Left-back Luke Shaw is very happy with the way he and Erik ten Hag work together at Manchester United. Under the new coach, the left back was demoted to the bench but has since returned to Tyrell Malacia’s starting position.
Shaw expresses satisfaction with his performance in a recent interview with the Welsh daily The National. “Yes, but the focus is on the team.” Shaw implicitly draws comparisons to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, saying, “The wonderful thing about this coach is: if you don’t perform well, you don’t play. That was not the case in the past.”
The sharpness of everyone is maintained by this trainer. Every day, he ensures that everyone gives their all. “You can’t play if you don’t comply with that. That’s good,” says Shaw, who was also aware of his own position on the bench. “He didn’t need to explain anything to me, to be completely honest. I am aware that the first two games were awful,” Shaw added.
“I was taken off the starting line, and I knew exactly why. The outcomes were poor, and I wasn’t playing well enough. The trainer could only tell that I was working hard if I continued to train. Because the squad did well, I waited patiently for my opportunity. You can’t then whine. Whether I’m on the bench or at the bottom, I’m always engaged with the squad,” the defender said.
Left-back Luke Shaw praises Lisandro Martnez
Shaw claims the group is sending “really good, clear signals.” The left back summarises what the coach wants: “It’s clear what the coach wants. He wants to see intensity, he wants aggression, he wants us to play high and put pressure, and of course that we play football to the ball. We are in transition and that will take some time, but we are positive signals. As players, we see those signals every day in training with him. We have had good conversations. This is the start of something.
Shaw praises Lisandro Martnez, the defender for Manchester United who is positioned next to him, in the interview as well. He lauds the ex-Ajax player’s amazing performance. “It’s obvious that everyone adores him. The admirers flee with him. It’s good to have a left-footed player next to you because he instinctively wants to go your way, said Shaw, adding that the player’s left foot is exceptional. He blends in nicely with the team, in my opinion. Although he may undoubtedly improve, I believe this season’s performance was exceptional. He must maintain that. His ferocity and intensity are essential to our defence.
