Recent reports out of Old Trafford suggest Luke Shaw has yet again fallen out with Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, who has apparently taken issue with the left-back’s attitude as he bids to make his latest recovery from injury.
Shaw has regained full fitness after suffering an ankle injury last season, but has made only two first-team appearances this season, both as a late substitute in the Carabao Cup. It seems that the young Englishman’s United career is nearing its end.
Left-back has been a problem position for Mourinho during his reign at Old Trafford, so the news about Shaw is concerning.
Does he deserve another chance to prove himself?
Here are three reasons why he does.
SHAW REMAINS UNITED’S BEST NATURAL LEFT-BACK
Under Mourinho, Matteo Darmian, Ashley Young, and Daley Blind have been the three players other than Shaw who have played at left-back most often. Of these three, only Blind is naturally suited to the position.
Blind outperformed Shaw last season, although some of that has to be put down to the stop-start nature of the Englishman’s campaign as he dealt with injuries and not being selected regularly. However, this season, Blind’s form has deserted him.
Of the other two, Darmian is the more reliable defensively, although he’s more naturally a right-back, while Young has been a serviceable option at the position. The former Southampton man is better than the latter, and although there is a slight drop-off defensively from Darmian to the young Englishman, the 22-year-old makes up for it by being a much better attacker than his colleague.
Left-back has been a problem position for Manchester United in recent years.
SHAW’S PERSISTENCE SHOWS CHARACTER
Shaw suffered a horrific double leg-break against PSV Eindhoven in 2015, an injury that threatened to derail his career. Yet in his determination to get back into the United squad since then, he has shown tremendous character.
He forced his way back into the side last season despite some public castigating from Mourinho, and he played through injury in the Europa League quarter-final against Anderlecht – something the manager admired, despite his previous criticism.
Even since his latest injury, Shaw has shown dedication in regaining full fitness, determined to put his injury history behind him. There’s little doubt that if given a chance, Shaw would do everything in his power to hold down his spot as United’s first-choice left-back.
Shaw’s determination to force his way into contention is admirable.
UNITED CAN FOCUS TRANSFER EFFORTS ELSEWHERE
In the current transfer market, a player of Shaw’s talent would no doubt cost a fortune. He himself cost £30million, and that was in 2014 when he was more raw talent than experienced campaigner.
An upgrade at left-back could cost in the region of £50million, or even more. Juventus were reportedly holding out for around £60million for Alex Sandro this summer when Chelsea came calling, and ultimately that proved too much for the English champions.
Giving Shaw another chance to prove himself and finally meet Mourinho’s standards would mean the club can focus their transfer efforts elsewhere, with the Portuguese still in the hunt for a winger, and the club light at striker behind Romelu Lukaku. Prioritising Shaw’s development is just good business.
Repairing his relationship with Shaw would allow Mourinho to pursue other targets.
