 25 and he is probably one of our most experienced players now. It is hard for a full back to show his full capabilities with defensive coaches.

This season, he has been brilliant IMO.
 
I never get nervous with him in the side and he seems to do more going forward than his numbers give him credit for. Is he the best in the league? No. Would he be a significant hindrance to us pushing on if we address other areas of the team? Not at all. Could he form part of a PL winning squad? Imo, yes.
 
romufc said:
The one thing that is in favour of Luke Shaw is age. He is only 25 and he is probably one of our most experienced players now. It is hard for a full back to show his full capabilities with defensive coaches.

This season, he has been brilliant IMO.
Click to expand...
Age is the one thing, if you choose to discount immense physical and technical talent.

But yes, he's been great this season, an incredibly important player for us.
 
Having Shaw out of the side has made me appreciate him more when he is there. I'm still undecided on him and AWB as our fullbacks for the longterm, but Shaw is at least better than the other potential players we have who have played in that position this season. When he isn't there, we offer so little going forward and look more exposed/weaker on that entire flank.
 
devilish said:
So you think that our dip in form is down to Shaw rather then down to the fact that this squad is knackered or because of Pogba deciding to save a ball inside the box? Also were is Shaw? Is he engaged in one of those early summer breaks down the treatment room? Can anyone build a team around such injury prone player?
Click to expand...

It was actually tongue in cheek. There are many factors for why the teams form has dropped of late.
 
During Sevilla goal AWB did again something what he is doing a lot lately.
He was just jogging back and because of that his player was first on the ball.
Shaw never does that. And full back, especially who is "best defensive FB in PL" should be concentrated 100% all the time.
Shaw always sprints in defence and is aware what can happen.

Defending is not just one on one situations. Same as playing on wing is not just having speed or being good in the air as central defender.
 
Andycoleno9 said:
During Sevilla goal AWB did again something what he is doing a lot lately.
He was just jogging back and because of that his player was first on the ball.
Shaw never does that. And full back, especially who is "best defensive FB in PL" should be concentrated 100% all the time.
Shaw always sprints in defence and is aware what can happen.

Defending is not just one on one situations. Same as playing on wing is not just having speed or being good in the air as central defender.
Click to expand...

A fact that is somehow easily forgotten by a lot of people who post here is just how good Shaw actually is. He's one of the best players on the pitch nearly every game he plays. He's not a flashy player but he's to our defense what Matic is to the CDM position.
 
I think people forget that this is Shaw's 8th full professional season as a 25 year old. AWB is 22 but this is only his 2nd full professional season and it's Williams 1st. Of course he's your best full back with the wealth of experience that he has + the wealth of experience he has at a European club. It's easy to forget that he won awards for being the best LB in the league during his Southampton period because of his troubles at United under Mourinho but he's a great full back.
 
Shaw isn't great at all, but he is our best full back. We are so lacking compared to the likes of Liverpool.
 
AWB can't defend the back post, so Shaw's a better defender as well.
 
NinjaZombie said:
Yeah. That, and the fact that Lindelof can't defend properly.

Frustrating.
Click to expand...

Lindelof's the bigger culprit, but AWB is just not alive to it at all. Shaw's actually really good at covering the back post - one of the best in the league even.
 
I've said it before he's our 2nd most important player after Martial, the work he does in the three areas of the field is unmatched by any player we have.
 
Andycoleno9 said:
During Sevilla goal AWB did again something what he is doing a lot lately.
He was just jogging back and because of that his player was first on the ball.
Shaw never does that. And full back, especially who is "best defensive FB in PL" should be concentrated 100% all the time.
Shaw always sprints in defence and is aware what can happen.

Defending is not just one on one situations. Same as playing on wing is not just having speed or being good in the air as central defender.
Click to expand...

Noticed that as well. Pissed me off big time. AWB awful player. Take away his one on one defending and what’s left? Not much. No defensive awareness whatsoever. And his offensive contributions are non existing.

Laird can’t be ready soon enough.

Maguire the better buy x 1000.
 
Skills said:
Lindelof's the bigger culprit, but AWB is just not alive to it at all. Shaw's actually really good at covering the back post - one of the best in the league even.
Click to expand...
What is Lindelof really supposed to do? For me Bissaka can see the man and see Lindelof is in trouble. He should have taken control of the situation and taken responsibility for the man.
Lindelof should know there is someone there and has to try and do something to get a touch on the ball even if he is risking an own goal.

We’ve seen Shaw countless times throughout the season do what Bissaka should do and cover for his CB. Mainly because Shaw is the best defender in our team.
 
Luke Shaw would've stopped the cross. Brandon was trying to stop it with his right leg as a right footed player. Disastrous stuff.

Shaw would have made piercing runs too and made great LEFT FOOTED passes.

This system we play desperately needs Shaw. This is why we need depth in the Full back positions.
 
Shaw was a massive miss today. He also gives us the option to go three at the back where he always performs really well. I think he is the best of our back four.

He is massively underrated.
 
Untd55 said:
Shaw was a massive miss today. He also gives us the option to go three at the back where he always performs really well. I think he is the best of the back four.
Click to expand...
Better get used to it, if you didn't already.
 
We needed him today, but for him to be unavailable just when we needed him in that position just about sums up his United career for me. Just when it starts to get going, something happens to kill that momentum.

I prefer him to all of our other full back options on both sides. But I would still look for another left back. He will get injured again and there is no way we should be relying on Williams as cover.
 
Good player but can't be relied upon. Way too injury prone. Plays a few games, picks up form, gets injured, gets fat and out of shape. Repeat.

Left full-back remains a big worry going into next season, but most likely wont be adressed at all.
 
Anybody's Guess said:
Good player but can't be relied upon. Way too injury prone. Plays a few games, picks up form, gets injured, gets fat and out of shape. Repeat.

Left full-back remains a big worry going into next season, but most likely wont be adressed at all.
Click to expand...

Yeah.. on the pitch he's decent enough. But he's just unreliable. Ole needs to identify a left back to buy or promote. Williams isn't the answer.
 
Maybe i should rename thread and add "..and in PL too".
Amazing this year. Seriously, at the moment i don't see better fb in PL.
 
Andycoleno9 said:
Maybe i should rename thread and add "..and in PL too".
Amazing this year. Seriously, at the moment i don't see better fb in PL.
Click to expand...

Maybe Robertson is better, touch and go.

Shaw is awesome though, wouldn't swap him for any LB in the league.
 
roonster09 said:
Maybe Robertson is better, touch and go.

Shaw is awesome though, wouldn't swap him for any LB in the league.
Click to expand...
Yeah, i was thinking that too. Robertson or him. I prefer Shaw because he is technically more gifted. But they two are above all others at the moment
 
You must log in or register to reply here.