Luke Shaw has recovered his starting spot under Erik ten Hag (Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)
Manchester United star Luke Shaw says he’s grateful that Erik ten Hag only selects in-form players and says the Dutchman’s team selections have been a welcome break from the past.
The England international started United’s first two matches of the season, where they were beaten by Brentford and Brighton.
He was consequently dropped for Tyrell Malacia, while Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo also lost their starting spots.
Shaw has since recovered his spot following praise from Ten Hag for his performances for England during the international break.
The full-back had a difficult relationship with Jose Mourinho during his time at the club, with the Roma boss once criticising Shaw for being ‘immature’ and claiming he ‘played with my brain in his body’ during a 1-1 draw against Everton.
Under Solskjaer, Shaw excelled but he kept his spot even after the purchase of Alex Telles.
And, though the Dutchman’s tough love cost Shaw his spot earlier this season, the full-back believes Ten Hag’s selection process is good for the club.
Shaw struggled under Mourinho but excelled under Solskjaer at times (Picture: Getty)
Asked by the National if he was now happy with his own performances, Shaw said: ‘Yes, but I think the most important thing is the team. Whenever I get a chance, whenever I play I just do my best. The good thing with this manager [Erik ten Hag] is that if you’re not playing well then you won’t play. 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 per cent every day. If you’re not at it then you won’t play. That’s a positive thing. We all know that. And for me I’ve just got to keep working harder.’
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Malacia was praised after wins against Arsenal and Liverpool for his tenacity, which has sometimes been lacking with Shaw.
But the Englishman says Ten Hag did not need to specify the reasons for his decision to drop him.
‘To be honest I didn’t really need him to say anything to me. I knew the first two games were nowhere near good enough,’ said Shaw.
‘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 so the manager could see how hard I was working. I was just waiting for my opportunity and had to bide my time because the team were doing well and we were winning. You can’t moan, I just had to be there every day with the team, being involved and helping the team, whether that is starting or being on the bench.
‘Over the years I’ve had a lot of ups and down. For me that’s not good enough and not what I want to be achieving. 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.’
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It’s paying off…