Luke is Shaw to play more for Mourinho
JOSE Mourinho has promised Luke Shaw more chances at United this season after he made his first start in more than seven months.
The 22-year-old left-back completed the full 90 minutes on his first start since April 30 in United’s 2-1 Champions League win over CSKA Moscow in what was also Shaw’s 50th United appearance.
Shaw has only been selected in one Premier League matchday squad all season and was restricted to just Carabao Cup cameos before he was selected for the XI against CSKA at Old Trafford.
Mourinho applauded Shaw during the second half and spoke effusively about his display after the game.
“Very positive performance,” Mourinho noted. “Especially with the ball going forward, really dangerous, creating a lot, great intensity in his game, no surprise in minute 80 he is feeling the consequences of that intensity, it is normal, first match of the season for him.
“But he was deserving of that opportunity for quite a long time and he’s going to get more because the performance was really positive.”
United ended Group A with five victories from their six matches, their best group stage haul since the 2007-08 campaign - when they won the competition.
Mourinho was particularly pleased with how United responded to going behind to CSKA’s late first-half opener.
“I’m really happy because we don’t want to qualify with a defeat,” Mourinho added.
“We don’t want to qualify with a bad performance, so the objective was to qualify well and get a positive result, and I think we did that very, very well.
“The performance was good, the attitude was good, we showed clearly at half-time we don’t want to lose the match, I think good individual performances, good collective performances, with some moments quite brilliant. “And 15 points in a season of returning to the Champions League I think is quite good.” United could draw Bayern Munich or Juventus in the last 16, with Real Madrid set to secure second place in their group on Wednesday night and offer another intimidating draw. Mourinho’s Madrid finished second in the 2012-13 group stage and were drawn with United after they won their group but knocked out Sir Alex Ferguson’s side and reached the semi-finals. “I’m not the luckiest guy with draws,” Mourinho laughed. “So it’s better I shut up and I forget it because we only play in February and until then I have to concentrate on the English competitions. “But I think it doesn’t matter the team we get in the draw, that team will not be jumping with happiness to play against us, I don’t think so.” Jose Mourinho on Luke Shaw