da esoccer bet： With his Manchester United career seemingly in tatters after being hauled off at half-time during a 2-0 win over Brighton on Saturday and then publicly lambasted once again by Jose Mourinho, Luke Shaw will surely be one of the hottest properties in the Premier League transfer market this summer.
da fezbet： The then-teenager was rated as arguably English football’s most exciting prospect when he completed a move to Old Trafford in summer 2014, commanding a world-record fee for a full-back, and although it hasn’t worked out for him at United, the young defender is still just 22 years of age – he’s got more than enough time to realise his potential at another major Premier League club.
Mirror Football moot Arsenal and Chelsea as potential summer suitors, while The Times moot Tottenham and Everton as contenders for Shaw’s signature and The Chronicle have even suggested a surprise move to Newcastle.
And yet, for all the apparent interest in Shaw – who Transfermarkt now value at just £13.5million – and for all the glimpses of prodigious ability he’s shown in his short career, the constant criticisms from his managers can no longer be ignored, painting a picture of a player with all the talent in the world but lacking the right mindset.
In fact, pretty much the only manager to work with Shaw at senior level who hasn’t publicly questioned him at some point is current England boss Gareth Southgate. Here’s a look at what the remaining five all had to say…
Perhaps the first time the public became aware Shaw wasn’t quite the complete package, despite his lofty transfer fee. During the same summer he was brought to Old Trafford, Louis van Gaal revealed he wasn’t happy with the England international’s fitness, to the extent that he’d been put on a personal regime that saw him train away from the rest of the first team squad. At the time, van Gaal’s criticisms weren’t read into all that much – this was, after all, an 18-year-old’s first pre-season at an elite Premier League club. It soon became apparent though that other managers shared the Dutchman’s concerns.
Luke Shaw’s 18 months under Mauricio Pochettino’s guidance at Southampton is widely seen as the most affluent period of his career, starting games more often than not and excelling in a philosophy that required dynamism on both defensive flanks. However, even the Spurs boss, who has been tipped to seek a reunion with Shaw this summer, had serious doubts over the seven-cap international which he shared in his book Brave New World, published last year. Rather than fitness or ability, his biggest concern with Shaw appears to be his commitment and mindset. A diet and extra fitness training certainly won’t change that.
Roy Hodgson is the kind of man who can criticise with a smile on his face, and his concerns over Shaw’s fitness certainly didn’t come with the same undertones of disappointment as van Gaal’s. But also publicly expressing them in 2014, the real significance here is how both managers share the same point of view, seemingly fearing Shaw lacks the fitness and industry to consistently meet the demands of modern day full-backs. This would soon become a recurring theme throughout his United career.
While Mourinho has questioned Shaw’s fitness at times as well, this quote from April last season is a far more damning indictment of the defender, claiming he made every decision for the Englishman after bringing him on from the bench in a 1-1 draw with Everton. It came just days after Mourinho had questioned Shaw’s focus, creating a picture of a player who has failed to grasp the necessary positional intelligence to become a top-quality full-back. Mourinho’s comments last Saturday after hauling Shaw off shared similarities, particularly in referencing defensive positioning.
Nigel Adkins gave Shaw his big break at Southampton, but later revealed to TalkSPORT that precautions were taken because of the youngster’s lack of fitness, claiming he’d rarely even completed ninety minutes for the U18s before being bumped up to the first team. In fairness, a big part of that was due to Shaw’s age and concerns that his body hadn’t fully developed. But the fact so many managers have questioned Shaw’s fitness at senior level too gives Atkins remarks something of a new meaning; for whatever reason, it seems to have been an almost permanent struggle for the United defender.