Luke Shaw's great value to Man United

Luke Shaw is a special kind of left-back.

The 27-year-old had to miss the final weeks of the 2021-22 season after having surgery to completely remove the pins that were inserted into his leg following a serious injury (broken leg) he sustained in 2015.

The Smarterscout chart above gives you a detailed breakdown of Shaw's influence at Man United this season.

When Man United controlled the ball, the 27-year-old full-back had a lot to contribute. His very high score (95 on a 99-point scale) in the "link-up play volume" array shows that many of United's ball deployments have contributed to coordination situations. matched by the short passes he made to his teammates. Shaw's pretty good score (64 out of 99) in the "receptions in the opposition box" section shows how often he receives the ball in the bottom third of the opponent's field. .

A good ball retention ability score of 69 out of 99 indicates Shaw has a safe and reliable footwork when holding the ball. Man United fans are probably familiar with the image of the 27-year-old star dribbling with the outside of his left foot and his caution when "using" the ball.

The England full-back has been recorded with an oddly low score (33 out of 99) for dribble and dribble volume, as well as progressive passing (27 out of 99). . During the first half of the 2022-23 season, Shaw has been asked to do less of the quick pulls that have been his trademark for the past two seasons. Much of this is due to the improvements Ten Hag has made to the midfield, so the left-back will no longer be one of United's main ball-playing feet.

Shaw scored lower than expected (18 out of 99) on the "expected goal value" aspect of his signature shots (xG from shot creation) and the "expected goal value" of his ball progressions (xG from ball progression: 31 out of 99). Man United's midfield may have improved under Ten Hag, but their attack still has many weaknesses to overcome.

Although the 27-year-old full-back has vastly improved his finishing and crosses since the 2020-21 season, this season he hasn't made many crosses towards the far post. Due to the type of striker Ten Hag has used this season, Shaw has a tendency to frequently go to the touchline and deliver cutbacks to someone making a late entry. forbidden circle. If Man United can add to the first team a confident and wise striker to take advantage of the opportunities Shaw wants to create, it is certain that his and the team's individual offensive stats will improve significantly. .

Let's take a look at the numbers that show Shaw's solid defense. He is not a defender who tends to actively defend, intercepting opponents in the style of "foreseeing and creating", but instead patiently stalks, waiting for the opportunity to "strike", but when Healthy and fit - a condition that is not always guaranteed - Shaw is truly a valuable "asset" in the Man United defence.

The fact that he received a "defensive intensity" score (79 out of 99) was higher than that of "defensive impact: the term used to refer to the impact of a person's defensive actions. The player's development of the opponent's ball / Shaw's score of 44 out of 99) shows that he needs to improve his ability to detect dangers before they develop – Harry Maguire often reprimands Shaw for the problem. distractions – but the left-back won most of his 1-on-1 defenses.

The way he became an expert in defense 1v1 is a very interesting thing. One of the reasons Shaw is so highly regarded in aerial combat situations (aerial duels: 92 out of 99) is that he is so good at using his gifted physicality to make up for technical flaws or mistakes. distracting moments. Watch Shaw long enough and you'll notice his clever moves before challenging the ball to throw the opponent off balance and give yourself the advantage to win the ball successfully. The fact that he is able to do this on a regular basis without being penalized shows that the 27-year-old has become very adept at a form of situation reading. It can be said that he is a master at performing "dirty tasks".

Shaw's 2022-23 season at Man United has so far been more about solidity and stability than spectacular. He could still become an excellent ball developer for his team, but Ten Hag wants to make that an auxiliary weapon, rather than a vital element for United.

At the World Cup, however, he showed a superb display of his pulling and passing skills that Man United fans are familiar with and love.

A slow start to the 2022-23 season saw him struggle to compete for the team's number one left-back position with Tyrell Malacia, but has since once again established himself as the best full-back. of Manchester United. After 10 matches played in the Premier League under Erik Ten Hag, Shaw has proven his great value to both attack and defense of the Old Trafford team. Luke Shaw is a special kind of left-back. The 27-year-old had to miss the final weeks of the 2021-22 season after having surgery to completely remove the pins that were inserted into his leg following a serious injury (broken leg) he sustained in 2015. A slow start to the 2022-23 season saw him struggle to compete for the team's number one left-back position with Tyrell Malacia, but has since once again established himself as the best full-back. of Manchester United. After 10 matches played in the Premier League under Erik Ten Hag, Shaw has proven his great value to both attack and defense of the Old Trafford team. The Smarterscout chart above gives you a detailed breakdown of Shaw's influence at Man United this season. When Man United controlled the ball, the 27-year-old full-back had a lot to contribute. His very high score (95 on a 99-point scale) in the "link-up play volume" array shows that many of United's ball deployments have contributed to coordination situations. matched by the short passes he made to his teammates. Shaw's pretty good score (64 out of 99) in the "receptions in the opposition box" section shows how often he receives the ball in the bottom third of the opponent's field. . A good ball retention ability score of 69 out of 99 indicates Shaw has a safe and reliable footwork when holding the ball. Man United fans are probably familiar with the image of the 27-year-old star dribbling with the outside of his left foot and his caution when "using" the ball. The England full-back has been recorded with an oddly low score (33 out of 99) for dribble and dribble volume, as well as progressive passing (27 out of 99). . During the first half of the 2022-23 season, Shaw has been asked to do less of the quick pulls that have been his trademark for the past two seasons. Much of this is due to the improvements Ten Hag has made to the midfield, so the left-back will no longer be one of United's main ball-playing feet. Shaw scored lower than expected (18 out of 99) on the "expected goal value" aspect of his signature shots (xG from shot creation) and the "expected goal value" of his ball progressions (xG from ball progression: 31 out of 99). Man United's midfield may have improved under Ten Hag, but their attack still has many weaknesses to overcome. Although the 27-year-old full-back has vastly improved his finishing and crosses since the 2020-21 season, this season he hasn't made many crosses towards the far post. Due to the type of striker Ten Hag has used this season, Shaw has a tendency to frequently go to the touchline and deliver cutbacks to someone making a late entry. forbidden circle. If Man United can add to the first team a confident and wise striker to take advantage of the opportunities Shaw wants to create, it is certain that his and the team's individual offensive stats will improve significantly. . Let's take a look at the numbers that show Shaw's solid defense. He is not a defender who tends to actively defend, intercepting opponents in the style of "foreseeing and creating", but instead patiently stalks, waiting for the opportunity to "strike", but when Healthy and fit - a condition that is not always guaranteed - Shaw is truly a valuable "asset" in the Man United defence. The fact that he received a "defensive intensity" score (79 out of 99) was higher than that of "defensive impact: the term used to refer to the impact of a person's defensive actions. The player's development of the opponent's ball / Shaw's score of 44 out of 99) shows that he needs to improve his ability to detect dangers before they develop – Harry Maguire often reprimands Shaw for the problem. distractions – but the left-back won most of his 1-on-1 defenses. The way he became an expert in defense 1v1 is a very interesting thing. One of the reasons Shaw is so highly regarded in aerial combat situations (aerial duels: 92 out of 99) is that he is so good at using his gifted physicality to make up for technical flaws or mistakes. distracting moments. Watch Shaw long enough and you'll notice his clever moves before challenging the ball to throw the opponent off balance and give yourself the advantage to win the ball successfully. The fact that he is able to do this on a regular basis without being penalized shows that the 27-year-old has become very adept at a form of situation reading. It can be said that he is a master at performing "dirty tasks". Shaw's 2022-23 season at Man United has so far been more about solidity and stability than spectacular. He could still become an excellent ball developer for his team, but Ten Hag wants to make that an auxiliary weapon, rather than a vital element for United. At the World Cup, however, he showed a superb display of his pulling and passing skills that Man United fans are familiar with and love. Note: The graph shows the average frequency of progressive carries and progressive passes per 90 minutes of the Three Lions players at the 2022 World Cup. When Shaw is in top form, few players can match or be better than him at picking up the ball at the edge of his own box and sending it to the edge of the opponent's box. His assist for Jude Bellingham to score against Iran demonstrated the creativity and ingenuity that have made him a valuable asset to England and United. When he can play with full fitness in a stable way, Shaw is one of the best left-backs in the world. “I can see a lot of progress. I can see that the team is excited about new ideas and really wants to work on them,” Shaw said in late October about the club's progress under Ten Hag. “He brought a much higher intensity of work in every aspect and a new structure – a structure that now helps us understand what he wanted us to do, which was a great success. Great help for the whole team. "The most important thing is intensity and enthusiasm, he always wants us to give 100% of our strength and ability on the pitch." That "structure" sometimes required Shaw to stick inward to assist in the attack, and both when playing in half-space and when overlap with the winger. teammates, he showed his wisdom and thinking to play very well. Malacia may be a more "fresh" player (he hasn't played a minute in Qatar, while Shaw's is 425), but Ten Hag and Man United would certainly be happy to have a second game. Shaw's service in the dense schedule of December and January. His link with Rashford on the pitch is one of the best attacking combinations at Old Trafford, and many Man United players. benefited from Shaw's out-of-field moves in the last third of the field. The Man United head coach wants Shaw's ball development to be an auxiliary weapon rather than an important element of the team, but when necessary, his 27-year-old left-back is one of the players. the best at what he can do.