LFC's system has set the bar way too high with FB's, imo. People think anything less than playmaker returns from a FB is unacceptable now. It's crazy.

People need to remember a FB's duty first & foremost is to defend. This basic principle will ALWAYS remain - and using a team who predominantly deploy Henderson, Milner & Gini Wijnaldum as #8s, to set some kind bar what levels of output should come from the FBs, is just silly.

Shaw's one of the main victims of this. United fans often use his final third capacity/output to bash him, but 5 G/A from 29 apps in the league last season is a perfectly fine return. This, on top of being a v.good defender, makes him such a weird scapegoat.

Let's throw in some perspective. In Man City's centurion, record-breaking season - which saw them score 106 goals - their FB pairing returned:

2 G/A (Delph, LB)

6 G/A (Walker, RB)

They done alright at creating & scoring as a whole though.

City's best & most creative player is De Bruyne - a central player - and he has a superb supporting act in that area of the pitch with the two Silva's. So, do they need silly Robertson/TAA numbers from FB?

Obviously no, as factually proven. Why would they?

United's best & most creative player is Paul Pogba - another central player, just without the luxury of De Bruyne in being surrounded by complementary, possession friendly/creative players. So, is that, ladies & gentlemen, the issue, or is it the left back?

Liverpool don't have the luxury of having top (*possession) creative players centrally, so they adapt & maximize their strengths on the sides. Klopp signed Roberston for a reason. Immense crosser. I saw earlier that Gini's walking around on 0xA per 90 this season ffs

So yeah, United's issue, as absolutely crazzzyyy as it may sound, just might be coming from a lack of possession friendly, creative players in central/attacking areas, and not from, would you believe it, Luke Shaw. But too early for those crazy conspiracies, not even 9pm yet.

Literally just sign some central passers/an attacking creator, it's boring at this stage

Asterisk on "possession" as their CMs do create against the ball, via pressing