Shaw: Our crowd made the difference

Saturday 04 February 2023 19:10

Manchester United full-back Luke Shaw has praised the Old Trafford crowd for helping the Reds triumph against Crystal Palace.

On an already emotional day for the club and its supporters as we remembered the victims of the Munich Air Disaster, our left-back noted the contribution made by the fans, especially in the closing stages of the match.

Having been cruising at 2-0 thanks to a Bruno Fernandes penalty and Marcus Rashford strike, the Reds were under pressure when Casemiro was sent off and the visitors pulled one back through Jeffrey Schlupp.

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On the victory, Shaw told MUTV: “It obviously feels much nicer at the end when Old Trafford was absolutely bouncing and I think the energy the crowd were giving us today, especially in the last 20 minutes, was why we love it here and why we enjoy being out on that pitch playing in front of them.

“We felt like they were with us and we feed off that energy and they helped us a lot in the last 20 minutes.”

He added: “If you just watch the last 20 minutes or even the last five minutes I think it shows it does make a big difference [to have the fans behind you]. I think it was such an important three points today and they clearly did their part to help us achieve that.”

Casemiro’s dismissal, following a melee after Antony was barged off the pitch by Schlupp, was undoubtedly a key moment in the match, but the full-back admitted it was difficult to understand what was happening among the chaos.

“To be honest there were so many people there, I didn’t actually know what was going on.” 

Referring to the VAR check for a possible red card, he added: “I think a lot of players on the pitch were asking ‘who’s it for?’. Someone mentioned Cassy and I think everyone knows that when the ref goes over to the monitor, then it’s not going to be good.

“We’re extremely disappointed to lose him, but I think it’s now a big opportunity for someone else to come in and make their mark on this team and show their qualities and why they’re here.”

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Shaw provided an excellent assist for Rashford’s winner, picking him out expertly to turn the ball home from the centre of the box and he was full of praise for his compatriot.

“He’s on that hot streak and he’s learned now to always be in the right positions to score goals and he’s doing that.

“He’s a man on fire at the moment and a very vital part of our team and the way we’re performing at the moment, it’s a lot down to him and what he’s been doing.

“Hopefully he can keep on getting the goals and keep the high performances at a good level.”

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