This feels very, “it’s not you, it’s me.”
On Friday, Jose Mourinho said probably the first nice thing he’s ever said about Luke Shaw, a player he effectively accused of lacking a football brain last season. The Manchester United manager praised Shaw for his recent performances, following the left-back’s impressive displays starting the team’s last five matches. After struggling to make the bench in the opening months of the season, Shaw had played a part in eight of United’s last 11 games.
Mourinho praised his physical condition, his tactical nous and his effectiveness in both the defensive and attacking phases of the game. “I don’t see many left-backs better than Luke Shaw,” the former Chelsea manager told reporters on Friday ahead of United’s match with Burnley on Saturday.
Ashley Young, who has had an excellent season at left-back, (and made our team of the season so far), was available for selection again, but Shaw has been in the best form of his career since his awful double-leg break in September 2015. So, surely Mourinho would select him for the trip to Turf Moor, right? Right?
Well, of course not, Young was named in the starting line-up, and Shaw was back on the bench. It was the only change to the starting line-up from the 3-0 win over Stoke City on Monday night.
The team news is in, #MUFC fans! Here's your starting XI to take on Burnley in today's @PremierLeague game. #BURMUN pic.twitter.com/tJEcZgQkER
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 20, 2018
“I’m really happy with Luke,” Mourinho told MUTV about a player he had just dropped.
“As I said yesterday, I don’t need to go to the transfer market to get a left-back because I’m really happy with Luke and with the adaptation of Ashley Young so I’m really happy. But I think this match is a very specific one and one that you need the experience of Young and he also projects very well in attack. That’s a decision [you make] when you have two players and a good squad, and you can adapt.”
Mourinho is of course correct, football is a squad game, and full-backs, who cover a lot of ground in matches, are often rotated by Premier League managers, especially Jurgen Klopp. However, his use of the word “experience” is just typical of the United manager. Safety first, always. Shaw was in very good form, and improving with every match he started. But no, Mourinho wants “experience” because he just doesn’t seem to trust young footballers.
Luke Shaw’s career could be turned around at Spurs under Mauricio Pochettino. While the United manager would much prefer Danny Rose than any left-back currently at his disposal. Don’t be surprised to see that swap deal happen in the summer.
