logo
Luke Shaw says Man Utd have ‘no stragglers anymore' as he praises Ruben Amorim

Luke Shaw says Man Utd have ‘no stragglers anymore' as he praises Ruben Amorim

Independent30-07-2025
Luke Shaw fully supports Ruben Amorim's demanding approach as the Manchester United head coach seeks to transform what the defender admits has at times been a 'toxic' environment.
The 30-year-old is the longest-serving player at Old Trafford having joined from Southampton in 2014 for what was at the time a world-record fee for a teenager.
Shaw has experienced plenty of down moments among the positives during his time at United, with Amorim the fifth different permanent manager the England international has worked under.
The left-back said the whole squad needed to consider whether they were good enough to play for the club after May's Europa League final loss to Tottenham and feels standards have been raised in pre-season.
'It's not hard to see from the outside what it's been like,' Shaw told reporters on their US tour.
'A lot of the time I've been here over the last few years, it's been extremely negative. It can be quite toxic, the environment, it's not healthy at all.
'We need an environment that's healthy, that's positive, that's got good energy and happiness.
'I think when you have all those things, you feel free, and you express yourself more on the pitch.'
Shaw says Amorim has the full backing of United's squad as the head coach demands 100 per cent in everything.
'His mentality, his demands – he's extremely tough on the group,' Shaw said.
'He leaves no stone unturned, and I think there's no stragglers in this group anymore. I think everyone has to put the team first. He's made that very clear.
'I think he's picking players on how he feels will be best for the team and that's his choice.
'Us as players, we're fully behind him and fully behind his ideas and what he wants to implement in this team.
'We feel like a real team, especially this pre-season. Since I've been back, the group is so together and that's something we need to keep, to make us more of a family and everyone all together and we're all driving in the same direction.'
United finished 15th last season and are currently taking part in the Premier League Summer Series in America.
Amorim's side beat West Ham 2-1 in New Jersey at the weekend and are taking on Bournemouth at Soldier Field in Chicago on Wednesday evening local time, before facing Everton in Atlanta on Sunday.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Hibs braced for hostile Belgrade 'Gravediggers' as David Gray explains Thibault Klidje situation
Hibs braced for hostile Belgrade 'Gravediggers' as David Gray explains Thibault Klidje situation

Scotsman

time12 minutes ago

  • Scotsman

Hibs braced for hostile Belgrade 'Gravediggers' as David Gray explains Thibault Klidje situation

Place in Conference League playoff at stake Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Rip away all the noise and nonsense, the sound and fury that make European competition so reliably fascinating for those with a dog in the fight, and there is still a game of football to be played. Hibs will need to remember that as they take to the field in front of 30,000 roaring Serbs at the Partizan Stadion on Thursday night. Against a team whose supporters revel in the nickname of 'The Gravediggers', David Gray's men must not allow themselves to be buried under the avalanche of animosity likely to come tumbling down from the stands here. They have to impose their own game upon a young Partizan side still developing as a European force. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad At stake is a place in the UEFA Conference League play-offs where qualification for the league phase will be up for grabs. Something Hibs thought was already in their possession not so long ago, only for Aberdeen to rip that prize from their grasp courtesy of an odds-defying Scottish Cup win over Celtic. Hibs expect a hostile reception from Partizan Belgrade fans on Thursday night. (Photo by) | Getty Images Partizan, knocked out of the Europa League on penalties by Larnaca but handsome Conference League conquerors of Ukrainian wanders Oleksandriya last time out, represent a formidable enough challenge. But not the most fearsome opposition ever laid before a Scottish club at this stage of qualification. 'Firstly, you expect it to be quite a hostile environment, one that the players maybe haven't experienced before,' said Hibs manager Gray, whose team took Midtjylland deep into extra time at Easter Road before suffering their own Europa League exit last week, the former club captain adding: 'Some of them might have, but going over there, it's a different environment, it's a bit hostile and from what I've seen, a very intense, aggressive nature. 'So discipline is going to be a big thing as well from our players in making sure we do things properly. It's another brilliant test against a top side and we know we need to be at our very best. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It's no different from the Midtjylland test, which was a difficult one, but we need to take confidence from that. I say to the players all the time, you need to believe you can go over there and get a result, and if they were doubting or weren't fully believing before the first leg over in Denmark, they certainly were when they came home, which shows the level of performance and the level of quality we've got as well.' Partizan are aware of the threat posed by Hibs striker Kieron Bowie, whose double secured a 2-0 win over Dundee on Sunday. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group) | SNS Group Hibs certainly boast top-line quality in their starting XI, with Partizan boss Srdjan Blagojevic singling out stand-in skipper Martin Boyle as the one to watch. Although, among the Belgrade media corps attending the MD-1 event at the Partizan Stadion yesterday, the name of Kieron Bowie was also given a frequent airing; it's impossible to sneak that sort of bruising talent under the radar against even the most lax opposition. And Partizan are no slouches. As for the options available to Gray as the game goes on, well, there is some strength in depth. Even if it will take a while for latest signing Grant Hanley to get up to speed. Record signing situation explained On that subject, might Hibs finally get a proper look at record signing Thibault Klidje? Having cost the Easter Road club over £1 million, there's a natural clamour to see what the Togolese international striker has to offer. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Gray is prone to caution on that subject, however, stressing: "Yeah, I understand that as soon as you see the price, people talk about getting him in the team. But the boys are obviously doing well, and I don't want to push him either. 'The expectation is one thing, but he needs to settle. He needs to get used to me and the way we're working and get used to the intensity, because it's a different way of playing. "I've noticed he's really settled around the group now, which is pleasing. Coming to a foreign country, the players have made him feel really welcome, which is great. He's getting used to my accent slightly, which is probably good for him as well, and he's got his own place now. "He's starting to settle a lot quicker, and I'm sure we'll see a lot of improvement from him pretty quickly. But I'm not putting too much pressure on him right now. We're just going to make sure that we keep progressing when we can.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Hibs fans have seen little of record summer signing Thibault Klidje thus far. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group) | SNS Group Hibs really rattled Midtjylland in the opening exchanges of their first leg at the tidy-but-tame MCH Arena, attacking with intent and taking an early lead through Jamie McGrath's cheeky free-kick. But, of course, that desire to really test opponents, not the worst tactic if Hibs are to put the Gravediggers in a sombre mood from the off, only works if you've got the defensive strength to avoid conceding a crazy number of chances at the other end. "Yeah, I think we've demonstrated that a few times now,' said Gray. 'The defensive organisation needs to be there. That's the most important side to it. 'We'll always have players who can score goals. And defence is not always the back five or the back three. The defence starts right at the very front. 'I think we saw that against Dundee at the weekend. The front two, Martin Boyle and Kieron Bowie, really worked hard with Junior Hoilett in behind them. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The effort that goes into that, the organisation behind the ball, it's something that we do work a lot on. It's a massive part of the game because tactically, the players are really switched on nowadays, at every level. "We need to be ready for that, even more so in Europe. It's a bit of an unknown because you don't watch these teams week in, week out. "But the hard work goes in from our point of view to make sure we educate the players to know exactly what the challenge is and then put a game plan in place that we feel gives us the best chance to win the game.

Cesc Fabregas' Como players involved in mass brawl with Real Betis stars as pre-season clash descends into chaos after ex-Premier League hero appears to PUNCH opponent
Cesc Fabregas' Como players involved in mass brawl with Real Betis stars as pre-season clash descends into chaos after ex-Premier League hero appears to PUNCH opponent

Daily Mail​

time12 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Cesc Fabregas' Como players involved in mass brawl with Real Betis stars as pre-season clash descends into chaos after ex-Premier League hero appears to PUNCH opponent

Real Betis and Como FC players were involved in a mass brawl at the end of the first half of their pre-season clash in Cadiz. A number of stars were involved in the shocking altercation in which punches were thrown after Betis' Pablo Fornals and Como midfielder Maximo Perrone came to blows at the end of the first period. The former West Ham star appeared to punch Perrone, with the Argentine then trying strike the 29-year-old. Betis and Como players rushed over to intervene, before many of them also ended up in grappling matches of their own. Amid a chaos, a moment of levity occurred when Betis striker Cucho Hernandez made contact with his team-mate Natan with a flying right hook after failing to land his blow on a Como star. Despite landing the blow that sparked the unrest, Fornals remarkably avoided a red card, while Perrone and former Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin, whose increasingly animated protestations to the official landed him in hot water, were given their marching orders by the referee at the Estadio Municipal de La Linea de la Concepcion. Como led the clash 2-0 when the fighting broke out at half-time but Betis fought back to level the match at 2-2 before Ivan Azon's stoppage-time winner ensured victory for Cesc Fabregas ' side. Wednesday's clash could have lasting consequences for both sides as they near the start of their domestic seasons. The actions of the likes of Bellerin, Fournals and Cucho could result in suspension for the start of the new campaign. All three players are bonafide starters for Manuel Pellegrini, whose side take on newly promoted Elche on the opening matchday of the season.

Son Heung-min admits Los Angeles FC move was not his first choice
Son Heung-min admits Los Angeles FC move was not his first choice

Leader Live

time18 minutes ago

  • Leader Live

Son Heung-min admits Los Angeles FC move was not his first choice

The 33-year-old on Wednesday completed a move worth in excess of £20million – the highest transfer fee paid by an MLS club – after it was revealed on Saturday he would be leaving Spurs following 173 goals in 454 appearances and months after he captained the club to Europa League glory. At an introductory press conference in Los Angeles, the South Korea international admitted he had to be persuaded of the merits of moving to the United States before signing an initial two-year deal. New Beginnings ☀️ Welcome to Los Angeles, Sonny! — LAFC (@LAFC) August 6, 2025 'They've been absolutely working so hard to get me here to join LAFC,' Son said. 'If I'm honest it was not my first choice but John (Thorrington, LAFC general manager) was the first call when the season finished and John changed my mind, he changed my heart. 'I'm so happy to see all the Korean fans, I was at the game and I saw you supporting like crazy and I wanted to run on the pitch and show my performance. I'm here to win and I will perform. 'I will definitely show you something exciting in… are we calling it football or soccer? I will definitely show you some exciting football and we will have success.' Son added that the decision to leave Spurs had left him feeling 'very empty'. 'I felt like I gave it all, but I felt like I needed a new chapter and new challenge and I chose LAFC. I'm old but I still have good physicality, good legs and I still have good quality.' Earlier Son had issued an heartfelt message to Tottenham fans on making the 'hardest decision ever' to leave north London. 'How to find the right words for this? I don't know. I have been thinking for days. It's impossible. But here I go,' Son wrote. 'It's time for me to say goodbye to Tottenham Hotspur. My home for the past decade. When I arrived in 2015, I didn't speak English, I didn't know London, but you welcomed me with open arms, believed in me, and stood by me through every high and low. 'I was just a boy from Korea with big dreams who was supposed to have no chance. And now, 10 years later, North London is in my heart forever. Dear Spurs fans… Sonny's letter to you 🤍 — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 6, 2025 'I've made friends for life here, had the honour of becoming a godfather here, and had the privilege of captaining our special club here. I've poured my heart and soul into this club, which makes this the hardest decision ever. 'I thought if I was ever going to leave, it would have to be on my terms, on the best terms, when our mission had been accomplished together. With pride and honour.' Son joined Spurs in 2015 from Bayer Leverkusen. Alongside old partner in crime Harry Kane, Son holds the record for the most goal involvements by a duo in the Premier League, with the pair assisting each other on a record 47 occasions in the competition. Son's performance helped turn Tottenham into title contenders when they finished second in the Premier League under Mauricio Pochettino in 2017, finishing as runners-up in the Champions League two years later. After Kane left for Bayern Munich, Son became Spurs captain under Ange Postecoglou, lifting the Europa League trophy in May – having come off the bench in the final against Manchester United, a 1-0 Spurs win, after an injury-affected campaign. The popular South Korean will renew acquaintances with Hugo Lloris and move to Los Angeles, which boasts one of the largest Korean populations in the world, ahead of next summer's World Cup in the United States.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store