Manchester United defender Luke Shaw was left fuming at manager Jose Mourinho’s decision to take him off at half-time against Brighton.
Manchester United star Luke Shaw had hit out at manager Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese took him off during the half-time break against Brighton & Hove Albion, earlier this month, reports Daily Mail.
Shaw was handed a rare start by the manager in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup at the Old Trafford a fortnight ago, but was subbed off at half-time. Post this, the 22-year old was left in a state of anger and reportedly confronted the gaffer over the treatment meted out to him.
As per the report, the former Southampton defender reacted to Mourinho’s decision by saying: ‘Why are you always picking on me?’
Mourinho responded to his player’s confrontation by saying that he was not ‘defending well enough’ and that the Seagulls were enjoying a lot of freedom on his side.
Post the match, the Portuguese tactician went on to further criticize Shaw in the media, stating that he was not happy with the player’s performance, before questioning his mental resolve and attitude, which wasn’t the first time he has done that.
The report further claims that this was not the first time the pair had clashed in recent weeks, with Shaw understood to have sought reassurances over his place in the first team, following his substitute appearance in the 3-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace.
The 22-year old was worried over his chances of making it to the England squad for the summer’s FIFA World Cup 2018 to be held in Russia, which further increased after he was dropped from the squad for the friendlies against Netherlands and Italy.
However, the interaction between the two parties did not end well last time out as well, with Mourinho reacting angrily to the former Southampton man’s demands. Following the altercation, Shaw was benched for Manchester United’s win over Liverpool and did not even make the matchday squad for the Champions League tie against Sevilla which the Red Devils lost.
And the latest tiff between the two, following the Brighton clash, could very well sound the death knell for Shaw’s spell at Old Trafford. The 22-year old has just over a year left on his contract with the 20-time English champions and is understood to be on the lookout for a new club, with European giants Barcelona seemingly showing interest in his services.
Manchester United too are believed to be preparing for the England international’s departure and have reportedly identified Celtic starlet Kieran Tierney as a potential replacement, while the likes of Alex Sandro of Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur’s Danny Rose have also been spoken about.
