Varun Pai
Harry Maguire claims Manchester United were sloppy out of possession in Newcastle United draw
Speaking to MUTV after the game, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News, Manchester United captain Harry Maguire claimed the Red Devils were too sloppy in the draw against Newcastle United.
The men in red dropped points on Monday night after a lacklustre performance against the 19th-placed Newcastle United. However, it could have been a lot worse. Allan Saint-Maximin scored the opener but missed a glaring chance at the hour-mark from close range. Jacob Murphy, too, hit the inside of the post in the final minutes of the game.
David de Gea had to be on his toes all night but a lot of it was because of the errors unfolding in front of the Spaniard. Maguire and Raphael Varane looked uncomfortable all night while the frontline did not make life easy either with their poor finishing.
Maguire explained after the game that it was a hard match as some players were still recovering from the virus. But he went on to pinpoint the issues and stated that there were ‘no excuses’ for being sloppy.
“I feel like the intensity and the tempo, maybe we ran out of steam a little bit, which is understandable considering the situation we have been in. But it is not just the tempo and intensity that we play at. It is taking care of the ball and playing with concentration.
“We did not do well enough today. We gave the ball away far too much. Every player on the pitch; just simple passes when we had great opportunities to hurt them. We were far too sloppy with our possession.”
Same old, same old?
Ralf Rangnick was expected to turn things around at Old Trafford. Although it has only been a month, and the Covid-19 issues have not helped, the players that were fielded on the night had more than enough in them to beat a team that had won only once in the league this season before last night.
Moreover, the reasons behind the sloppy performances are similar to the ones that existed under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The work rate, tenacity, and desire were completely missing, and Maguire did not lead from the front either. The 28-year-old instead conceded silly fouls and provided little support to an ailing Varane.
The players that came off the bench also need to have a good look at themselves in the mirror. Edinson Cavani may have scored the equalizer but scuppered two vital chances. Jadon Sancho needs to start performing before he is labelled a flop by our supporters too.
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The team needs to start functioning as a whole as soon as possible if we stand any chance of landing Champions League football next season. The damage done at the start of the season needs to be undone at some point. We are now almost halfway through the campaign, and a tally of mere 8 victories looks embarrassing. Something has to give soon.
