[OverratedOpinion]

Except it happens every game

That he struggles to pass the ball into midfield? I really don't like the player but his passing has been much better this season.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

A bit of a car crash on the ball. But very good off it.

His aerial dominance is really something else at times.

 

[FrankDrebin]

Very good performance.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Another solid performance from Maguire today.

 

[M Bison]

Thought he did well, a few sloppy moments but having a midfield that offers so few options when you’ve got the ball makes it hard playing centre half for us.

 

[Cassidy]

That he struggles to pass the ball into midfield? I really don't like the player but his passing has been much better this season.

Read the post.
Number 1 you will see I said clearances not when hes got the ball under no pressure and has to make a pass. Number 2 I said it isn’t just him and most of the defenders lack composure

Today Dalot did well in those situations. Usually Martinez is very good too and Casemiro is a liability

 

[Rossa]

Solid, good even. Usually quite good when we’re pinned back, but Smalling was arguably better at that, and with Maguire rather crap on the ball and so slow on the turn, what’s the point?

 

[RuudtheRed]

Good today at backs to the wall defending but he was dawdling too much on the ball today I thought. Still seems like something he is unable to cut out of his game.

 

[criticalanalysis]

Tbf Liverpool are the best side in the league and possibly the best in the world at picking up second balls in midfield. It is one of the things that makes it hard for nearly anyone to play against them.

The issue isn't the second balls that Liverpool mostly won, it's the lack of any direction or composure from Maguire on pretty much every single clearance, 50/50 etc. It was just 'hit/head it as hard as you can'. I mean, all logic goes out the window with the football we play nowadays and especially in a game against Liverpool so fair enough but he's better than even this.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

Read the post.
Number 1 you will see I said clearances not when hes got the ball under no pressure and has to make a pass. Number 2 I said it isn’t just him and most of the defenders lack composure

I think they lack the ability to play a ball through tiny gaps to players standing still with players marking them when under pressure. I think generally most of our defenders to well at retaining the ball when clearing if the midfield work to make themselves properly available for a pass.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

The issue isn't the second balls that Liverpool mostly won, it's the lack of any direction or composure from Maguire on pretty much every single clearance, 50/50 etc. It was just 'hit/head it as hard as you can'. I mean, all logic goes out the window with the football we play nowadays and especially in a game against Liverpool so fair enough but he's better than even this.

The point of Liverpools ability to Hoover up second balls is that they do so by covering ground and positioning themselves in a way that cuts off options to defenders clearing balls. Our midfield being completely static and inept to do anything about it means that you're asking Maguire to play eye of the needle passes through 2 or 3 opposition players whilst defending the ball with a split second.

It's an unfair thing to ask then critique him or Kambwala on. Martinez might manage it but he is a freak of nature in that regard.

 

[Cassidy]

I think they lack the ability to play a ball through tiny gaps to players standing still with players marking them when under pressure. I think generally most of our defenders to well at retaining the ball when clearing if the midfield work to make themselves properly available for a pass.

Thats great but I was not commenting on playing the ball through gaps to marked players.

We have plenty of occasions where the pass is on to the channel for the wide man and the defender clears if down the middle (where we do not have options) or to the opposite side (again where we don’t have options). Which is what I was talking about its a composure issue but usually that type of composure comes from the top defenders around anyway.

To the point you are making yes the midfield needs to be better and also the CF needs to be much better in the air

 

[Cassidy]

The point of Liverpools ability to Hoover up second balls is that they do so by covering ground and positioning themselves in a way that cuts off options to defenders clearing balls. Our midfield being completely static and inept to do anything about it means that you're asking Maguire to play eye of the needle passes through 2 or 3 opposition players whilst defending the ball with a split second.

It's an unfair thing to ask then critique him or Kambwala on. Martinez might manage it but he is a freak of nature in that regard.

Martinez is not a freak of nature he is just the level of defender we need.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

Thats great but I was not commenting on playing the ball through gaps to marked players.

We have plenty of occasions where the pass is on to the channel for the wide man and the defender clears if down the middle (where we do not have options) or to the opposite side (again where we don’t have options). Which is what I was talking about its a composure issue but usually that type of composure comes from the top defenders around anyway.

To the point you are making yes the midfield needs to be better and also the CF needs to be much better in the air

Hmm bit harsh no?

I hate to be defending a player I am not overly enamoured with but he tends to play the pass that 90% of centre backs would play this season. He doesn't break their press and split the lines like Licha does but very few do.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

Martinez is not a freak of nature he is just the level of defender we need.

He's one of the better defenders at specifically passing through lines and moving his side to the next transition of play with brave and unnervingly accurate passes in Europe.

 

[Cassidy]

Hmm bit harsh no?

I hate to be defending a player I am not overly enamoured with but he tends to play the pass that 90% of centre backs would play this season. He doesn't break their press and split the lines like Licha does but very few do.

Its not harsh if you want to be a top side. Most of the CBs at the top clubs have the composure.

 

[Cassidy]

He's one of the better defenders at specifically passing through lines and moving his side to the next transition of play with brave and unnervingly accurate passes in Europe.

What has passing through the line got to do with not heedlessly slamming clearances down the middle of the pitch when you are under the kosh? The passing technique is not the issue here. Martinez and Dalot do not pass through the lines in these situations. They just have composure to be aware of whats available up the pitch and aim clearances in those directions. Or they have composure to try to create space with their feet to give themselves more time to assess if they need it

 

[Irwin99]

Thought he was good again. A few iffy moments but you're always going to get that.

I still think you need a quicker defender if you're going to play this way though.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

What has passing through the line got to do with not heedlessly slamming clearances down the middle of the pitch when you are under the kosh?

Because in most instances to successfully find someone today he would have had to either play an extremely difficult pass whilst clearing the ball or play it through their press.

I'm not sure what all these chances you are talking about was.

Hojlund was marked out the game for the most part. Garnacho and Rashford were close to the touch line and our midfield was over run. Who did you want him to clear it to when without requiring a very rare level of technical ability and vision?

 

[git_united]

Very solid performance. Yeah maybe his clearances could have been more strategic but he handled most that came his way.

 

[Cassidy]

Because in most instances to successfully find someone today he would have had to either play an extremely difficult pass whilst clearing the ball or play it through their press.

I'm not sure what all these chances you are talking about was.

Hojlund was marked out the game for the most part. Garnacho and Rashford were close to the touch line and our midfield was over run. Who did you want him to clear it to when without requiring a very rare level of technical ability and vision?

Or play it over the press… towards a teammate. If u ever re watch the game see the difference today between Maguire and Dalot

 

[Leftback99]

Him and Evans have been comfortably our best CBs this season

 

[OverratedOpinion]

Or play it over the press… towards a teammate

Which teammate? He played it to Hojlund a few times as did Onana and he either just about managed to get his head on it towards a swarm of Liverpool players or lost out. He played it to Bruno a few times.

I'm really confused what you'd expect him to do in that situation. We were overran all over the pitch with a team who have far better positional discipline than us.

 

[Cassidy]

Which teammate? He played it to Hojlund a few times as did Onana and he either just about managed to get his head on it towards a swarm of Liverpool players or lost out. He played it to Bruno a few times.

I'm really confused what you'd expect him to do in that situation. We were overran all over the pitch with a team who have far better positional discipline than us.

I gave you the exact situation a few posts up and I also made the point not to single out Maguire (which I also told you a few posts up)

But I will repeat. When we have players in a particular channel do not clear the ball down the middle or to the opposite channel. Its stupid and means the opposition defence can quickly recycle possession without pressure and put us immediately on the back foot.

 

[Idxomer]

He's absolutely a mess and should be sold in the summer.

I don't think that was good today at all, most of the panic in defense could tracked to him.

 

[Wing Attack Plan R]

Journeyman performance against Liverpool, but he was part of a very makeshift defense and didn’t have time for subtlety. We’d have been up shit creek without a paddle if he had departed, it this surely has to be the final season at United for him. His distribution was garbage today, but for a 5th choice CB you probably can’t do much better.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

I gave you the exact situation a few posts up and I also made the point not to single out Maguire (which I also told you a few posts up)

But I will repeat. When we have players in a particular channel do not clear the ball down the middle or to the opposite channel. Its stupid and means the opposition defence can quickly recycle possession without pressure and put us immediately on the back foot.

I see no specific examples. Either way it's such a random little nitpick. The reason we were under the kosh was that our attack and midfield cannot keep the ball and the fact that teams can just wonder through our midfield at will.

His main job is to defend and he did that admirably today and deserves credit. Did far more than would usually be expected due to our midfield being none existent. If he decided to launch it to the corner flag a couple of times then it honestly probably delayed their next attack longer than playing it into Casemiro' Bruno or AWB.

 

[Danny]

Feel as though I watched a different game to many. Maguire was very good today, not much got past him and he seemed to keep the back like in shape. Can't do much when the midfield is so vacant.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

Feel as though I watched a different game to many. Maguire was very good today, not much got past him and he seemed to keep the back like in shape. Can't do much when the midfield is so vacant.

Yeah not a fan of him but he really was good to be fair.

 

[Ali Dia]

Very good today. Scrappy games suit him.

 

[criticalanalysis]

The point of Liverpools ability to Hoover up second balls is that they do so by covering ground and positioning themselves in a way that cuts off options to defenders clearing balls. Our midfield being completely static and inept to do anything about it means that you're asking Maguire to play eye of the needle passes through 2 or 3 opposition players whilst defending the ball with a split second.

It's an unfair thing to ask then critique him or Kambwala on. Martinez might manage it but he is a freak of nature in that regard.

@Cassidy has pretty much said everything what I was going to say.

Not talking about progressive passes or him playing a clearance into a teammate's feet and in stride or anything perfect like that. Just the general direction for some of his teammates to have a chance to potentially win/contest it is better than smashing it upwards into midfield or back where it came.

As I said, overall, I'm not going to crucify him for it but it was incredibly disappointing when those clearances became so counter productive AND for the fact he's so dominant aerially i.e he actually has the 'upper' hand to do so.

 

[Robbie Boy]

Hopefully he's sold at the end of the season.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

@Cassidy has pretty much said everything what I was going to say.

Not talking about progressive passes or him playing a clearance into a teammate's feet and in stride or anything perfect like that. Just the general direction for some of his teammates to have a chance to potentially win/contest it is better than smashing it upwards into midfield or back where it came.

As I said, overall, I'm not going to crucify him for it but it was incredibly disappointing when those clearances became so counter productive AND for the fact he's so dominant aerially i.e he actually has the 'upper' hand.

Nitpicky isn't it?

He was very good today and the little thing you're talking about wouldn't even be noticed or probably wouldn't even have happened if we had a midfield.

 

[Cassidy]

I see no specific examples. Either way it's such a random little nitpick. The reason we were under the kosh was that our attack and midfield cannot keep the ball and the fact that teams can just wonder through our midfield at will.

His main job is to defend and he did that admirably today and deserves credit. Did far more than would usually be expected due to our midfield being none existent. If he decided to launch it to the corner flag a couple of times then it honestly probably delayed their next attack longer than playing it into Casemiro' Bruno or AWB.

It was a comment I made which you decided to blow out of proportion in defence of Maguire (even though I was not even specifically talking about him).

 

[Cassidy]

One of the reasons we kept getting put under pressure is (not just him) the rashness of the clearances and not having composure to look for a pass. Casemiro the worst for this today mind you. Dalot was probably the best most composed even in tight situations

@OverratedOpinion this was my post. As you can see was not in response to you.

 

[criticalanalysis]

Nitpicky isn't it?

He was very good today and the little thing you're talking about wouldn't even be noticed or probably wouldn't even have happened if we had a midfield.

What he could have done is irrespective of his teammate's performance. We're not talking about Martinez being unable to direct a header after winning an aerial duel against Nunez i.e something that is not his strength.

Maguire is a beast aerially and I expect him to have a bit more thought/composure to his clearances both in the air and on the ground. Once, twice or three times is fine but it was almost every single one.

I thought he did overall okay and if you check my posts in this thread or overall on the forums, I've been a fan of his and supportive since his return to the squad.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

@OverratedOpinion this was my post. As you can see was not in response to you.

Regardless as I said I have just been talking about the point you wanted to talk about. We have had a discussion and my conclusion was that my personal believe is that you're nitpicking what was actually a very good performance.

I'm not sure what was out of proportion but we can leave it there.

 

[Semigoodlookin]

Solid today and as a defender is decent. The problem is the rest of his game is lacking so much that he will never be good enough at an elite level.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

What he could have done is irrespective of his teammate's performance. We're not talking about Martinez being unable to direct a header after winning an aerial duel against Nunez i.e something that is not his strength.

Maguire is a beast aerially and I expect him to have a bit more thought/composure to his clearances both in the air and on the ground. Once, twice or three times is fine but it was almost every single one.

I thought he did overall okay and if you check my posts in this thread or overall on the forums, I've been a fan of his and supportive since his return to the squad.

I just don't remember many instances where he was challenging for headers and there were free players for him to guide it to. Even if there were a couple I don't think that played a significant part in the result and the thing he was mainly asked to do today he did extremely well.

 

[Cassidy]

Regardless as I said I have just been talking about the point you wanted to talk about. We have had a discussion and my conclusion was that my personal believe is that you're nitpicking what was actually a very good performance.

I'm not sure what was out of proportion but we can leave it there.

Made zero comments about his performance… you also did not talk about what I was talking about. You would know that if u had a clue what I was on about