One of the best-paid full-backs in the Premier League, Luke Shaw might feel as if he is running on an icy slab that is getting slimmer with each passing matchday in the Premier League.
Plus, the arrival of Alex Telles from Porto on the deadline of the summer transfer window might add a pinch of salt to that papery slab that would ultimately make the ice under his feet melt much faster.
The career of Luke Shaw at Manchester United currently revolves around many uncertainties, especially after his abysmal performance in the hapless 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur.
There surely is an indication of him becoming an extinct species in the Manchester United colour should the Englishman not react swiftly over the next few weeks.
Then, the general question arises — who is better Telles or Shaw?
We will have to take a look at their career stats (most recent ones as they have evolved their games in succession) to truly demonstrate the difference between both full-backs and exemplify their calibre while operating on the left-back position.
But, bearing in mind that both players have had plied their traits in different leagues and have had played different roles for their respective sides, there would clearly be some debatable points.
However, that sort of arguments is always welcome as we are currently dealing with the beautiful yet controversial game, named football.
Luke Shaw:
A then-fourth most expensive defender in world football, Shaw became the Manchester United player in 2014.
The Red Devils had paid Southampton an enormous sum of money, believed to be around £27m initially.
On the bare eyes, he was one of the fastest players proving his attributes in the English circuit and always eager to make bursting runs forward.
An apparent career-ending injury against PSV in the Champions League of 2015 hampered his progress massively, making him slower than before and basically delivering an instance of how an injury could play a major part in disrupting the progression of a potentially extraordinary prodigy.
Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, he has managed to regain his first-team place. And when fit, he starts almost every pivotal games for the Red Devils on the left-back position.
While looking into his stats (via Transfermarkt), we find he has had played 142 matches for United, having racked up 2 goals 11 assists in all competitions.
For a modern-day full-back, these numbers are appalling for sure.
But, just like his partner on the other side of the pitch in Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Shaw is known for his defensive attributes, having developed that part of his game quite impressively.
Alex Telles:
Telles, on the other hand, is an epitome of how a modern full-back should play. He is considered one of the best in his position not only in Europe but across the globe.
The 27-year-old Brazilian joined the Mancunian club for a reported transfer fee of £15.4m, with the former Galatasaray player penning a contract until June 2024.
Telles would now utilise his qualities in Premeir League, having left 26 goals and 57 assists from 195 appearances behind him for the Portuguese side.
He was one of the most crucial players for the Dragons, if not the most.
And his jaw-dropping stats in regard to goals and assists means he has something special in him, keeping the point in mind that he was their main free-kick and spot kick-taker.
Focus on Numbers:
Here’s the most relevant and interesting part of the piece where we will finally see why Manchester United went on to buy another left-back despite having Luke Shaw and Brandon William under their ranks.
According to the stats provided by Opta (via AS), Shaw provided 39 crosses inside the box from open play with an eye-watering accuracy of 18 per cent last season, while Telles put in 125 with slightly better accuracy than his counterpart of 23 per cent.
From a defensive point of view, Telles has had a success rate of 65.9 per cent when committing 41 tackles. Yet again, he beat shaw in this aspect, with Englishman keeping a success ratio of 55.6 per cent from 36 attempted tackles.
While talking about interceptions, the newly-given no.27 of Manchester United recorded 1.87 per 90 minutes, way better than Shaw’s 1.21 per 90 minutes.
In terms of duels, Telles has had a success rate of 53.5 per cent while registering 288. In this case, Shaw takes the nod with 57.4 per cent success rate while completing fewer duels (197) than the 27-year-old baller.
From the aforementioned stats, we can come to this conclusion that Telles is a worthy candidate to keep his grip on United’s left-back position for the foreseeable future.
He is forward-thinker, loves to run at players, defensively firm, and sends in way more crosses than those United currently remain under United’s ranks for that particular position.
What does Telles’ arrival mean to Shaw’s position in the team?
Provided United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not in a blind-love with the English left-back, there is a very minimal chance of him getting picked over Alex Telles from now on.
One of the many reasons the Red Devils acquired the services of the Brazilian is the lack of productivity in the final third from their full-backs.
In Telles, they are going to get a lethal left-footed free-kick taker, an option United fans haven’t had seen in a while.
Furthermore, Telles’ inclusion in the team means Luke Shaw might feel the pressure and increase the level of his workload going forward, and his compatriot Brandon Williams might focus on becoming an out-and-out right-back instead of another right-footed left-back.
More competition for places means more hard work.
And should everything go according to the plans, it would be Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to devour the fruits of the tree they planted in Telles during the summer transfer window.
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