Erik ten Hag has heaped the praise on a trio of Man United subs, including Luke Shaw after the Europa League victory over Omonia…
Manchester United absolutely made hard work of it, but in the end, the Red Devils did just about enough to beat Omonia and ensure they remain in the hunt to qualify from their group.
Obviously, the result should have been more comfortable. Erik ten Hag knew that. Hence why he made two substitutes at half-time, followed by further changes in the second half of the fixture.
It was blatantly obvious to anyone who was watching that both Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial changed the game with their movement, link-up play and directness. Ten Hag was quick to praise those two.
However, the boss was also keen to give another sub praise; defender Luke Shaw. The boss claimed that the English left-back also ‘had an impact’ on the game, after he came on at half-time following a dismal display from Tyrell Malacia.
When asked about the impact from the subs, Ten Hag told ManUtd.com:
“Yes [it’s pleasing]. First of all, we need more movement, runs in behind, that was the first thing and then the subs had an impact on the score. I’m really happy for Marcus and Anthony that they came in, also Luke [Shaw] I have to say, and had an impact on the game. The tempo kept high, there was more movement and much more ability to make an effect on the goal.”
We’ve seen this story before. Shaw always does just about enough to keep his place within the squad. I would not be surprised if the Three Lions left-back goes on to string some brilliant performances together. That’s just what he does.
I like Shaw. I think he’s an excellent player to have in the squad as he absolutely brings something different to the table than Malacia. They complement each other nicely and it’s a good tandem to have on a game-by-game basis.
It’s also smart by Ten Hag to get behind Shaw, who is 100% a confidence player. When fully fit and firing, I genuinely believe he’s amongst the best left-backs in the business, as he can play at a high level on both sides of the ball.
Do you think Man United can go on to enjoy success in Europe this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.
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