Shaw responded to Neville with football of character.

Gary Neville sarcastically branded Luke Shaw a “waste of time”, but just four days later the England defender turned Selhurst Park into a stage to respond with expertise, not words.

At the age of 30, Luke Shaw is no stranger to public criticism. His persistent injuries have often put him under the microscope, especially during the period when MU showed many signs of instability.

But Gary Neville’s angry rebuke after the defeat to Everton – “he walks, he’s not fooling anyone” – struck a chord with a player who has battled through two managers and a series of changes at Old Trafford. And Shaw responded in his usual way: shut up and play football.

Luke Shaw's courage

MU arrived at Selhurst Park in the 13th round of the Premier League on 30/11 in a state of doubt. The humiliating defeat to Everton had left a wave of skepticism hanging over Ruben Amorim’s team. And the first half against Crystal Palace only added to that atmosphere.

United played disjointedly, their midfield was broken by Palace's pressing, and their defense was constantly exposed. The home team had seven shots in the first 45 minutes, three times more than United, and four times they put the ball into the box with high danger. Mateta's penalty was just the result of a one-sided game.

Amidst the chaos, Luke Shaw became a rare fulcrum. He saved MU before everything got out of control. The most important situation happened at the end of the first half, when Eddie Nketiah broke free and Shaw dived to tackle the ball with centimeter accuracy, completely cutting off the obvious scoring opportunity.

Minutes earlier, the former Southampton player had also blocked Yeremi Pino’s shot after De Ligt slipped and the entire defense was wide open. Those two moments not only saved MU from conceding a goal, but also prevented the team from falling into a state of panic.

Luke Shaw kept the MU defense steady against Palace.

It could be said that MU's first half was supported by Shaw's alertness. When Leny Yoro made a mistake in the penalty kick, and De Ligt had difficulty supporting, Shaw was in the right position and handled the situation decisively. He won all three aerial duels, recovered the ball five times, passed with an accuracy rate of nearly 90% and was not passed once. Each of these statistics shows that Shaw covered all the gaps on the left wing, the attacking direction exploited by Palace the most.

In the second half, MU changed their appearance. Amorim asked his students to speed up the tempo, press harder and attack more on the wings. But that change only worked because MU still had a starting point to stand up. They were not too deep behind, not defeated mentally, which came from Shaw keeping the minimum gap of 0-1 in the first half.

The turning point came in the 63rd minute when Zirkzee curled a shot into the far corner from a difficult position. The Dutchman's third goal in his last six games showed the growing confidence in Amorim's system.

In the 78th minute, Mason Mount scored the winner after Bruno Fernandes’s cunning free-kick. Two highlights in the second half made for an emotional turnaround, but the weight of the match lay in what came before.

Luke Shaw keeps MU strong against Palace

Tactically, it is difficult for United to come back if they are down by more than one goal. The defeat to Chelsea last season and many other big matches have proven that. Today, Palace were also in a position to finish United off in the first half, but that did not happen because Shaw appeared at the right time in all the hot spots.

Shaw’s numbers for the game tell the story exactly. He had the most shots blocked, the most clearances, the highest recoveries, was not dribbled past and maintained a high passing rate that helped United escape the press effectively. When De Ligt and Yoro were in trouble, Shaw provided consistent energy, good judgment and decisiveness in each situation.

Luke Shaw is reviving his form.

Shaw not only defended, but also dictated the tempo whenever United had the ball. His six accurate long balls and 13 passes into the final third showed he had a big influence on how United overcame Palace’s first pressing line. Each of Shaw’s actions reduced the chaos at the back, setting the stage for counter-attacks in the second half.

Interestingly, Amorim had hinted before the game that Shaw could be deployed as a wing-back once Lisandro Martinez is fit. But his performance at Selhurst Park showed otherwise: in high-pressure games, Shaw is best suited to playing in a back four, where he can defend while also providing stability.

The victory over Palace brought many positive signs. Zirkzee continued to improve, Mount found his freedom in his play, and Bruno Fernandes continued to make a difference with his dead ball plays. But for all those signs, the foundation of the victory still belonged to Shaw. He did not score, did not assist, but he was the one who gave MU enough time to live, to correct mistakes and to counterattack.

In a season where United’s defence has been in constant disarray, Shaw’s consistency could be the difference between success and failure. At 30, he’s not as explosive as he once was, but he’s sharper, more experienced and knows when to drop back or rush in. In football, sometimes it’s not the scorer who decides the game, but the one who keeps the team from sinking.

And at Selhurst Park, that man is Luke Shaw.

Source: https://znews.vn/shaw-dap-tra-neville-bang-thu-bong-da-cua-ban-linh-post1607375.html