Shearer Says: “Luke Shaw criticism may be last resort from Mourinho”
Published:Coral Ambassador Alan Shearer gives his thoughts on Mourinho’s latest criticism of Luke Shaw
Luke Shaw has been criticised publically by Jose Mourinho a number of times recently and putting myself in Shaw’s shoes, I would absolutely hate it. I would accept any criticism from a manager, but not in public like that. Thankfully it never happened to me as a player and maybe it is the last resort from Mourinho. We don’t know what has gone on in training and he may well feel Shaw is not trying enough and could give much more. But I have always preferred criticism to be done behind closed doors.
We don’t know exactly what happened at Chelsea last season but Mourinho clearly lost the dressing room and ultimately it led to him being dismissed. Other players at Manchester United will be looking at the criticism Shaw has received from the manager and will be thinking it could be them one day. That can’t be good for the dressing room and so you have to think there is a risk of the same dressing room fall-out at United.
From Shaw’s point of view, I know he had a bad injury but if he is to leave Manchester United, he is has to realise he is not going to go to a bigger club. He was playing for England before the injury and United paid a lot of money for him from Southampton, but it just hasn’t seemed to work out for him. It does not look like he has a future at the club unless things rapidly improve, certainly not under Mourinho anyway.
Manchester United have drawn more games than any other team in the Premier League this season. It is like Groundhog Day for them. They keep creating chances but can’t seem to take them. They have relied too heavily on Ibrahimovic. If you look at who their second highest scorer is in the league, it is Juan Mata with six goals which for a club who are looking to get into the Champions League, is nowhere near good enough. Jose will have to go and sign a goalscorer this summer.
I know they have gone unbeaten for a long time but it has been exactly the same story for them in a lot of games this season. Scoring goals is the hardest thing to do in football and their inability to find the back of the net is what I think will cost them from finishing in the top four. They do have the Europa League though which will be their best chance of qualifying into next season’s Champions League.
Apart from Ibrahimovic, who is 35 now, they have not had anyone who can produce a piece of brilliance to win a game when it is needed. Jose will sign four, maybe five, players this summer and spend a fortune as that is what they need. He will definitely need at least another goalscorer, possibly even two if Ibra leaves at the end of the season. I would expect him to be in for Griezmann and other players of that calibre.
