Siddharth Juyal
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes blasted the detractors of Harry Maguire for being “too critical”
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes acknowledged the importance of Harry Maguire while shutting his irrational critics after the Fulham victory. Fernandes scored the late winning goal at Craven Cottage to earn important three points for the Red Devils.
Maguire struggled for game-time since United manager Erik ten Hag took over the club during the summer of 2022. Additionally, Ten Hag stripped the 30-year-old from the captaincy during the summer as he failed to impress the manager. The United boss appointed Fernandes as the new United captain during the summer before the current season started.
Ten Hag preferred Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane over Maguire as his first-choice centre-back pairing. However, injuries to both of his first-choice defenders presented Maguire with the opportunity which he fully capitalised on.
Fernandes told BBC Match of the Day that critics are too harsh on Maguire despite his importance to the team. He said:
“Everyone has been important, I don’t want to focus too much on one player but everyone has been too critical of Harry and he’s doing really well now. I hope he can stay at this level.”
United are facing a tormenting season as they have lost eight out of 16 games in all competitions this season. The Red Devils lost two back-to-back games at Old Trafford before facing Fulham in the Premier League showdown.
The Red Devils suffered a humiliating 0-3 loss against their local rivals, Manchester City in the Premier League. Furthermore, they lost 0-3 to Newcastle United and crashed out of the Carabao Cup in the mid-week.
Maguire played in both games, but it’s unfair to solely blame him for the team’s lack of organization and cohesion. The England international has played a pivotal role in United’s three consecutive victories before these losses.
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The 30-year-old suffered a nasty injury just minutes into the Fulham game that left a cut above his eye. The England international looked visibly affected throughout the game yet soldiered on, showing his tenacity and strong mentality. However, we believe that players should receive better protection in potential concussion cases, irrespective of their toughness.
Maguire delivered a high-class performance despite the potential injury and once again proved his critics to be unreasonable and wrong.
