Numerous Manchester United figures have been branded as scapegoats for the team’s early season woes. Manager Jose Mourinho and Executive Vice President Ed Woodward have the finger pointed out at them the most, while club legend Gary Neville says the issues and problems go back to when the club lost its in way in sacking David Moyes.
Then of course you have the Mourinho-Pogba feud, which helps absolutely nobody involved in it. Defender Luke Shaw says the buck ultimately stops with the players though.
“We have to look at ourselves as players,” said Shaw. “We’re the ones who go on the pitch. The manager isn’t on the pitch is he? He’s there to put a team out and put a team out that he thinks can win the game.”
“You look at our team [against West Ham] and we had a very strong team. No excuses. As players we weren’t good enough.”
That’s a very bold take, considering the source. Luke Shaw is a guy who has found himself thrown under the bus by Mourinho as much as anyone; a player who had been frozen out, but then earned back his place in the team. He didn’t mince words when describing the 3-1 disaster at the hands of the Hammers on Saturday.
“If you want the truth I think it was honestly horrendous,” said Shaw. “We didn’t look like a team that was going to beat West Ham. I think individually and as a team we were awful.”
Indeed it was truly awful and utterly horrendous all around and it left United all the way down in 10th place, nine points behind top of the table Manchester City.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, is currently a regular contributor to SB Nation, WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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