“Was never it. Will never be it” - Manchester United fans deliver verdict on 28-year-old star after ‘horrific’ display in defeat to Bournemouth 

Manchester United suffered a shock 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford on December 9, in what was their Premier League seventh defeat of the season. The Red Devils were poor in the encounter, but a section of fans online singled left-back Luke Shaw out for the majority of their criticism.

The Red Devils have blown hot and cold this season, with their performance levels varying widely from game to game. They faced the Cherries on the back of a convincing triumph over Chelsea in midweek and were favorites to pick up another three points at home.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag made changes to their XI that beat Chelsea, with Shaw preferred at centre-back as Victor Lindelof was injured. The 28-year-old defender was largely unimpressive for the side as they succumbed to an embarrassing defeat at home.

Fans of the club on X were disgruntled with the performance of the former Southampton defender, and they made use of the platform to share their feelings.

"It’s the fifth year now that I’m asking why is Luke Shaw still a Man United player?"

"Luke Shaw ain’t it. Was never it. Will never be it."

See more reactions here:

There was also criticism leveled at the manager for his decision to play Shaw at centre-back against the physical Cherries.

Manchester United missed out on an opportunity to momentarily go level on points with city rivals Manchester City, who are in a bit of a slump. The Red Devils were thoroughly outclassed by Andoni Iraola and his team, compounding their woes.

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Manchester United deliver disappointing performance at home

Against Chelsea, the performance matched the result and Old Trafford was rocking as the Red Devils subjected their visitors to a night of torture. On Saturday though, the case was reversed, as the fans were at the receiving end, and it was no surprise to see many seats empty by full-time.

Bournemouth capitalised greatly on lapses in concentration to put their illustrious hosts away in front of their fans. The first goal, scored by Dominic Solanke (5'), came after some lax football from the home side in their half saw the Cherries win back possession high up.

The Cherries took advantage of the lack of height and awareness of makeshift centre-back Luke Shaw to score the second via a Philip Billing header (68'). The third goal was a free header for Marco Senesi (73'), who had somehow remained unmarked at a corner. Bournemouth scored another but saw it disallowed for handball, missing out on an opportunity to further deepen Manchester United's woes.

The Red Devils face red-hot Liverpool at Anfield next in the league on December 17 and they will be without captain Bruno Fernandes due to suspension.