Jose Could Lose Dressing Room

Jose Mourinho could be on his way to losing some of the Manchester United dressing room with his criticism of Luke Shaw, says Phil Thompson.

Mourinho called Shaw's understanding of the game into question after the left-back's second-half cameo against Everton on Tuesday night.

The defender was restored to Manchester United's matchday squad following clear-the-air talks with Mourinho after the manager criticised Shaw's work ethic.

"I tell you this because I told him already," Mourinho said. "He had a good performance but it was his body with my brain. He was in front of me and I was making every decision for him."

Speaking on Soccer Saturday, Thompson says the treatment of Shaw draws parallels to his criticism of Ruben Loftus-Cheek while Chelsea manager, and says he is not giving other players in the squad the same public appraisal.

"Is Luke Shaw the Ruben Loftus-Cheek of Man Utd? Young player, builds him up, plays him, drags him off at half-time or subs him early, then picks on him and says he's not learning the game. Then he'll leave him out, bring him back in.

"Why is it always the young players? That's what gets me so mad. Pogba, I know he's a young man but they paid £90m for him, he has had a difficult time but he doesn't get [the criticism].

"Ibrahimovic has had certain times in the season where he doesn't score goals, he would never dare [criticise him]. Rooney has not even featured, we don't even see him anymore, yet there's never any criticism,

"I think you're on your way to losing your players. Maybe a little way, but don't forget those players are close-knit in the dressing room, and they'll be talking about the criticism of younger players.

"The older ones feel protective of the younger players, and they won't be happy, and it happened at Chelsea, the older ones won't be happy with that as well."

It remains to be seen whether Shaw will play a part in United's trip to Sunderland on Super Sunday, live on Sky Sports 1.

Matt Le Tissier, also speaking on Soccer Saturday, said he finds the criticism of Shaw bizarre, and says the defender must have done something wrong behind the scenes.

"It's bizarre. I find it bizarre. It's almost like he's trying to force him out of the football club with the stuff he's saying.

"You'd expect a manager to be more supportive of a young player - I don't know what's gone on there, but there must be something that has got under Jose Mourinho's skin, for him to publicly humiliate Luke Shaw there.

"It's bizarre to me and I'm not quite sure what's gone on. It would be interesting to see what has gone on to make Jose Mourinho comment about him like that."

Credit: Skysports.com