Shaw pulls no punches after admitting Man Utd have had to lower their targets
Luke Shaw has conceded that Manchester United have been forced to lower their targets as a result of their calamitous start to the season.
The Red Devils enjoyed a positive 2022/23 campaign under Erik ten Hag who secured a third-place finish and won the Carabao Cup. Progress has stalled this year, though, with the Dutchman overseeing United's worst start to a season in decades.
United were eliminated from Europe altogether before Christmas after finishing bottom of their group in the Champions League and are well behind their rivals in the Premier League. The FA Cup is now their sole chance of silverware.
Shaw, who has recently returned to the fold after injury, pulled no punches with his assessment of United's season and admitted that the club have been forced to tone down their ambitions.
After stressing that United have now set their sights on winning the FA Cup and qualifying for next year's Champions League, Shaw explained: "Obviously at the start of the season they wouldn’t be our ambitions. At the start of the season we wanted to win the Premier League, the Champions League, we want to win everything.
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"But at this point right now we have to be a bit more realistic on the position we are. For us now…a club like this has to be in the Champions League. We’re in the FA Cup competition at the minute. I think these two should be our aims.
"These are things that need to motivate you. Of course, we were close last season, we won the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup we lost in the final, so even more motivation to go the whole way this season."
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Erik ten Hag and Manchester United have endured a difficult season (Getty Images)United are currently sixth in the Premier League and nine points behind Tottenham, who occupy the fourth and final Champions League spot. Ten Hag's men have started to find form and are yet to taste defeat in 2024 after going five matches unbeaten.
Aston Villa, the team directly above United, host the Red Devils on Sunday and Ten Hag stressed that his players were treating the match as a cup final.
He said: "I have said to the team from the start of January that every game is now a final. That was also our approach to West Ham – we were one point behind them so this is a final. So let's take this challenge. We have to see this as a final. That will be every game from now on, for us. We are already in that mood."
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