Erik ten Hag has unearthed an unlikely gem at centre-back in the form of Luke Shaw.
The Manchester United left-back has taken on a new role on several occasions this season when the manager has deployed him in central defence, and he has been absolutely exceptional in the new position.
So much so, that injuries to Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane haven’t nearly impacted the team as much as fans initially feared.
The Argentinian sustained a season-ending fifth metatarsal fracture last month, much to Ten Hag’s dismay, but Shaw has been able to fill in straight away and maintain the same high levels that Martinez has carried out all season.
Impressive Shaw statistic
As confirmed by Samuel Luckhurst, the Reds are unbeaten in all of the nine matches that the Englishman has started at centre-back in a back two – a complete stroke of genius by Ten Hag to make the switch.
#mufc are unbeaten in the nine games Luke Shaw has started at centre-back in a back two this season. Playing him there was an innovative move by Ten Hag and Shaw is becoming a better footballer.
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) May 1, 2023
United’s full-backs have then catered to the change – Tyrell Malacia is often deployed directly in Shaw’s absence and Diogo Dalot even took a stint on the left flank more recently. Aaron Wan-Bissaka is perhaps showing the best form of his career so far, so there’s real competition between the two right-backs.
This kind of depth is exactly what the club have craved for so long, and it’s all down to the manager’s choices and signings.
