Mueez Ajao
– Luke Shaw has said the days of having guaranteed starters at Manchester United are over because manager Erik ten Hag is not afraid to drop his star names.
– Shaw, Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo have all been dropped at different points this season — something Shaw said might not have happened under previous managers.
– And after the 0-0 draw with Newcastle on Sunday, the England left-back has reminded the squad that Ten Hag will not be afraid to mix up his team for Tottenham’s visit to Old Trafford on Wednesday.
Also Read: Man Utd held to goalless draw by Newcastle
– “The good thing with this manager, this gaffer, is that if you’re not playing well then you won’t play,” Shaw said.
– “In the past that’s not been the case but I think the good thing about this manager is that he’s keeping everyone on their toes.
– “He makes sure that everyone is 100% every day. If you’re not at it then you won’t play. That’s a positive thing.”
– Shaw is one of the players who had a spell on the sidelines after he was dropped in the wake of the 4-0 defeat to Brentford in August.
– He was replaced by summer signing Tyrell Malacia but won back his place for the last two league games against Everton and Newcastle.
– “I didn’t really need him [Ten Hag] to say anything to me, I knew, I knew the first two games were nowhere near good enough,” Shaw added.
– “I completely understood that it was my time to come out of the team. The results were bad, my performances were not good enough.
– “I just had to keep training hard every day in training so the manager could see I was training hard. I was just waiting for my opportunity and had to bide my time because the team were doing well and we were winning.
– “For me it’s all about consistency and I just need to keep training hard, keep the focus and give everything I can for the team.”
– After the draw with Newcastle, United face two key games against Tottenham and Chelsea this week.
– Playing two top six-rivals in the space of four days will be a test of how far the team have come under Ten Hag, but Shaw said there have already been clear signs of progress.
– “It takes a bit of time, but there are very positive signs at the moment and we, as players, can see that in day-to-day training with him,” he said.
– “The meetings we have are very positive; it is the start of something new, so things like this take time.”
