Manchester United’s players have to very quickly pick themselves up and dust themselves off following a 4-1 hammering at the hands of Newcastle United.
The Magpies became the fourth team this season to complete a league double over the 20-time champions, joining Brighton and Hove Albion, Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest as the current clubs to have achieved the feat. United’s next two opponents, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth can also add their names to the list.
Sunday’s result left Ruben Amorim’s men 14th-placed in the table, and they are now confirmed to be overseeing what will be their worst-ever league finish on record throughout the Premier League era. What’s more, they could even drop to 17th with a loss to Wolves at Old Trafford next week if West Ham also overturn the already-relegated Southampton.
Such a showing won’t fill the United faithful with too much optimism heading into Thursday’s crunch Europa League quarter-final clash. However, one journalist was quick to highlight one considerable positive that will give Amorim a much-needed boost for the second leg.
Luke Shaw’s return deemed one of few positives
“One of the very few plus points for United today was seeing Luke Shaw back in action for the first time since early December,”said Chris Wheeler on X/Twitter at full-time.
Indeed, the left-back made his long-awaited return to action following another lengthy spell on the sidelines. He has been limited to just three appearances since Amorim took the reins, all of which were 30-minute cameos off the bench.
When at his best, there’s no doubt that Shaw is one of the most influential full-backs in Europe. However, his unrelenting fitness woes have meant it’s rare for him to actually play long enough to maintain any consistent form, as he is frequently enduring stop-start seasons; his last Premier League start came over 13 months ago in an away clash with Luton Town on February 18, 2024.
Still, having Shaw fit and at Amorim’s disposal for Thursday’s fixture could prove pivotal in getting a result over the line – at least that’s what they’ll be hoping.
