Manchester United left-back, Luke Shaw, says Erik ten Hag’s decision to drop him was “understandable”, given his struggles since the start of the current campaign.
After departing Ajax at the end of 2021–2022, Ten Hag has made some significant decisions during his brief tenure at Old Trafford.
Club captain Harry Maguire and Shaw were benched after two humiliating losses to begin the new campaign.
Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martinez, two summer recruits who have both made an impact since joining Manchester United, have seamlessly replaced the English pair.
Although his late arrival for pre-season and transfer request did not help his attempt to preserve his spot in the starting XI, Cristiano Ronaldo is another player who is not in the Dutch manager’s good graces.
Maguire and Shaw were selected by England manager Gareth Southgate for the current international break despite their problems at club level. Maguire played both of the Three Lions’ games for the full 90 minutes and did not particularly impress; he apologized for a mistake he committed in the 3-3 draw with Germany on Monday night.
On the other hand, Shaw played against Italy last week for 18 minutes before playing the entire game and scored against Germany.
The 27-year-old hasn’t played a minute in the Premier League since being hooked at halftime of Man Utd’s 4-0 defeat at Brentford on matchday two. Shaw also claims that he has accepted the reality that Malacia has been chosen over him.
Shaw accepts current lack of gametime at Manchester United
Speaking about losing his starting berth under Ten Hag, Shaw said: “I think Ten Hag, the boss, understands my qualities, he knows what I’m capable of, and we’ve talked. It’s understandable, and I even concur, that he had to make adjustments because the season’s start wasn’t up to par. I fully believe it, and I accepted it.”
“The only thing I can do is work hard in the gym and wait for my opportunities, whether they come in the Premier League or cup games. Whatever I play in, I just have to be ready and perform at my best. “
For England’s performances this year, Southgate has drawn a lot of flak. Shaw is perplexed, though, why his boss is receiving so much criticism after guiding the Three Lions to the 2018 World Cup semifinals and the final of the European Championships last year.
It’s strange how people can criticize him and claim that his performance in the last two major tournaments wasn’t good enough, he added.
“At the moment, we haven’t won; to be tremendously successful, we need to win a major tournament, but we’re headed in the right direction and he’s directing us in that manner. “
“You can see the improvement in the England team since he initially joined, but the recent results, of course, haven’t been acceptable and we’ll be ready in the World Cup.”
