Manchester United have been warned that Luke Shaw's "laziness" could cost the Red Devils dearly against Mohamed Salah and Liverpool. The Red Devils, led by Ruben Amorim, enter the showdown buoyed by a much-needed win before the international break. But standing in their way is a Liverpool side desperate to shake off a run of three consecutive defeats, and the odds and form make this one a powder keg waiting to blow.
Trouble brewing on the left side of Man Utd
Liverpool’s Egyptian king will need no extra motivation. Salah’s record against United is nothing short of terrifying, six goals and six assists in 17 appearances, and he’ll be licking his lips at the thought of targeting a shaky left-back struggling for confidence. The Anfield crowd will sense blood. Every time Salah gets the ball, all eyes will turn to Shaw. One false step, one moment of hesitation, and Liverpool could pounce. It’s not the first time Shaw has been in the crosshairs, but Paul Parker’s latest blast is particularly brutal.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportShaw in the firing line
Speaking on podcast, Parker tore into the England international’s work ethic and warned that his lack of energy could cost United dearly.
"You look at the teams they have played against and they can’t handle pace and energy levels," he said. "If Liverpool play in front of them, it will be great but I don’t think they will. I think they will try and turn them around, especially on the left side with Luke Shaw. Salah is going to be looking to run in behind with and without the ball, knowing the laziness of Luke Shaw, who he will be pulling at his shirt all the time and little things like that."
Parker isn’t the only ex-United star ready to lay into Shaw. Roy Keane has repeatedly ripped into the defender over the past year, none more scathing than after United’s defeat in the Manchester derby. Keane, who never minces words, accused Shaw of “throwing the towel in” and said: "Very good from City, Doku and Foden, timing is perfect. But United's defending… the two midfielders are too square and Shaw just gives up. It's a nice bit of skill [from Doku], but Shaw is an England international player with hundreds of games under his belt. He doesn't get his body position right. It's far too easy. It's like he's thrown the towel in. We know people can run off the back of Bruno Fernandes, that's been going on for years. But my goodness, even before that, you've got two midfielders that are too square. One pass takes them out. If one midfielder goes, the other just tucks in. Far too easy. United have got all the numbers back but Shaw just throws the towel in."
The Irishman pointed to United’s lack of aggression in that game, blasting: "We see Shaw for the first goal. Shaw is an international footballer, for him to get caught out like that [is not good]. I think Shaw has been getting away with murder for years at United. Always injured, never quite fit and we make excuses for him. Then he gets a few games under his belt and he’s making decisions like he doesn’t want to tackle people. We looked at all the stats in the derby match, not one yellow card and we’re having the big build up, it’s raining and it’s set up for a few tackles to be flying in. You get beat and Man United walk off the pitch and not one yellow card.”
Amorim under pressure at United
It’s not just Shaw who’s facing the heat. Ruben Amorim’s start to life at United has been anything but smooth. Sitting 10th in the Premier League, his side have been accused of lacking urgency, identity, and direction. The Portuguese boss refuses to budge from his tactical philosophy, insisting the system isn’t the issue; the players are. And Parker agrees.
"They haven’t got the discipline, trustworthy people to play for what the manager wants to do," he said. "You can moan and moan about his system, but at the end of the day, they want to use this word elite about these players of today, which is absolutely rubbish to be perfectly honest, but if they were that elite, they would be clever enough to go bang and do it."
GettyA nightmare fixture awaits
Trips to Anfield rarely end well for United. Just one win in their last nine visits to the red half of Merseyside tells its own story. Even last season’s 2-2 draw felt like a minor miracle, with United clinging on after missing a golden late chance to steal all three points. With Amorim desperate to prove his doubters wrong and Salah hunting goals again, the stage is set for a fiery showdown under the Merseyside lights.