Luke Shaw has noticed a difference already since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer arrived at Manchester United to replace José Mourinho as caretaker manager.
The ever-improving England international says there is a “buzz” around United and that the Solskjaer is “completely different” to Mourinho. That much we already knew, but what are the finer details?
Shaw turned his career around at the beginning of the season under Mourinho when it appeared he was the on the last straw. There has been issues with his weight, dedication and concentration but Shaw put all of that to bed this season, and has gone on to be one of United’s most consistent performers.
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Anyhow, Mourinho was sacked on December 18 and United have since gone on to win all three games, with Newcastle away lined up on Wednesday night. The lads will be up for that to make it four wins on the bounce for Ole.
Ahead of facing the Magpies at St. James’ Park, Shaw explained to Sky Sports that he “thanks José for what he did for the club and for me as a person and a player,” but added: “Ole has a completely different style to his way and we are adapting to that and enjoying it and that’s the main thing.
“There’s a great buzz around the place with Ole coming back in, there’s a lot of good things to look forward to.
“Ole is a really positive and friendly guy and knows this club really well as he was here for many years and he knows what the club needs. He is here for six months and it’s a massive thing for him to do an amazing job and that would be great for him.
“We all back him and want the best for him as much as he wants the best for us. We all have to work together and keep doing the right things and keep smiles on faces and keep winning matches.”
It seems Solskjaer has quickly won over the dressing room, though we often see an uplift in performances after a manager gets the axe. This is often a time for players on the fringe of the squad to show their worth to the new manager and the Norwegian is definitely looking for that reaction from the youngsters at the club.
Shaw, on the other hand, signed a five-year contract with the club in October and is hopeful of staying injury-free.
“I signed a new contract and I want to be playing every game and trying to help the team as much as possible,” he said. “Hopefully I keep playing games and keep myself in the team.
“I haven’t had many injuries recently so that’s good. I need to stay fit and keep helping the team and maybe win a cup this season.
“We are not where we want to be and not where we should be, so we have a very important second half of the season. Our aim is to get back into the top four because United without Champions League isn’t good. That’s where we want to be and what we are fighting for.”
United are definitely better for having Shaw available. We don’t want to go back to the days of Ashley Young being our main left-back because he’s not one!
