No Stragglers, No Excuses: Shaw Sets the Standard for United’s Title Chase

TDT | Manama

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Luke Shaw has thrown down the gauntlet ahead of the 2025–26 campaign, insisting Manchester United's target is nothing less than the Premier League title. It’s a bold claim, perhaps even an eyebrow-raising one, considering last season’s nosedive to 15th. But the 30-year-old, one of the few constants in United's turbulent recent history, says belief is building fast under head coach Ruben Amorim.

In a wide-ranging conversation during United’s U.S. summer tour, Shaw described a squad transformed by Amorim’s no-compromise demands. “There’s no stragglers anymore,” he said pointedly. “Everyone has to put the team first.” According to Shaw, Amorim has instilled discipline and clarity by picking players on merit, not names, and ensuring effort is non-negotiable. It’s a tone that seems to have resonated.

Beyond the Past

While Shaw didn’t shy away from addressing the messiness of previous seasons, calling the environment "extremely negative" and at times "toxic", he was quick to emphasise the shift in mood. “We need an environment that’s healthy, that’s positive,” he said. The message: reset the culture, then reset the expectations.

Title Talk, No Apologies

Shaw didn’t flinch when asked about what success looks like. “The aim has to be winning the Premier League,” he said, aware of the skepticism that might follow. But he stressed this wasn’t just personal ambition, it’s shared across the squad, even if Amorim himself might not say it aloud in front of cameras. “We all have to have the same beliefs and ambitions,” he added. For Shaw, it's that family feeling inside the group that might make the improbable possible.

Unified and Undeterred

The squad’s cohesion has taken root during this pre-season, with players fully backing Amorim’s philosophy and one another. “We feel like a real team,” Shaw observed. “Everyone’s driving in the same direction.” And perhaps for the first time in years, that direction is not just forward, but upward.