Luke Shaw’s centre back genius is transforming Man United’s defence – Man United News And Transfer News

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There was a moment during the recent home-leg of the Europa League tie against Sevilla which felt cataclysmic for Manchester United’s fortunes this season. The team had been leading 2-0 at half-time, in cruise control of a match which would ensure Erik Ten Hag’s third semi-final out of three attempts. The cruel hand of fate, as well as a healthy dose of complacency, had other plans however.

Raphaël Varane did not return from the dressing room at the interval, an ankle injury ruling him out of the game and, as further analysis would reveal, potentially the season. Enter the defensive behemoth that is Harry Maguire. United’s captain was not the sole reason for the second-half collapse, but the correlation between his poor individual performances and the collective poor performances are becoming incontrovertible at this point.

United allowed a Sevilla side wholly deficient of quality back into a game which had appeared won; a certain knockout quickly morphed into an even contest, with Ten Hag’s men on the ropes as the final bell went. A dreadful piece of defending by Tyrell Malacia gifted the Spanish side a goal, courtesy of the Dutchman’s own foot, and the atmosphere in the stadium began to grow fraught. The crowd could sense the ominous moments about to unfold.
Sevilla were able to score an equaliser in the 92nd minute in predictably hilarious fashion. A deflection cannoning in off Maguire’s head from an effort which was heading wide. A 2-0 lead surrendered; an easy win converted into an abysmal draw without a single Sevilla player scoring a goal. And yet this disappointing result still paled in comparison to the aforementioned seemingly cataclysmic moment a few minutes earlier.

Lisandro Martínez, a revelatory figure for United this season, had gone down as if he had been sniped from the crowd. Unchallenged, unimpeded, unaware, El Carnicero collapsed to the ground holding an area that appeared horrifically close to his Achilles. It’s an injury which can prove ruinous to a player’s career, taking months and months to rehabilitate from, often without ever being able to return to normality. The former Ajax man has been fundamental to Manchester United’s performance levels this season, silencing doubters concerned with his height while taking ownership of both the ball and opposition attackers alike. The crowd’s predictive abilities had been validated as they watched their defensive talisman carried off the pitch.
In the space of one half of football, United had relinquished certain entry to a European semi-final while losing both of their starting centre-backs; one for the season and one, seemingly through the lens of a pessimist, for good. Just as they were entering the ‘business end’ of the season with three trophies on offer and the stern contest for top four still to win, relying on Harry Maguire to lead the team through those various challenges. Cataclysmic indeed.

Martinez, thankfully, would be adjudged to have suffered a metatarsal injury – a serious malady, but not the career-altering experience an Achilles injury can bring. It would rule him out until the start of next season however. Varane was given a time-frame that placed him returning at the very end of the season. These two absentees ensured Maguire and Lindelöf were handed the starting berth a week later in the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium – the home of Sevilla and the location of the second leg. It would prove to be a predictably hostile environment for the Chuckle Brothers, who wilted under the pressure of the occasion, as United suffered a calamitous 3-0 loss and pathetically limped out of Europe.

The bedrock of stability provided by the first-choice defensive partnership had been broken and, seemingly, much of the hope for the remainder of the season. One semi-final had already been lost with another on the horizon a mere three days later. Brighton, the undisputed kings of xG, provided the next test to the unstable foundation of United in the FA Cup. Fortuitously for Manchester United, however, Maguire was ruled out of the tie with a suspension. Enter the defensive behemoth, sincerely this time, that is Luke Shaw.

The Englishman has been enjoying a resurgent year under Ten Hag, regaining his place in the England squad and firmly reinstating himself into the conversation for best left-back in the league. Such is his technical and physical versatility, however, Ten Hag has utilised Shaw at centre-back with great effect. The Dutch manager stressed the importance of a left-footed player in the left-sided centre-back slot before when explaining his decision to deploy Shaw there earlier in the season:

‘(Being left-footed) that is one of the reasons. You get better angles in possession.’

But it was not merely in possession that the team felt the benefit of Shaw‘s inclusion; he was excellent in all defensive phases, performing admirably in the unfamiliar role as United beat Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Everton and, most impressively Manchester City. Shaw managed Erling Haaland with aplomb as the Englishman restricted the Norwegian to nineteen touches of the ball – three of which were from kick-off. It was the type of performance Maguire could only dream of. Shaw was quick, however, to modestly divert praise to his defensive partner, detailing how ‘…it always helps with someone like Varane next to you.’ The French centre-back is a masterful organiser of his defensive unit who, understandably, puts his partner in a position to succeed.

Which is why Sunday’s match against BrixGhton was so illuminating. Shaw was, again, deployed as centre-back but this time without his French safety blanket. Lindelöf lined up next to Shaw in a makeshift defence tasked with dealing with one of the most effective attacking outfits in Europe on recent form, let alone England. The signs were ominous once again.

What transpired over the next few hours, however, was a defensive masterclass in the centre of the pitch. Placed under sustained pressure for large periods of the game, Shaw and Lindelöf stood tall and kept the talented Brighton attack at bay. As good as Shaw certainly was, Lindelöf was even better. The Swedish captain won the Man of the Match award as his side kept a clean sheet and he emphatically scored the winning the penalty to take United to the FA Cup final.

It was a transformative performance from Lindelöf compared to a few days prior in Spain. The obvious explanation for such a metamorphosis in quality? His partner. Luke Shaw offers physical and technical assurance to his team-mates. He can out-muscle and out-sprint any forward, while simultaneously displaying a higher level of ability on the ball than they can. Shaw is the type of player who breeds assurance confidence in the defensive back line. Maguire is the antithesis to this – a beacon of uncertainty. The stark contrast in Lindelöf’s performance highlights this dichotomy perfectly.

With Martinez and Varane ruled out for the foreseeable future, Shaw will undoubtedly maintain his control of the LCB role, while Lindelöf retains the RCB position. If the Swede was one half of the Chuckle Brother double act last Thursday, Luke Shaw appears to be the potion which transforms him into the Iceman he was on Sunday. Manchester United’s finish to the season will be dependent on Shaw’s transformative effect on the defence, with Champions League qualification and an FA Cup win still to secure.

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