There’s a feeling of uneasiness at Manchester United after the Europa League final defeat and Luke Shaw has just added to it with a cryptic message.
Man Utd’s 1-0 loss to Spurs brings the hammer down on a flailing season that was held together by the prospect of this one game.
United’s performance was nowhere near the standard this game demanded, regardless of what Ruben Amorim might say, and Spurs absolutely played them like a fiddle by sitting back.
There weren’t many performances to write home about as Bruno Fernandes struggled, and Luke Shaw joined him on that list.
Shaw has now stoked the cryptic flames of fire at an already unstable club reeling from the defeat.
Photo by Cesar Ortiz Gonzalez/Soccrates/Getty Images
Photo by Cesar Ortiz Gonzalez/Soccrates/Getty Images
Luke Shaw’s cryptic Man Utd message
Shaw isn’t someone who has had a lot of media duties this season because he’s barely played.
The Europa League final was the biggest start of his Man Utd career which has gone past a decade now, with barely any tangible contribution to show for it.
It can be argued that Shaw’s performance sealed his fate at Old Trafford but even if it didn’t, his cryptic message should be seen as a red flag by Amorim.
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At a time when there is pressure and scrutiny from all sides at Man Utd, Shaw has added oil to that flame by speaking in cryptic tones.
When asked about what the changes need to be at Man Utd, he acknowledged the need for an overhaul, saying there needs to be many changes not just on the pitch, but off it as well.
He said: “It’s a massive club, so much has to change. Not just on the pitch, but outside of the pitch, inside the club, there needs to be so many changes. [Like what?] I don’t want to go too much into them right now, I don’t think it’s the right time.”
When pressed about what they are, he simply said he ‘doesn’t want to go too much into it’ since ‘it’s not the right time’, leaving open the door for speculation to run rampant.
Shaw’s message doesn’t help Man Utd
It is an open secret that some changes will come at Man Utd this summer, something that has been accepted and acknowledged by many at the club, including the manager.
However, to leave the door open like that, saying he doesn’t want to get into it, leaves the door ajar where theories and speculation will spread.
When the sentiment of the whole fanbase is down, the first instinct will be for fans to fill in the blanks of Shaw’s statement by assuming there’s some strife at the club.
Culture will be the first thing questioned, and so will the atmosphere of the dressing room, just because Shaw left that up to the fans’ wildest possibilities.
He could have simply said that the team is not good and changes will be welcomed, which makes him a part of the problem, but instead, he spoke like someone who knows something is wrong but doesn’t want to say it out loud.
That’s not the way to douse the flames of conspiracies engulfing the club.