Luke Shaw has been asked to play at centre-back for Man Utd over the past few weeks and he has shown he has the versatility that Ten Hag looks for in his players.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag knows he can count on Luke Shaw at centre-back
With first-choice centre-backs Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane injured, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has turned to left-back Luke Shaw to play in the center of the pitch over the past two weeks.
Shaw has partnered Victor Lindelof at centre-back in United's last three games, including the FA Cup semi-final against Brighton.
Club captain Harry Maguire has not played since United's disastrous night at Sevilla, so Shaw's quality performance came at the perfect time for Ten Hag. The former Southampton man has performed well as a left-back in a three-man formation at United and England, but playing at a back three is a very different proposition. Against a Brighton side that prefers to play flexible ball possession, Shaw was a key part of United's impressive defensive effort as they progressed to the FA Cup final at Wembley. He was the standout player in the 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a few days later and put on an impressive display in a 1–0 win over Aston Villa, who scored in all matches. earlier under Unai Emery. .
Hailed by Ten Hag as a player who has "shown a lot of leadership" following his previous stint at centre-back in January, it is no surprise that he is a man to be discovered in the role. This. The way Ten Hag organizes his team means possession, predictability and speed are traits he looks for in central defenders.
These are exactly Shaw's strengths. On Sunday, Shaw and Lindelof's impressive passing range was vital to Ten Hag's game plans as they sought to pass the ball through Villa's high line to Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes. The accuracy of their passes down the channels has forced Emi Martinez to take on a sweeping role he doesn't seem entirely comfortable with.
Shaw has also become more disciplined since the arrival of Ten Hag, as evidenced by his involvement in defense against Tottenham, where he threw himself into slippery areas and won crucial aerials in the box. mine. The potential problems that could arise from Shaw being one of the smallest centre-backs in the league are unlikely to bother Ten Hag, as they shouldn't be attributed to Martinez's success in that position.
The maturity with which Shaw behaves while playing the role typifies Ten Hag's vision of this side. In a season where periods of generally consistent results have been marred by embarrassing defeats, the United manager is keen to stress that United are far from done.
The recent acquisition and excellence of Shaw, who lost his place in the team at the start of the season, in his new role suggests he is perhaps one of Ten Hag's most reliable players at the club. set.
Ten Hag has confirmed Varane will return before the season ends and so you can expect naturalized centre-back Lindelof to link up with him when United return to Wembley in a bid to lift their second trophy. in the previous season Man City in the group stage. FA Cup. end of next month.
However, if Shaw continues to play competently at centre-back, Ten Hag could face a dilemma before leading his side to London.
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