[Irwin99]

His passing (on the occasions when he didn't dither) was pretty good today. Didn't think he had a bad game but not sure if there's enough pace in that centre back pairing, although I could be wrong about Martinez.

Could be another hard season for him with those full backs and that midfield ahead of him.

 

[Suedesi]

This guy belongs in a Greek jail

 

[El Zoido]

His lack of pace is a huge issue. Can talk about all his other failures, but the fact that he can get burned for pace by most of the strikers in the league is always going to cost us goals.

 

[AFC NimbleThumb]

He’s just a bit of a nothing defender. Even if you counted last year as an anomoly, he’s never had a game that you could point to him as a difference maker. Teams with him in it concede, and then people argue over who’s fault it is and we start the whole cycle over. Not to mention he’s a captain who instill 0 confidence in others as a leader.

Covers it perfectly.

 

[clarkydaz]

Trying to play a high line with him will just ripple uncertainty throughout the team

 

[Chief123]

I’ve never been a big fan of Maguire. I’m not here to bash him with my bias. He actually played “ok” in most parts today.

But we can’t ignore the fact that just far too often some of his involvement is on a knife edge where it really is living on the edge.

It’s going to be a suicidal season playing a high line with this guy. He’s incredibly slow at turning or reacting in fast passages of play. Even today he was on the brink in some of his recovery runs backwards.

I know he’s got his flag flyers in here and I’ll never be able to come to agreement with them. But no one is going to convince me this guy can be a success in a high line system which is going to be tested time and time again this season with counter attacks and balls in behind.

 

[redshaw]

I don't rate him highly either but we've also seen last season we're just as bad without him.

We were 4-0 down to Brighton in 60 mins last season with Dalot Varane, Lindelof and Telles.

It's going to take time to get rid of poor individuals and coach the ones that can be. We've been a comedy of errors at the back and today ETH acknowledged it and the non existent midfield don't help matters.

 

[TrustInJanuzaj]

I just decided to come in and see how long I would have to go to see someone say he never put a foot wrong and it was two posts.

It's amazing what his defenders see in his games as no matter what happens you will get people saying he never put a foot wrong. Apparently he has literally never put a foot wrong in a match.

Yes it goes both ways and he gets blamed by others no matter what bit it's still hilarious to me.

He wasn't the worst today at the back which is not saying very much he just isn't good enough to play the way we need but that's the story for others too

Yawn. He wasn’t the issue today. Nonsense he never puts a foot wrong, he had a crap season last campaign. He’s a much better defender though than last season and played well today. I can judge it on the game I’ve seen rather than those who just can’t see any good he does. It’s a painfully obvious agenda at this stage.

 

[diarm]

"Well keep working hard, we'll keep improving".

Keep? To keep doing something, you have to start doing it first Harry.

 

[Yagami]

I thought he was good. Midfield was non-existent, Martinez struggled on his debut, Dalot is terrible, Shaw didn't seem arsed.

 

[Newtonius]

People have been saying it all summer he couldn't play in a high line, what do you know it gets proven in the very 1st game, as soon as Welback was offside with that ball over the top it was game over literally for both goals its like the defense isn't even there.

 

[RedDevilQuebecois]

Is it too soon to deport him to Greece?

 

[DRJosh]

Maguire was actually decent. His passing is progressive at least and he looks to push play forward. He wasn't the worst player today by far

 

[gottho]

His passing (on the occasions when he didn't dither) was pretty good today. Didn't think he had a bad game but not sure if there's enough pace in that centre back pairing, although I could be wrong about Martinez.

Could be another hard season for him with those full backs and that midfield ahead of him.

The opposition was targeting him all day long, running behind him due to the lack of pace.

 

[Lentwood]

Probably our best player yesterday.

I think many posters consistently fail to appreciate how hard it is to be a CB in a team with no protection from midfield, a subbuteo GK who doesnt leave his line and Diogo Dalot at RB.

The fact we have spent £250m on CBs in the last few season, all of whom are regular internationals, and yet we still have the same issues, should be telling us we're addressing the wrong area

 

[Kostov]

Probably our best player yesterday along with Eriksen.

 

[Name Changed]

Passing waa better, and had some nice tackles. But you cannot play a high line with him in the team, it's as simple as that. Not only is he slow, but he is slow to react. When the likes of Danny Welbeck (with all due respect to him) target you and have a stormer against you, there is something wrong. It's going to keep happening. At half time he should have been hooked for Varane. At least Varane might have been able to keep up somewhat with Welbeck.

 

[Pronewbie]

Did okay but did dither on the ball at times. Then again McT was always missing in the build up, and Fred is horrible and transitioning the ball between defence and attack.

 

[MattofManchester]

His individual performance was alright, but as usual there's just no defensive cohesion when Shaw and him are in the team. They inspire zero confidence, and seem to give attackers maximum confidence. Their positioning and ability to hold structure is pisspoor.

Shaw, simply because it seems he doesn't care. Maguire, because it seems like he's overwhelmed. The club seems a little too big for him, especially as captain.

 

[diarm]

I thought he could've done better for the first goal. He needs to be more aware of the man behind him making a run to his side of the box. Not sure who or what he was marking and he left Martinez covering two players.

It's also important to remember that our 6ft4 captain, with a head that could put holes in shipping containers, spent a solid 10 minutes getting bullied by a midget. If he's going to be captain, he's going to be held to a different standard than the rest of the team, and the image of him struggling to deal physically with a fella half his size just isn't a good look.

 

[Marwood]

He was very good yesterday.

Guys any centre back will struggle to catch a centre forward when playing a high line if the forward times his run correctly. That's the risk of playing that way.

We'll get caught out from time to time like every team who plays that way does. It's not always the CB's fault.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

His individual performance was alright, but as usual there's just no defensive cohesion when Shaw and him are in the team. They inspire zero confidence, and seem to give attackers maximum confidence. Their positioning and ability to hold structure is pisspoor.

Shaw, simply because it seems he doesn't care. Maguire, because it seems like he's overwhelmed. The club seems a little too big for him, especially as captain.

Dunno why you mention his relationship with Shaw in relation to yesterday’s match. They were playing on opposite sides of the pitch.

 

[A-man]

He was very good yesterday.

Guys any centre back will struggle to catch a centre forward when playing a high line if the forward times his run correctly. That's the risk of playing that way.

We'll get caught out from time to time like every team who plays that way does. It's not always the CB's fault.

This is why we need one of Varane or Lindelof to play, who both are good at protecting the space behind the line. Both CB failed that yesterday and it is really not their strengths as both are aggressive defenders.

 

[bond19821982]

Maguire , Varane and Martinez should be our CBs going forward. Yes, in a 3 man defence. Would help us massively in midfield when one of them can always step in , our full backs don't have to jog back to defend and we can actually bench one of Fred or McT.

 

[Marwood]

This is why we need one of Varane or Lindelof to play, who both are good at protecting the space behind the line. Both CB failed that yesterday and it is really not their strengths as both are aggressive defenders.

Maybe the odd occasion they'll catch the forward but it's inherent in a high line system. You will get caught out with runs in behind.

Especially when you don't keep the ball well.

If City suddenly started passing it like we do their CB's would also be getting caught out with runs in behind.

But unfortunately there's such an urge to blame Maguire what's happening in front of him is temporarily ignored in this thread.

 

[A-man]

Maybe the odd occasion they'll catch the forward but it's inherent in a high line system. You will get caught out with runs in behind.

Especially when you don't keep the ball well.

If City suddenly started passing it like we do their CB's would also be getting caught out with runs in behind.

But unfortunately there's such an urge to blame Maguire what's happening in front of him is temporarily ignored in this thread.

I agree with you. With the midfield we have, we need to be a bit pragmatic and play at least one CB who is good at defending space. We saw several occasions yesterday where our CBs missed runs coming in to the space behind them. Some of these runs were not when we held a high line.

 

[Who's Kissing Cameras?]

Was good in pre season. Reverted right back to type against Brighton. Was horrible for both goals. Always leaves his position. Was good on the ball however. Nice passing.

 

[MattofManchester]

Dunno why you mention his relationship with Shaw in relation to yesterday’s match. They were playing on opposite sides of the pitch.

Nothing to do with their direct relationship, but to me they both part and parcel of a disorganized defence. Both constantly end up in awkward positions where they're found out, and both fail to inspire confidence in that backline, when they are the most experienced regulars of the back 4.

 

[Fortitude]

This guy has absolutely no awareness for off the ball runs.

The concern with this is he is rapidly overwhelmed once the game opens up and swift, decisive actions are placed firmly upon his shoulders. The faster the play becomes, the more pensive and hesitant he is, and those moments, those stutter steps are the difference between playing a man onside or through an inside channel or not.

He was far from the worst of our players on Sunday, but his errors are so critical that so much good or decent work can be negated in a play or two.

But, it was a poor decision to put him next to a new CB partner in a competitive game straight out the gate. No problem if we're controlling the game and giving the pairing little to do, but predictably problematic if under the cosh defensively. We'll see opposing sides working to split he and Martinez time and again and I think with the decision making and inability to read play, they'll get plenty of change out of this avenue.

His physical attributes get called out frequently, but the steps he loses in his head because he cannot keep up, or be ahead, of play are the bigger concern by some distance. Smart, mobile players must relish playing against us - we're a veritable candy shop for them.

 

[RedDevil@84]

He is just an average hack. His decision making, pace and pretty much overall game is average. His 80M tag and the captain arm band makes people feel that there is some potential that could be unlocked or something like that. He is not one step away or one partner away from becoming awesome. That level doesn't exist.
If the entire team was very good, maybe we could have ignored what he does or does not, but given the sorry state of the entire team, everything gets counted.

And he is in no way a leader. Far from it actually.

 

[Member 105568]

Why does Maguire, as captain, always bring up the issue of “confidence” in his interviews?

 

[sglowrider]

Why does Maguire, as captain, always bring up the issue of “confidence” in his interviews?

The whole team lacks confidence. Shaw says the same thing.

That's why the moment they go a goal down their heads drop. It's weird considering that the United from a couple of seasons ago had the highest percentage of points in the league after coming back from a goal down.

 

[Jeffchin]

 

[Member 105568]

The whole team lacks confidence. Shaw says the same thing.

That's why the moment they go a goal down their heads drop. It's weird considering that the United from a couple of seasons ago had the highest percentage of points in the league after coming back from a goal down.

It was more a rhetorical question. It spreads the loser mentality around, especially from the captain.

All that when they were coming back from behind was when there were no supporters in the stadium (and getting a freak number of penalties), wasn’t it? - The kind of environment Harry and Shaw would thrive in!

 

[sglowrider]

Are you supposed to stand in the tunnel on the same side as where the team sits? Maybe he has forgotten that ETH changed that over the summer.

 

[RedDevil@84]

Read that this is because ETH changed sides this summer.

 

[Member 105568]

Are you supposed to stand in the tunnel on the same side as where the team sits? Maybe he has forgotten that ETH changed that over the summer.

He looks bang up for it with his arms folded…

 

[sglowrider]

He looks bang up for it with his arms folded…

Confidence will come from results and not talking about things.

The whole feckin team looks short of confidence. I hate those interviews that keep talking about how well things are going etc. Cringeworthy.

Stop talking about it and just keep working on the training pitch and eventually results will show.

 

[TOKUGAWA-X]

If you blame Maguire for the first goal then you have to learn about football once again from zero.

 

[Lyng]

If you blame Maguire for the first goal then you have to learn about football once again from zero.

Yeah Maguire wasnt to blame apart from playing Welbeck onside. But the issues with both goals stem from a lot of players.
De Gea, destribution to the flanks isnt good enough. Shaw and Dalot where woeful and didnt follow their man. Fred and Mc T losing the ball and not being able to help the defence.
And Maguire and Martinez clearly not being on the same wavelength. And this is where the Maguire problem is. He is just not the type of player who has the awareness and leadership skill to command the backline. He and the rest of the back line are often in no mans land and dont know where the other player is.
Noone is a leader back there.