We have had a really interesting response to our recent suggestion that Luke Shaw should now be viewed as a certain starter for Manchester United when fit.
Many of you have refuted the idea, saying that it’s far too early to say whether he is going to make the grade at United, let alone be regarded as a current ‘untouchable’
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But too much of football opinion these days is reactionary. A perfect example, amongst a sea of examples, is Danny Welbeck.
When he scored his hat-trick in midweek some were talking about him as the next Thierry Henry. Just four days, and an anonymous performance against a top team later, and those references seem particularly foolish.
Similarly, with Luke Shaw, you can’t judge him on a tackle from behind which drew the penalty against Everton. Every youngster makes rash decisions at times. In truth Shaw felt athletic enough to get the ball and he did, arguably, win it. But he needs to learn that a tackle from behind in the penalty area is always high risk, regardless of what your instinct tells you.
No you have to look at the overall movement and manner of the lad. For starters, he’s unbelievably quick – a vital commodity in today’s game – which allows him to recover even if he does make a mistake or get caught too high up the pitch (a la Evra in his prime). He’s a wonderfully graceful player who covers the ground beautifully with or without the ball.
Add to this Shaw’s technique, which a lot of top level wingers would be envious of – certainly he finds a player in red more often than most of United’s specialist wingers with his crossing – his overall temperament and ability to penetrate the opposition back line, and you have a player who can be the best England left back of all time – he’s got similar athleticism and better distribution than Ashely Cole already.
Shaw will make mistakes. Of course he will at 19. But Manchester United’s back line is already stronger and more solid with him in it than without him. He needs to learn his trade in the first XI. Because he is comfortably good enough to do so.
Manchester United fans: Should Shaw be a first team certainty?
JOSEPH
Oct 8, 2014 at 10:57 pm
yes,shaw should be a starter