The Stoke City centre-back impressed fans against his former side.
Ryan Shawcross impressed the home fans on New Year’s Day as Stoke drew 1-1 with Manchester United at the Britannia Stadium.
The centre-back scored against his former side and had many fans raving about his overall performance on Twitter after the game.
Shawcross received some criticism for his handling of Radamel Falcao during Manchester United’s equaliser but seemed to impress the majority of Stoke fans after the draw.
| Team | Tackles Won | Interceptions Won | Clearances | Aerial Duels Won | Minutes Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonny Evans | Man Utd | 2 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 90 |
| Phil Jones | Man Utd | 2 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 90 |
| Ryan Shawcross | Stoke | 1 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 90 |
| Chris Smalling | Man Utd | 1 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 90 |
Interestingly, as Opta stats show, Shawcross was no better than Chris Smalling, Phil Jones or Jonny Evans in terms of the numbers. Some Stoke fans nevertheless felt the 27-year-old was ‘in a different league’ to a number of Manchester United’s centre-backs.
And there was no shortage of calls for Shawcross to be considered for the England national side, either.
Stoke City can count themselves unlucky not to have taken all three points against Louis van Gaal’s United side, as a strong start and a dominant second-half display ensured the visitors ended the clash on the ropes.
Some poor service, as well as wasteful finishing, though, allowed Manchester United to leave the Britannia Stadium with a point. Supporters were still proud of Stoke’s performance, however, and Shawcross’s in particular. Here are the best reactions to his display on Twitter…
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