Manchester United star failed to impress in a poor 1-0 defeat to Everton on Monday, as his chance for the England World Cup squad slips further away.
Manchester United hosted Everton at Old Trafford and succumbed to the discipline of David Moyes’s side, losing 1-0 in a lacklustre Premier League fixture.
Ruben Amorim’s side failed to get the better of England international Jordan Pickford, who once again proved why he is England’s No. 1.
Thomas Tuchel has been scouting potential players for his 2026 World Cup squad to travel to North America and has been seen speaking to former United academy prospect James Garner, as well as Jack Grealish.
That said, the English United players will have taken a blow to their World Cup hopes, as one particular defender failed to prove his versatility at the back.
Shaw fails to impress Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel’s left back slot in the 2026 World Cup squad is up for grabs. Recently, Djed Spence has been operating on the left for England, as well as Newcastle’s Tino Livramento, when fit.
Luke Shaw would be looking to make a stake for that position, having represented England 34 times and scoring a crucial goal to put England in front in the 2020 European Championship final.
However, these hopes took a blow on Monday, as United were bested by an improved Everton side. Shaw failed to get the better of in-form Illiman Ndiaye and looked out of his depth in that game.
Shaw, who had started all previous eleven matches for the Reds, will be disappointed not to have impressed England’s head coach Thomas Tuchel.
Gary Neville has taken fire at Shaw, saying the defender was ‘ambling’ his efforts in the Everton game, according to the Daily Express.
Shaw lack adaptability
Under Ole Gunnar Solskjær, when Shaw had his best stint at the club, the 30-year-old would be eager to bomb forward and support the attack, while keeping his defensive duties in mind.
With Amorim’s unconventional tactics, Shaw has failed to replicate this so far. The defender plays on the wide left side of a back three, and usually operates with the knowing Centre-back Mathijs de Ligt is there to cover him.
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In an imperative fixture, in which United were hoping to make a decent claim for a European place, Shaw’s lack of work rate and ability to work forwards and backwards were his fatal flaws.
This does not mean Shaw is out of contention for the World Cup squad, or for Amorim’s side. Despite the returning Lisandro Martinez expected to make his way into the starting eleven, Shaw still has a stake as a senior player for Amorim.
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