Alphonso Davies has this week responded to the lighthearted jibes of Manchester United’s supporters, insistent that Luke Shaw has surpassed the Bayern Munich standout as the world’s best left-back.
Shaw shining
Red Devils man Shaw is of course fresh off the back of his finest-ever season at club level.
Having time and time again seen his credentials called into question after departing Southampton as a raw teen, the now-26-year-old has finally begun to deliver on his early-career promise.
Whilst Andy Robertson may possess a better engine, Jordi Alba a superior final ball and David Alaba more versatility, few, if any at this moment in time, can compare to Manchester United’s left-back when it comes to sheer completeness.
The 2020/21 campaign appeared to see something click in the head of the stopper, with Shaw, sporting a new-found mean streak, having looked near unbeatable in one-on-one situations.
Not only that, but his production at the other end of the pitch also reached previously unseen levels, to the point that Alex Telles, on the back of a much-hyped summer arrival at Old Trafford, was restricted almost entirely to backup duties.
Luke Shaw created 101 chances in just 48 starts for #mufc & England this season — leading all defenders & ranking 8th amongst all players in Europe. pic.twitter.com/jxbJF1LFS5
— ً (@utdrobbo) July 12, 2021
Shaw’s stellar form carried over onto the international stage this summer, too.
Amongst the elite of the elite at the European Championships, the Red Devils star continued to prove his credentials, notching a goal and three assists across six appearances for England, including the opener in the Three Lions’ finale showdown with Italy:
LUKE SHAW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Watch and listen on the BBChttps://t.co/dxIEr6G0no #ITAENG #Euro2020 #bbceuro2020 pic.twitter.com/6F9A1CTo3N
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) July 11, 2021
‘Really good!’
In turn, it has not come as too much of a surprise to see claims begin to mount amongst the Man United faithful that Shaw, on current form, stands as the finest left-full in world football.
And, as outlined above, such a suggestion was this week put to another to, at one point, have staked his claim as the most elite left-sided stopper on the planet.
The player in question? Alphonso Davies.
Speaking as part of a live stream on social media app TikTok, the Bayern Munich sensation was forced to respond to a wave of messages insisting that Shaw is ‘clear’ (better) than him.
Davies, though, upon realising the meaning behind the jibes, kept typically cool with his response, first laughing as he exclaimed:
‘That means he is better?’
Before adding:
‘Oh! Oh, OK, I get it now, it means he is better. Yeah, I mean, he is a really good player!’
https://www.tiktok.com/@paulpogbafc/video/6987375631151451397?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fstrettynews.com%2F&referer_video_id=6987375631151451397&refer=embed&is_copy_url=0&is_from_webapp=v1&sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6987851691900257798
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