Luke Shaw has said the days of having guaranteed starters at Manchester United are over because manager Erik ten Hag is not afraid to drop his star names.

Shaw, Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo have all been dropped at different points this season — something Shaw said might not have happened under previous managers.

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And after the 0-0 draw with Newcastle on Sunday, the England left-back has reminded the squad that Ten Hag will not be afraid to mix up his team for Tottenham’s visit to Old Trafford on Wednesday.

“The good thing with this manager, this gaffer, is that if you’re not playing well then you won’t play,” Shaw said.

“In the past that’s not been the case but I think the good thing about this manager is that he’s keeping everyone on their toes.

“He makes sure that everyone is 100% every day. If you’re not at it then you won’t play. That’s a positive thing.”

Shaw is one of the players who had a spell on the sidelines after he was dropped in the wake of the 4-0 defeat to Brentford in August.

He was replaced by summer signing Tyrell Malacia but won back his place for the last two league games against Everton and Newcastle.

“I didn’t really need him [Ten Hag] to say anything to me, I knew, I knew the first two games were nowhere near good enough,” Shaw added.

“I completely understood that it was my time to come out of the team. The results were bad, my performances were not good enough.

“I just had to keep training hard every day in training so the manager could see I was training hard. I was just waiting for my opportunity and had to bide my time because the team were doing well and we were winning.

“For me it’s all about consistency and I just need to keep training hard, keep the focus and give everything I can for the team.”

After the draw with Newcastle, United face two key games against Tottenham and Chelsea this week.

Playing two top six-rivals in the space of four days will be a test of how far the team have come under Ten Hag, but Shaw said there have already been clear signs of progress.

“It takes a bit of time, but there are very positive signs at the moment and we, as players, can see that in day-to-day training with him,” he said.

“The meetings we have are very positive; it is the start of something new, so things like this take time.”

Source espn