Gary Neville has launched a scathing attack on Luke Shaw, accusing him of 'ambling' through Manchester United's devastating home loss to Everton. However, it could be argued that Shaw has been coasting through the majority of his career at Old Trafford.
Shaw, who has been with United since transferring from Southampton in 2014, has managed only 210 league appearances despite being at the club for nearly twelve seasons. This raises the question: what exactly has Shaw done to warrant such a prolonged stay in the red half of Manchester?
"You have Shaw, (Leny) Yoro and (Matthijs) De Ligt behind the ball. Shaw is getting forward more, but he's ambling forward, let's be clear, " fumed Neville.
"He's been irritating me for the last 20 minutes. He's ambling, you can't do that. He should be sprinting forward every single time, I don't care. Yoro, I have a little bit more sympathy for.
"But Shaw? That's a waste of time. I don't care. It's a waste of time. It's not fooling anyone. I'm not having it."
Neville could have singled out any one of United's players for criticism during the Monday night debacle. Joshua Zirkzee, Yoro, Patrick Dorgu or Casemiro would have been top of my list.
The worst of a very bad bunch.
However, Neville's decision to focus on Shaw is significant, as the left back epitomises the era of mediocrity that United have found themselves mired in over the past decade.
Ruben Amorim is the ninth manager Shaw has worked under at Manchester United, and like many before him, he believes Shaw can make a significant contribution to the team.
Shaw's time at United has been marred by serious injuries, dips in form, and harsh criticism from various managers. Despite these challenges, he has consistently secured new contracts, with his most recent one granted by Erik ten Hag in 2023.
This contract will see Shaw remain at Old Trafford until June 2027, just shy of his 32nd birthday.
This pattern of rewarding players with lucrative contracts, despite their performance, is a recurring issue at United.
These contracts place players in a comfort zone, allowing them to earn substantial wages while coasting towards the end of their careers.
While Shaw could certainly do more, if Neville is looking for someone to blame for the ongoing issues at United, he should turn his attention to his former club.