13 Mar 2026 20:44:11
Ed033, could you run 2 polls please.
First poll: keep Shaw, demote to back up, sell
Repeat the poll for Dalot.
Looking at the fullback discussion and want to get a general feel of these two.
{Ed033's Note -
Shaw poll
Dalot poll
14 Mar 2026 00:06:44
Cheers Ed!
{Ed033's Note - ok thanks.
14 Mar 2026 11:58:27
In an ideal world we sell Shaw, but to be honest, no one will be willing to come close to matching his wages. He turns 31 in the summer, and he has an awful injury record.
He will have to be kept, but probably as back up, rather than first choice, as we simply cannot rely on him to stay fit next season. We should go into the season with the mentality that if he stays fit then that's a bonus.
Personally, I'd sign both a LB and a LW, as Dorgu is young and still developing and could end up settling in either position. While I'd send lads like Amass and Leon out on loan again next season to get more experience, then whoever does best can be the Shaw replacement when his contract expires in 2027. That'd give us Shaw and the new LB, Cunha and the new LW, along with Dorgu who can cover/challenge for both positions.
Dalot, I'd keep at RB. Yes, he can be limited at times, but he is an excellent professional, a quiet leader, and rarely injured, an all-round good player to have in the dressing room. He's mostly solid in his performances (especially at RB), and I feel his reputation has been a little unfairly tarnished by playing a lot at LB and wingback.
If you ignore those performances and only judge him on his RB performances, he has rarely let us down.
I really rate Mazraoui as a player, but his injury record isn't great. We also don't have as many potential options at RB. Even if we sold Dalot and bought a new RB, an injury to the new guy and can we really trust Mazraoui to be available? I don't think so.
If we get 2 or 3 midfielders, a LB, a LW and possibly a CB, then I'd look to see if we can sign a promising young RB who can challenge for a starting spot. But in truth I think RB has to be below those other options in order of priority.
I look at it like this: what would limit us the most next season, starting Dalot at RB or with Ugarte in midfield, or playing a youth player at LB, or having to regularly start both Yoro and Heaven together at CB, or not having any width or variety of attacking options on the left?
For me, Dalot stays and probably starts (until we can solve other more pressing issues), and Shaw stays as back up (because we can't shift him).
14 Mar 2026 12:57:32
We're not going to be signing defenders and midfielders this year. It's a pipe dream, as the club is skint. It'll be a midfielder, and wouldn't surprise me if they signed backup for Sesko.
I'm not saying I agree with it, but it's what we seem to do.
14 Mar 2026 18:28:46
I think the order of importance is
Midfield X 2/3
Fullbacks X 2
Centre back X 1/2
Left wing X 1
Striker X 1
Goalkeeper X 1.
14 Mar 2026 18:53:39
The polls currently suggest Dalot to be sold and, marginally, Shaw to be kept as back up rather than be sold. Both are suggested to be removed from the first team, although, surprisingly, Shaw is, percentage-wise, close to being retained as first choice.
Almost 100 votes in both polls, which is a nice spread. Well done.
15 Mar 2026 04:07:47
Not quite as easy as that, though, is it? Too many variables come into play. Like Shappy says, who would buy Shaw? Plus, you move him to 2nd choice, he will be injured again. Also, after the World Cup, he will be injured anyway.
Dalot is a solid professional.
I have no problem with him. Yes, there are better out there, but I doubt we are getting them.
So, if we are being realistic and not dreaming, we won't get 2 shiny new full backs. We may get 1 or 2 potentials, as we now seem to be in that market, with a small club mentality.
15 Mar 2026 07:59:41
If Shaw was sold in the summer, it would be classed as our profit for Utd as well, which may well act as an incentive for the club to look at cashing in on him.
The question is, as stated above, who would be willing to buy him, given his injury record. Well, a club that isn't in Europe. With fewer games, he appears to stay fitter.
15 Mar 2026 09:39:35
Shaw has had a good season. He is also versatile and can play as a centre back, plus he adds attacking thrust down our left wing, which we badly need. He should be retained.
Dalot has had a reasonable season. Not great, but no disaster, especially considering the failed Amorim experience.
We don't have obvious ready-made replacements for both, so at the very least they need to be kept as backups to anyone we sign in their position, especially with European football a real prospect.
If we sign decent midfielders, they will be less exposed too, and midfield is the position which we have to get sorted, as it's been long overdue.
16 Mar 2026 13:43:22
Pspence,
We aren't skint and we will be signing players in the summer.
16 Mar 2026 18:58:08
If we go into next season with either of these two as first choice, we have a problem.
The polls with double the votes since last count are unchanged in their outcome.
Shaw demoted
Dalot sold
Personally I'd prefer it the other way around on availability alone. Shaw is probably more consistent and with less error, but he is equally less attack minded at this stage of his career.
I've always maintained Mazraoui is retained and this works well.
Both results indicate we need new fullbacks on both sides.
Eds, poll please!
If the names mentioned in original post on fullbacks we have the following names for first team.
RB: Munoz, Ryerson, Kayode
LB: Livramento, Hall, Robinson, Vanderson, Di Marco, Grimaldi
Vote away everyone.
Feel free to make wildcard suggestions within the poll.
{Ed033's Note - For a poll:
1. create a new thread post
2. ask for a poll
3. include a poll question in the post
4. include possible voting option in the post.