Manchester United suffered a 1-0 defeat in their Europa League final meeting with Tottenham Hotspur.
Brennan Johnson’s first-half goal was enough to seal the victory for Tottenham and not only win the North London club a European trophy but also secure them a spot in next season’s Champions League.
United looked flat and uninspired in Bilbao, and the defeat was undoubtedly a fair reflection of their performance.
Several United players simply didn’t turn up, with Luke Shaw being one of them. Shaw has been uninspiring since returning from a lengthy injury and it was puzzling to see him in the starting XI.
He started on the left side of the three-man defence and failed to justify his selection.
The England international looked sluggish from the start, making a number of poor passes. He kept losing concentration in key moments, one of which saw Brennan Johnson get the better of him to squeeze the ball into the back of the net, past Andre Onana.
Still, Shaw managed four clearances and one tackle during the 90 minutes plus added time that he was on the pitch.
He won just one of the two ground duels he delved into and lost all the two ground challenges he contested. Shaw lost possession 12 times.
He successfully connected with one of the four crosses he aimed and six of the nine long balls he pinged.
Shaw nearly drew United level right at the end but his headed effort was saved by Gugliermo Vicario.
(Stats obtained from Sofascore)
For United, all attention now shifts to what promises to be an extremely busy summer transfer window. While signings will be the focus, outgoings are just as important and Shaw is a player the club should be trying to offload.
In addition to his injury and fitness woes, it’s clear he can no longer be relied upon to deliver consistent performances for United.
The Red Devils are back in action on Sunday when they host Aston Villa at Old Trafford in their final Premier League match.
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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Derick Kinoti Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
