Manchester United defender Luke Shaw delivered the perfect response to stinging criticism from Gary Neville, putting in a robust shift during his side's crucial 2-1 victory away at Crystal Palace.
Neville's Scathing On-Air Rant
Earlier in the week, following United's disappointing 1-0 defeat to a 10-man Everton, former Red Devils captain and pundit Gary Neville did not hold back in his assessment of Shaw's performance. During his co-commentary for Sky Sports, Neville expressed his clear frustration.
"You have Shaw, [Leny] Yoro and [Matthijs] De Ligt behind the ball," Neville remarked. "Shaw is getting forward more, but he's ambling forward, let's be clear. He's been bugging me for the last 20 minutes. He's ambling, you can't do that."
He concluded his pointed critique by stating, "He should be running forward every single time, I don't care... That's a waste of time. I'm not having it."
A Commanding Response on the Pitch
Any questions about Shaw's mentality were emphatically answered on Sunday afternoon at Selhurst Park. With United needing a result after a run of three matches without a win, the left-back was a pillar of defensive stability.
Shaw played a pivotal 82 minutes, making several crucial interventions to keep Palace at bay, especially in the first half when the home side took the lead through a Jean-Philippe Mateta penalty. His defensive contributions were comprehensive, including three interceptions, three clearances, one blocked shot, and three recoveries.
He also proved his competitiveness by winning half of all his ground and aerial duels, helping to ensure the deficit was only one goal at the break and providing a platform for the comeback.
A Vital Win for United's Top-Four Hopes
Manager Ruben Amorim will have been delighted with his team's second-half turnaround. Goals from Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount overturned the first-half deficit to clinch a vital three points.
The result provides a much-needed boost for United, lifting them to seventh place and to within just a single point of the Premier League's top four. The win also featured a welcome return for defender Lisandro Martinez, who came on for the final stages after recovering from an ACL injury suffered in February.
Attention now turns to a busy schedule, with United hosting West Ham at Old Trafford in midweek before further fixtures against Wolves, Bournemouth, Aston Villa, and Newcastle.
