When Casemiro stood in for Manchester United at centre-back against Burnley, Erik ten Hag said that Luke Shaw had offered himself to fill-in at the position too.
Last night amid another centre-back crisis, Shaw got the nod to fill in.
It’s unclear if this was just because Ten Hag just wanted Casemiro to play in midfield (thankfully as he was man of the match), or if Scott McTominay was out with illness.
Either way it worked out very well, and Luke Shaw held up his end of the bargain very well.
READ: Manchester United player ratings v Nottingham Forest
Luke Shaw centre-back stats
Luke Shaw has played at centre-back for Manchester United before, however, these previously came as part of a back three.
For this role as part of a back-two, Shaw needed extra focus with less help around him, but two players made his life particularly easy.
He had Raphael Varane beside him and Casemiro in front of him. Assignments for a stand-in centre-back don’t get much better.
Nottingham Forest rarely looked threatening, but it was still a busy enough night for Shaw, and he came through it well.
Shaw made 118 touches, and completed 100 passes. This was more than any player on the pitch. These also included 11 passes into the final third.
The 27-year-old defender also made three interceptions, three clearances, and 11 ball recoveries.
He also won three aerial duels of three he competed for, a 100 per cent success rate, also winning the one tackle he made.
Ten Hag impressed
Erik ten Hag told the club website he was very impressed with Shaw’s performance: “It looked like Luke has played there all his life at centre-half.
“He did a fantastic job, so it is good to know that we have options there, and that is also what you need for the whole squad – have players who can play in more positions.
“He was really composed, really decisive there and determined to play that position. It was a really good performance.”
Harry Maguire came on for the final 15 minutes, replacing Varane, showing the trust Erik ten Hag had in Shaw.
It’s likely Shaw’s stint at left-back will be just for the one game. But if he is needed, we can be confident he will step up and deliver just like he did last night.
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