Luke Shaw has come to the defence of his England and Manchester United teammate Harry Maguire following his poor performance on Monday night.
The central defender retained his place in the England squad to Germany even after the 1-0 defeat against Italy and having barely played limited minutes for his club so far this season.
Lacking match sharpness and confidence at what appears to be an all-time low, it was little surprise that he wasn’t at the races. Nothing could quite prepare for his calamitous outing, giving away a penalty for the first goal and losing the ball which led to the second.
For many United supporters, however, this kind of performance will have come as no surprise. The 29-year-old has immediately dropped from Erik ten Hag’s starting 11 after what feels like two seasons of mistakes, sub-par performances and general frustration.
They seem to be better for it as well. United now have five wins in their last six games; ironically, the only one they lost was when Maguire started against Real Sociedad in the Europa League.
Nevertheless, long-time defensive partner Shaw – who has also found himself adrift from the current Red Devils side in recent months – believes his treatment from the fans and media has been unfair.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live after the 3-3 draw, Shaw said: “Harry is an amazing player, an amazing character. He’s taken a lot of stick – probably more than I’ve ever seen before in football.”
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The 27-year-old out-of-favour left-back went on to insist that “he never hides away, he’s always there” adding, “You can have people who can hide away and not want to be in the spotlight. He keeps putting himself in the spotlight, it shows the strength and character he’s got.”
Reflecting on the feelings around the England and United camps, he said “everybody knows he’s an unbelievable player. At the moment the confidence might not be there because it could feel like the whole world is against him.”
He went on to explain that both Gareth Southgate and the players trust him, especially after his contribution in the Euros and previous World Cup, concluding that “people need to understand he’s a big part of the England team and have to accept it.”
Southgate is now without a win in the last six games and the rollercoaster against Germany marked the last game before the 2022 Qatar World Cup which starts in just 54 days.
It feels like the Three Lions boss has to win something or reach the final at the very least to stay in the job — that’s if he even still wants after this next tournament.
A friendly reminder that there’s a takeaway called Jack Grillish in Swinton
Danny Jones
As were swept up in World Cup fever, football seems to be slowly consuming every other aspect of our everyday life, including food. Then we remembered there’s a takeaway called Jack Grillish.
Yes, seriously.
lf you’ve never heard of the pun-based fast-food joint over in Swinton, Salford, Jack Grillish is the late-night grill and cult-favourite takeaway named after the man himself.
Despite only joining Manchester City back in August of 2021, it didn’t take long at all for Grealish to get his own takeaway named after him, as the Chorley Road spot formerly known as Food Station changed its name not long after.
Most football legends have to wait their entire career to have a foodstuff named after them, let alone an entire building. In fact, we went there a couple of months back to see it ourselves.
Jack Grillish‘s menu is exactly the kind of thing you’d expect to see at any no-nonsense takeaway in Greater Manchester: big burgers, lots of lovely chicken and plenty of naughty desserts.
Specialising in large trays of baked chicken, cheese and chips, it might not be the kind of thing the man himself can eat whilst away at England camp, but it’d certainly make for a banging tea for anyone watching the France game at home this Saturday.
Put another way, we’re hoping that by ordering from the gaff before the game, we’ll send a message out into the universe and not only will ‘Super Jack’ score but we breeze into the next stage of Qatar 2022.
If you also happen to be a bit superstitious, you can order from Jack Grillish HERE.
Featured Image — Jack Grillish (via Facebook)/Jack Grealish (via Instagram)
Sport
Police appeal for information regarding ‘serious assault’ around Old Trafford before United game in October
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are appealing for fresh information on a “serious assault” committed around the Old Trafford area earlier this year.
GMP issued a press release on Friday, 9 December, asking for members of the public to come forward and share any details they might have on the attack carried along Seymour Grove in Trafford around 1:30pm on 16 October 2022.
They go on to explain that “a man in his 20s was assaulted by a group of unknown males” on the way to the game at Old Trafford, adding that “it is believed that the suspects were also attending the Manchester United vs Newcastle United match.”
It remains unclear whether or not the assailants were travelling fans in town to support the away side but GMP are looking to speak to the men pictured as they may be able to help with enquiries.
Credit: GMP
As detailed in the statement, “the victim suffered a severely broken jaw, a broken nose, numerous cuts to the face, and damage to the nerves of four teeth which he is likely to need further medical treatment for.” Terrible stuff.
The authorities are continuing to investigate the Seymour Grove assault after having followed up on a number of lines of enquiry since the incident took place and are now asking for the public’s help.
Anyone with information, or anyone who may have footage/images, or can identify the men in the photos, can contact Greater Manchester Police on 101, quoting log number 1589 on 16/10/22; or, alternatively use the Live Chat service HERE.
Alternatively, information can be shared anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Danny Jones -
27th September 2022 
