TFF has always been a firm admirer of the man-management skills of Jose Mourinho. Unlike his two predecessors, David Moyes and Louis van Gaal, Mourinho has not only bought well but noticeably improved the existing Manchester United squad.
Antonio Valencia is having the season of his life. Phil Jones finally looks like a player. Marcos Rojo has been superb.
And we have seen some interesting man-managment with the likes of Anthony Martial and Henrikh Mkhitaryan who have been held back for large swathes of the season before being unleashed to great effect.
One player who is clearly being held back for similar reasons is Luke Shaw.
The left back started the season as a first choice in the team but his demotion has been stark and brutal.
And there must now be genuine concerns that the world’s most expensive teenager could be shipped out of Manchester United way before he reaches his prime.
But Jose Mourinho isn’t stupid. He must now that he has a top talent in the making and a player who can occupy the left back slot for ten years.
Shaw is still raw and needs experience. But his groundspeed, distribution and overall ability cannot go unnoticed forever.
There is a concern that Manchester United may cut their losses on the inconsistent player at the end of the season. But TFF believes that Mourinho is simply schooling Shaw in the same tough way as he has Anthony Martial – to remind the youngster that he has no god-given right to start games despite his price tag. And that he will have to work his socks off if he wants to progress at such a big club.
Consistency is everything in the top echelons of modern football and Shaw doesn’t currently possess that quality.