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Rio Ferdinand criticises Manchester United skipper Harry Maguire for Burnley mistake
Rio Ferdinand has slammed Manchester United skipper Harry Maguire for his mistake against Burnley as his side drew 1-1 in the Premier League. The centre-back was partly at fault for conceding the equaliser early in the second half, which resulted in two dropped points to a relegation-threatened team.
Paul Pogba opened the scoring in the 17th minute of the game as Man United were comfortably the better side in the first half. They even had two disallowed goals which were highly controversial looking at the resulting reactions. However, the final 45 minutes of the game was forgettable as the Clarets got a crucial point in their attempt to survive the drop zone.
Speaking in the post-match discussion on BT Sport (h/t Daily Mail Online), Ferdinand has analysed the failed attempt from Maguire to stop the threat from Sean Dyche’s side. The former England international added that the skipper should have used Scott McTominay to slow down the attack instead of jumping up without composure. He finally mentioned how small faults like these could lead to bigger issues sending a message to the captain in the process.
“The goal was poor on Harry’s part. There’s McTominay, he’s your protection, all he’s got to do, Maguire, is keep pushing him away, he hasn’t got to overcommit, as soon as he over commits, it’s a great piece of skill, this pass is sublime. This touch across Maguire [from Rodriguez] takes him completely out of it. It’s about stopping it at the source, once he has the big No 9, keep him facing [away from] the goal, he’s got the security of McTominay in front of him, he can deal with him a little bit, these are small mistakes leading to big moments.”
Skipper needs to do better
The Englishman’s struggles this season have been well documented, which were the case under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as well. He looked like he was getting better after returning from injury, but this poor display puts him in the limelight as usual. He has to take responsibility for his performance as it brings down the morale of his teammates as well.
The ex-Red Devils ace is one of the best centre-backs the Premier League has ever seen, so the 28-year-old should use these words to improve his game moving forward. After all, taking criticism into account and focusing on getting better is how players rise to the top over the years.
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At the same time, it would not be fair to dump all the blame on the Man United captain. McTominay was easily beaten in midfield, and his effort while tracking back has been questionable. We also lost the ball easily in the attacking department, which took most of the players out of the game.
Hence, the English defender and the rest of the team must reflect on their shortcomings in our attempt to qualify for the Champions League next term. With the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first-leg against Atletico Madrid set to take place later this month, we must work on these issues. Let’s hope to see improvements in the games ahead of the crucial fixture.
