Luke Shaw Has Disappointed Just as Much as Other Man Utd Summer Signings

Whether by design or not, Louis van Gaal has finally found a shape and lineup that suits Manchester United. Questions over the Dutchman’s famed philosophy, among other things, have faded as the Old Trafford club strung together five straight wins to solidify their place in the Premier League’s top four.

The resurgence of Ander Herrera and Juan Mata as a dynamic, goal-getting central unit, as well as the reinstatement of Wayne Rooney as a centre-forward, have been major factors in United’s recovery over the past month or so. As has the benching of high-profile summer signings Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao.

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Both players have thus far failed to live up to their billing as two of the finest attacking threats in European football. United’s improvement upon Van Gaal’s decision to finally drop them serves as a damning indictment of how badly Di Maria and Falcao have flopped in the Premier League this season. They were holding Man Utd back.

But those two aren’t the only summer signings to have disappointed at Old Trafford this season. Signed for £27 million from Southampton, Luke Shaw arrived at United as one of the Premier League’s brightest young talents, having secured a place in Roy Hodgson’s England squad for the World Cup at just 18 years old.

Following the sale of Patrice Evra to Juventus, Shaw was expected to nail down Man Utd’s left-back slot. The club also added Daley Blind—left-back for Netherlands in Brazil—and Marcos Rojo (a left-back for Sporting Lisbon and Argentina) but even still, Shaw was seen as the most natural full-back at Van Gaal’s disposal.

And with Van Gaal dead set on implementing a 3-5-2 formation at United, like the one he used with the Dutch national team at the World Cup, additional emphasis was placed on Shaw. The teenager struggled with the demands placed on him in pre-season, with Van Gaal calling into question his fitness.

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“He is OK, but I am always a trainer coach who sees individuals and what they need,” said Van Gaal during Man Utd’s pre-season tour of the United States, as per Jamie Jackson of The Guardian. “He needs to be fit and is not very fit and fit enough to do what I want. He needs to train individually until he is fit.”

Ashley Young quickly became Van Gaal’s favoured option at left wing-back, with Antonio Valencia also converted into a wing-back on the right flank. In fact, through injury and a general lack of match fitness, Shaw had to wait until September to make his full United debut, in a 2-1 win over West Ham United.

It quickly became apparent that 3-5-2 wasn’t a system suited to Man Utd’s qualities and characteristics as a side. A switch to a more orthodox back four came Shaw’s chance to secure a starting place. 

Indeed, Shaw held down a starting spot over the busy winter schedule and into the new year. But as United’s form dipped in February, the teenager was identified as a contributing factor. Blind was preferred for the game against Tottenham Hotspur on March 15 and hasn’t relinquished his place at left-back since.

Considering United’s recent form—which has seen them claim wins against Spurs, Liverpool and Aston Villa since defeat to Arsenal in the FA Cup—it seems unlikely that Shaw will be reclaim his place in the team before the end of the season, barring injuries and suspensions. He has become just another expensive misfit at Man Utd.

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There would appear to be no place for United’s most expensive ever player, and marquee summer signing, Di Maria in Van Gaal’s newfound system. The same goes for Radamel Falcao, who will all but certainly return to Monaco at the end of the season having failed to make any impression on loan at Old Trafford. Shaw might be on a permanent contract, but his future at the club is just as uncertain.

Of course, Shaw hasn’t been helped by a series of persistent injuries throughout his debut season as a United player—struggling to put together a run of games that might help him find some individual form in the first team. 

Perhaps Ryan Giggs’ comments upon Shaw’s signing should be recalled. “I am delighted he has joined Manchester United,” said the Welshman, with Van Gaal still engaged as Netherlands manager at the World Cup. “I believe this is the right club for him to continue his development as a young player and eventually fulfil that promise.”

Was too much expected of Shaw too soon? After all, he is still a teenager with over 60 Premier League appearances behind him. His £27 million price tag wasn’t decided by what he is now, but what he could be in the future. 

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Shaw might have struggled to settle in at United up until this point, but his past achievements shouldn’t be overlooked so readily.

At Southampton, he was widely hailed as the best left-back in the Premier League, earning himself a place in last season’s PFA Team of the Year. He has been anointed as the long-term successor to Ashley Cole and Leighton Baines in the England national team, making his competitive international debut at last summer’s World Cup—albeit in a dead rubber against Costa Rica.

Despite all his troubles this season, Shaw is still a highly promising talent. Van Gaal and United would be foolish to write him off on the basis of one disappointing season at this stage of his development. 

Besides, Shaw is hardly the only player to have struggled in adapting to Van Gaal’s system and style. Herrera and Mata both found themselves sidelined for prolonged spells of the season but are now prime examples of how the Dutch coach’s methods can work.

Shaw must take encouragement from that precedent. It might just take him a while longer to acclimatise.