Manchester United legend Gary Neville specifically targeted defender Luke Shaw for criticism following the Red Devils’ disappointing 4-4 draw against Bournemouth in the Premier League on Monday night. Neville pinpointed Shaw’s defensive contribution, or lack thereof, during the sequence that led to Antoine Semenyo’s equalizing goal.
Manchester United struggled defensively throughout the fixture, surrendering the lead three times. Goals from Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha initially put United ahead, but the defense repeatedly failed to hold their advantage.
The draw became a reality when Eli Junior Kroupi broke the hearts of Old Trafford fans, calmly finishing to equalize in the 84th minute, shortly after Amad Diallo had briefly restored the home side’s lead by capitalizing on a goalkeeping error from Djordje Petrovic. Semenyo earlier equalized for the Cherries, and Neville focused his analysis on the build-up to that specific goal.
Analyzing the sequence leading to Semenyo’s goal on Sky Sports, Neville stated:
“Mason Mount just pops it back to Shaw and then Luke Shaw just gets barged out of the way. It’s a little bit of a shoulder to shoulder,” Neville said on Sky Sports while analysing Semenyo’s goal. “There’s a lot to do, an awful lot to do, and he just basically gets shoulder barged out of the way by Justin Kluivert. “He’s got to be stronger there, Shaw, and he just leaves his team-mates in a position whereby they’ve almost got to invite Semenyo to shoot because if you go out too early they will just play it across. “For all their good work, Manchester United, they find themselves level in the game.”
Neville concluded that Shaw’s failure to hold off Justin Kluivert in the build-up forced his teammates into vulnerable defensive positions, highlighting a concerning lack of defensive solidity in the Manchester United backline.
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