Amorim's Substitution Decision Questioned After Everton Defeat
Former Manchester United defender John O'Shea has publicly questioned manager Ruben Amorim's decision not to introduce teenage talent Shea Lacey during Monday night's disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Everton.
The loss at Old Trafford brutally halted United's momentum after they had gone five matches unbeaten. Even facing ten men for 77 minutes after an early Everton red card, United appeared lifeless and devoid of creative ideas, with the visitors fully deserving their victory.
Joshua Zirkzee led the attack with both Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha unavailable, but the Dutch forward did little to strengthen his case for a regular starting role. Amorim persisted with his 3-4-3 formation throughout, even after bringing on Diogo Dalot in the second half as United chased an equaliser.
O'Shea's Case for Lacey
Despite limited options on the bench, 18-year-old Lacey was among the substitutes. While Amorim plans to integrate the youngster more fully when Bryan Mbuemo and Amad Diallo depart for the Africa Cup of Nations in December, O'Shea believes the Everton match presented the perfect opportunity.
'Listen, he could have brought one of the centre-backs off and put on another, dropped one of the midfielders back in and sort of give young Shea Lacey a go at it,' O'Shea told talkSPORT.
'I know it wouldn't have been an ideal scenario to bring a young kid onto the pitch like that, but at least he would have had a freshness and a rawness about him that he might have been able to create something because that's what the kid is all about.'
Who is Shea Lacey?
The Merseyside-born teenager has generated significant excitement at Carrington despite battling persistent injury problems over the past two years. Blessed with exceptional close control and dribbling ability, early comparisons have been drawn with Manchester City's Phil Foden and United legend Wayne Rooney.
Lacey signed his first professional contract with United after turning 17 in 2024 and has been part of the England setup since Under-15 level. He previously caught the attention of former manager Erik ten Hag, who held private meetings with the then-16-year-old in summer 2023.
His brother Paddy Lacey tweeted in February about Shea having 'been through hell the past 14 months' with injuries, including a torn thigh muscle in October 2023 that significantly limited his involvement.
This season, Lacey has shown promising signs of recovery, scoring two goals in four appearances for the Under-21s and recently completing his first full 90 minutes since October 2023 in an EFL Trophy match against Lincoln. He returned to international duty in October when named in England's Under-20 squad for the first time in two years.
Defensive Criticism
The defeat also saw criticism directed at United's defensive approach. Gary Neville singled out Luke Shaw for 'ambling' forward and failing to provide adequate support to United's attack, while Leny Yoro often found himself in advanced positions but lacked the invention to make anything happen.
With United's creative options limited, the question remains whether Amorim missed a crucial opportunity to unleash a potential game-changer in Shea Lacey, whose raw talent might have provided the spark his team desperately needed against Everton's resilient ten men.
