Maguire Calls United's Pre-Season Their 'Worst' Ahead of Hull Opener
Harry Maguire has described Manchester United's latest pre-season performance as the "worst" he has seen, a week before the Premier League season kicks off at Hull.
The defender's verdict, reported by BBC Sport, paints an uncomfortable picture for new head coach Michael Carrick. United's captain Bruno Fernandes missed a penalty for the second consecutive match, compounding a display that Maguire clearly felt fell well short.
Fernandes was absent from the early pre-season games, which meant Maguire took on the armband. It gave the centre-back a platform to speak honestly, and he did not hold back.
Maguire said United want to play much further up the pitch — pressing opponents higher rather than sitting deep — and be more aggressive and on the front foot. In other words, Carrick wants his team to take the game to the opposition rather than react to it. That approach had not clicked in the match Maguire was judging.
The backdrop to this season is one of sweeping change. Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo both fell out with previous manager Ruben Amorim, whose tenure at Old Trafford was short and stormy (BBC Sport). Rashford spent time on loan at Barcelona and has been training with United again this summer. Asked whether the forward would still be at the club beyond the 1 September transfer deadline, Carrick said: "He's our player and has trained really well" (The Guardian.
Maguire, for his part, said the players are ready to welcome Rashford back into the squad if a move away does not materialise. He praised the 28-year-old's ability as "frightening" and said he believes Rashford can be a wonderful player for United for years (Manchester United official site). There is no personal grudge here, at least not from the dressing room.
As for Amorim, the departed manager told Gazzetta dello Sport: "I'm proud to have been at Manchester United and I still love Manchester United." Maguire, asked about his former boss, said he got on well with Amorim and his staff and had nothing bad to say about him. He even wished Amorim well at his new club, noting that the Portuguese coach "has a massive club now" (BBC Sport).
For United fans, the worry is simple: pre-season is supposed to be where patterns and confidence take root. If Maguire — a man who signed a new contract at the club and has been a steady, plain-speaking presence throughout the turbulence — is calling this the worst he has seen, the alarm is genuine.
Carrick has a week to fix it. Hull away is no gentle introduction. The Premier League waits for nobody.
