Here’s a cruel irony: just as England have adopted a tactical setup that plays to Luke Shaw’s best strengths, the defender finds himself at home for the summer. Gareth Southgate has chosen to make England line up in a 3-5-2 formation, reminiscent of that which saw Glenn Hoddle’s side play with such freedom at World Cup 1998, a strategy which would suit Shaw’s natural desire to attack the final third.
This deployment, ahead of three highly attentive and ball-playing centre-backs, would also lessen the danger in Shaw’s approach, which is to allow space in behind him when he pushes forward. This was a failing for which Jose Mourinho held him to task early in the Portuguese manager’s time at Old Trafford, and in truth one from which he has never truly recovered. Instead, Danny Rose — who would, in any case, be difficult to dislodge from the team — and Ashley Young will represent England in Russia as the team’s left wing-backs. Shaw, meanwhile, may continue to ask himself how it has come to this.