Shaw determined to get United back on track under Solskjaer

Full-back is feeling stronger after Mourinho’s criticism and predicts team will get better, writes Mike McGrath

Luke Shaw’s thick skin came in handy during a squad bonding session in Marbella last week when Manchester United players went paintballing. The England full-back (right), still only 24, has been dealing with more than just exploding pellets during six seasons at Old Trafford, with some of the attacks from within.

Shaw says he has learnt from the tough love of Jose Mourinho, which at times seemed personal, including half-time substitutions and some very public criticism.

It has been different under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with the squad possibly more united, as they showed in Spain this week on their winter break. “Looking back, what I went through made me a much stronger person,” Shaw says. “It made me want to succeed more and so I learnt a lot from him. But we’re all aware how the manager has tried to take the criticism on himself.

“We admire him for that but there does come a time, as a player, when you have to look at yourself and realise that it’s all on you. It’s up to us now, we’re the ones who need to shoulder the blame and start performing on the pitch. This is Manchester United. You know why you’re here. You’ve got to prove the critics wrong.” Solskjaer took responsibility for the recent defeat by Burnley and his mantra has unified his squad.

In Spain they went out for dinners together, welcoming new signing Bruno Fernandes along with the element of combat in paintballing. “The best shot? You’re talking to him,” Shaw says. “There are a lot of good friendships in the squad. The big bonus has been the bonding side of it. At home people are off with their families, but out here everyone’s together pretty much all the time.

“And with Bruno being so new, it was a great chance for everyone to get to know him, not just as a player.”

Shaw says it is now time for players to take that responsibility away from the manager, starting with tomorrow’s clash against Chelsea, where victory would bring European qualification another step closer.

“We know when we haven’t been good enough and at times we haven’t been,” Shaw says. “We all know why we’re here. We’re here to take this club back to where it belongs – winning trophies and challenging for titles.”

Shaw has taken his fair share of criticism since returning from his double leg fracture in 2015.

“Personally I have had to have a thick skin. Sometimes it’s easy for people to forget what I have actually been through,” he says. “We know you need to have a thick skin to play football anywhere, but especially so for the biggest club in the world.

“Everyone’s watching, everyone wants to have a go whenever you lose. Everyone is just waiting to criticise the moment anything goes wrong. It’s just part and parcel of playing for United.”

Solskjaer’s team have shown glimpses of their potential with performances against the big teams this season and Shaw believes they can show how good they can be on their return to action after their break.

“We don’t kid ourselves that it’s been a good season so far, but at the same time we really do believe the potential is there to become a top team,” he says. “It might look like we are taking one step forward and one step back, but we are developing as a unit and I really feel that this squad is becoming better and better.

“The trip to Spain has been good for us to really get together and talk about the season so far and what we need to do to improve. It’s been good to get a feel about how we all think we can improve. We’re still a very young team and I think we are only going to get better the longer we are together.

“But the bottom line is that we play for United – and this club has always been about being a great football team. That’s what we are aiming for.”