Paul Parker fears that the ‘lazy’ Luke Shaw could prove to be Manchester United’s undoing when they face off against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
United eased the pressure somewhat on Ruben Amorim’s shoulders with a routine 2-0 home victory over Sunderland prior to the international break.
But despite that, the Red Devils still sit tenth in the Premier League table after seven games, having already lost three league games so far this season.
United will return from the international break hoping to secure back-to-back league wins under Amorim for the first time since November 2024.
But they face a stern test up against the defending champions Liverpool, even if Arne Slot’s side lost three games on the bounce prior to the break.
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A dogged and gutsy display from Amorim’s side saw United earn a point when they visited Anfield in the league last season, but Parker is not confident of a repeat performance this time around.
And the former Red Devils full-back fears that Shaw, who has started all seven league games this season on the left of Amorim’s back three, could be the weak link up against last year’s Golden Boot winner, Mohamed Salah.
‘You look at the teams they have played against and they can’t handle pace and energy levels,’ Parker told The Devils’ Advocate podcast.
‘If Liverpool play in front of them, it will be great but I don’t think they will. I think they will try and turn them around, especially on the left side with Luke Shaw.
‘Salah is going to be looking to run in behind with and without the ball, knowing the laziness of Luke Shaw, who he will be pulling at his shirt all the time and little things like that.’
Parker continued: ‘They haven’t got the discipline, trustworthy people to play for what the manager wants to do.
‘You can moan and moan about his system, but at the end of the day, they want to use this word elite about these players of today, which is absolutely rubbish to be perfectly honest, but if they were that elite, they would be clever enough to go bang and do it.’
Shaw faced criticism earlier in the season from former United captain Roy Keane, who accused the Englishman of ‘throwing in the towel’ during United’s derby-day defeat to Manchester City.
And speaking shortly afterwards, the defender conceded that he still had work to do to get back to his consistent best after two injury-hampered seasons.
‘People have opinions and I think sometimes you just have to take it on the chin,’ Shaw said at the time. ‘He’s got a lot of experience. He was one of the best captains ever for United. Of course it hurts.
‘But, for me, I think criticism is part of being a football player. I listen to it. But I think he was right. I think that last week, I wasn’t at my level at all.
‘I don’t need Roy Keane to tell me. I think after the game, I knew that but of course it hurts. The most important thing is knowing how good I can be. The manager knows that.
‘I think the managers who I played with in the past know that. I’m always in the team and I’m always playing, so there must be something that the managers believe in.
‘I’m not getting any younger now and I need to be consistent. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs, but for me now, it’s about keeping that consistency at a high level, because I know I can do that.
‘That’s why last weekend hurt me a lot, because that’s not my level. And I think the criticism is what people understand. But like I said, I take it on the chin and listen to it and move on.’
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