Journo: ‘Sluggish’ United man ‘should not be starting’, he’s just gifted Spurs their opener | OneFootball

Manchester United trail by a goal to nil after 45 minutes played in Bilbao.

It’s not currently a mountain to climb for Ruben Amorim and his men just yet, but they’re now poised for a decisive second half, knowing they need to score a minimum of two goals to edge the tie in their favour.

Prior to the opener on the brink of half time, neither side had overseen any overly clear-cut chances, with nerves seemingly getting the better of both sets of players as they set their sights on travelling back to England clutching onto gold medals rather than silver ones.

Shaw switched off for Spurs’ opener

The Reds conceded first yet again at San Mames. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Brennan Johnson reeled off to celebrate what he believed would be his goal in the 42nd minute, doing so in front of the travelling Tottenham Hotspur faithful behind Andre Onana’s goal. However, upon closer inspection, it became clear that Luke Shaw had the final touch on the ball before it found its way into the net.

Reacting on X/Twitter, Samuel Luckhurst claimed the England star shouldn’t have been included in the starting XI in the first place.

“Shaw should not be starting, was sluggish at the start and is sluggish there. On his heels,” he said.

Shaw remains one of Amorim’s most trusted lieutenants

In truth, Shaw was always going to be in from the off for such a high-stakes fixture.

Irrespective of his recent form upon his return from a lengthy injury setback, he remains first-choice on the left-hand side of defence, and his performances throughout the years have given him that credit in the bank to be a shoo-in when fit.

Shaw made 28 accurate passes in the first half, as well as three clearances and one cross. He also made four accurate long balls, but did lose possession seven times.

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