Wes Brown believes that there is a new position for one Manchester United star that could be “perfect” for him under Ruben Amorim.
Ruben Amorim has welcomed back several players to his Manchester United group following the international break.
The Reds are set to return to action against Nottingham Forest next Tuesday after almost two weeks away from the pitch.
Club media were present during Amorim’s session at Carrington on Friday afternoon, where several young talents were spotted amongst the group.
It was also noticed that Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro and Luke Shaw had returned to the grass following their respective injuries.
Brown believes Shaw has new perfect position
Shaw, 29, has not started a game for the club since February 2024 and only appeared off the bench three times for Amorim before suffering an injury setback.
With a potential return coming soon for the defender, Wes Brown has been assessing his best role coming into the team.
Patrick Dorgu has joined the club and looks to be the new favoured option at left wingback but Brown believes that Shaw’s “perfect” position could be on the left side of the back three.
“The competition for Luke has stepped up a notch, 100 per cent, and I have always said that is what you want in any squad. You want competition and, if Luke does get back, then the manager is able to bring him in, maybe play them both at the same time, you don’t know,” Brown told MUTV.
“I can’t fault him [Dorgu] at all. He’s got great pace, power, he loves to get forward, he is quick and he can defend as well. But we know what Luke can do that as well. Luke can probably play, if needed, in the back three that the manager has as well.
“It could be the perfect spot for Luke. But it is more about Luke staying fit now. To do that, he has got to forget about what has happened, just get back into training, get back in the flow, start to enjoy it, don’t think negatively, always positively and see if he can stay fit.”
Shaw gets the best of both worlds in Amorim’s system
Shaw’s three cameos under Amorim have all come as that left-sided centre-back and it does seem like that’s the best position for him if he does find his fitness.
Of course, it is not the first time the defender has been used in a central area. Under Erik ten Hag, he was used as a centre-back for several games while Lisandro Martínez was injured.
His ball-playing ability was crucial during that period and he also showed his defensive abilities by keeping Erling Haaland quiet in the Manchester Derby.
This position seems to be the best of both worlds, however, with a back three allowing those wide centre-backs to push forward and help the attack when it is suited.
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Otherwise, the role also relieves Shaw of the physical responsibilities of a wingback. Alongside the fact that he won’t be relied on to start every game, that might help him keep his fitness once he’s finally back on the pitch.
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