‘We came out a new side in second half’
LUKE Shaw has revealed Jose Mourinho gave a ‘strong’ team talk at halftime which inspired United’s comeback against Newcastle.
The Reds found themselves two goals down within the first 10 minutes of the game and needed a huge fight back in the second half to win all three points.
Mourinho brought Juan Mata on after 18 minutes and then Marouane Fellaini at halftime, substitutions which helped inspire the 3-2 come back at Old Trafford.
And Shaw revealed he was always confident United would be able to mount a comeback.
“If I’m honest yeah, 100 per cent as soon as we came out in the second half. A lot of strong words were said at half-time in the changing room,” Shaw said.
“I think everything of what was said was correct, 2-0 down at halftime against Newcastle at home is really bad, and it helped us, we came out a new side in the second half.”
United’s team spirit has also been questioned in recent weeks and Shaw believed their fight in the second 45 minutes showed that they are strong as a group.
“The team spirit is very strong,” he added.
“The half-time team talk was very strong and it was needed and gave us a kick up the a***.
“We were much better in the second, much quicker and more direct and more like the United we saw in the old days.
“We need to do that more and we will, hopefully, and we look forward to our next games.”
Romelu Lukaku explained the decision by the players to give everything in the second half is what inspired the comeback against Newcastle.
Asked by MUTV what sparked the turnaround, the Belgian said: “The effort and then we just go, we just thought let’s go for it, give everything we have got.
“That’s what the fans want to see, quality and sacrifice at the same time and that’s what we did.
“Our team is great, we do a lot of stuff together, we are a tight group.
“When a new player comes in we want them to feel comfortable, and that’s key, the dressing room has always been good and that’s always been the case at United,” Lukaku said.
“And we did what, we had to do and we won the match so we have to be positive and look forward to the next games.”