Sports:Luke Shaw In LVG’s Bad Books?

He may be pressed into service simply out of necessity but Luke Shaw is obviously still not in Louis van Gaal’s good books. And former United coach Rene Meulensteen takes it one step further, saying the Dutchman simply ‘doesn’t rate him’. With Manchester United labouring defensively against Leicester, the $55 million recruit from Southampton sat impassively on the bench, awaiting for a call to arms that never came. Meulensteen admitted he was ‘very surprised’ Shaw had not played yet. “Van Gaal would have been informed by the club that they were putting this bid in for Shaw because he’s an up-and-coming player,” he said. “He’s got a good left foot and a lot of pace. He’s got a lot to learn to get to a Man United level though.” But with injuries and suspension - let alone poor form - set to bite hard for the visit of West Ham this weekend, Shaw looks likely to make his debut - but nothing can be certain with van Gaal. Shaw has endured a tumultuous start to life at Old Trafford and still seems to be in the doghouse after he pulled aside by van Gaal during the club’s pre-season USA tour and told he was ‘unfit.’ “I think he (Shaw) needs to be fit and he is not very fit, therefore he can’t perform what I want. He has to be fit first and to train individually,” Van Gaal said in July. At least Shaw has one fan. Fellow United defender Johnny Evans said last week he ‘will become the world’s best left back’.