Liam Shaw – Welcome to Wigan Athletic

Shaun Maloney has bolstered his midfield pack with the signing of 22-year-old Liam Shaw from Celtic. The Sheffield born centre midfielder spent last season on loan at Morecambe in League One and really impressed alongside former Latics youngster Jensen Weir, but this is an obvious step up from there both tactically and technically.

Shaw arrives on a season long loan from the Scottish champions which is a slight shame as he’s somebody I would’ve loved us to bring in permanently. It feels like a permanent signing would’ve made more sense for all parties too which adds to the strangeness of it but ultimately we’ve still got a very talented player on our hands.

It’s starting to look like a much youthful squad now which was much needed after the ageing, declining team watched last season. Funnily enough after everything I’ve said regarding recruitment this summer I’m starting to think we’re slightly too inexperienced in midfield! There’s a lot of talent but I think Shaw completes the youthful quota in that position now!

What does he bring to the side?

Defensive attributes in midfield areas. That’s the main thing Shaw is bringing to the team and it’s what we’ve been desperate for after Tom Naylor’s departure earlier on in the summer. He’s a quality ball winner and performs his defensive tasks very well, but importantly has the technical attributes to suit how we want to play.

He’s 6’3 so naturally adds a physical presence to the side and seems to have the physical game to get about the pitch. He covered a lot of distance at Morecambe and has spent a lot of his career playing as a box to box midfielder so we can assume his fitness won’t be an issue. He’s got a good amount of senior football under his belt too so there’s no worries there for me.

Shaw is a similar profile to Tom Naylor and could be used in a similar way to the former Latics man if needed. However, he has a more complete skillset than Naylor in my opinion and should have plenty of opportunities in a few different roles this season. As the more defensive 8 in a midfield two is where I expect him to feature the most.

When setting up in a deep, narrow defensive shape this is how Latics will look, and the addition of Shaw is vital to the block working. Him and Matt Smith have a lot of energy to apply pressure on the ball, but Shaw’s positioning and anticipation make him a really strong defensive player off the ball too. We can use him in front foot and back foot defence which is valuable as there’s no one else like that in the squad.

What Latics fans will enjoy about Shaw is that when he does win the ball back he can be very productive with it. He didn’t quite get the chance to show it in a direct and pretty rubbish Morecambe team last season but his time at Sheffield Wednesday and Motherwell show what he’s capable of in a system that allows him to get on the ball.

I don’t think we should limit him by making him solely defensive though. He carries the ball well and can pick a pass high up the pitch so for me it makes sense to give him the licence to do that. Alongside someone like Matt Smith, who has the ability to sit back and dictate tempo from deep whilst providing decent enough defensive cover, Shaw should be allowed to roam a little.

I can see the pair of them working in a similar way to Sam Morsy and Lee Evans from a few seasons ago. Despite being the more defensive option Morsy (Shaw) was given more freedom to push forward and effect the game higher up the pitch. Evans (Smith) was the natural playmaker who would spend his time 25 yards from goal, keeping play ticking over whilst providing protection against quick transitions.

The main thing he adds to the side is defensive security in midfield as that’s something we didn’t have much of before He adds to the technical quality we already had and gives plenty of physicality to the side which will be useful at both ends of the pitch at set pieces. Like for like replacement, and arguably improvement, for Tom Naylor? Sorted.

Where might he play?

Shaw has played a fair few positions in his short career but I see him best as an 8. I’d worry about limiting him on the ball if we played him too deep when we’re in possession, but I can see scenarios where he becomes a 6 out of possession. In games we play 4-2-3-1 he might drop behind his CM partner and the CAM, who will create a midfield two in front of him, and act as the lone DM. As the graphic below shows it would sure things up defensively.

As I’ve mentioned he’s got the game to be more forward thinking should we need him to. Equally if Maloney changes to the system where we play a 6 behind two 10s he’s absolutely the kind of player we’d want in that deeper role when chasing the game. Defensive security without losing much from a playmaking point of view, he’s a pretty complete player.

Final Thoughts

It’s another smart pick up from Shaun Maloney and his staff. Look, obviously we’d prefer it to be permanently, as would Celtic fans it appears, but when you consider the financial implications a transfer like that would have on us it does make sense to go for the cheaper option. It also gives us a bit of freedom in case things don’t work out as we aren’t tied down to anything long term.

Equally, if things do go well and we’re in a healthy position next summer a permanent deal could be made. I think Shaw is good enough to make a strong impact on the side this season and will continue to improve as the season goes on. Based on articles I’ve read and interviews I’ve heard he seems desperate to play football regularly for a club and the fact we can offer him that should make him hungry for success.

It’s nice to see the new recruitment process in action and long term we’ll benefit from it. I do think a slightly more experienced pro in midfield could be useful but ultimately quality is the most important thing to look at when signing a player and Shaw brings plenty of that. God it feels good to make exciting signings, doesn’t it?

Welcome to Wigan Athletic, Liam Shaw!