Harry Maguire and coach Gareth Southgate were under the spotlight as England came from two goals down to lead 3-2 against Germany. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough as the Germans secure a late equalizer which ended the game at 3-3 in the UEFA Nations League clash at Wembley Stadium on Monday 26, 2022.
The English team’s winless streak has now reached six games, but the way they rallied from a 2-0 deficit would have at least raised morale before the World Cup, which begins in less than two months.
Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw of Manchester United put on a show last night as England and Germany squared off in the UEFA Nations League last group game.
The Three Lions’ loss to Italy had dropped them to the competition’s second division, thus Gareth Southgate’s team was in dire need of a victory to boost their morale.
Maguire once more failed to justify why he was invited above other center-backs like Fikayo Tomori. Southgate has been under severe fire and criticism for his choice to bring him (Harry Maguire) up and consistently play him.
The 29-year-old recklessly gave the ball to Jamal Musiala of Bayern Munich inside the area, setting up Die Mannschaft’s opening goal.
Harry Maguire tripped the youngster in the box out of panic, and the referee gave Germany an avoidable penalty, which Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan scored.
The former Leicester man found himself in the wrong again only fifteen minutes later.
He once more carelessly allowed the opposition to gain control, and Kai Havertz was soon in possession of the ball. The Chelsea forward executed a knockout goal beautifully, leaving Nick Pope with no chance.
For a little period, it seemed as though Harry Maguire had gotten away with his mistakes as England put in a valiant effort to get back into the match and briefly take the lead with goals from Mason Mount and a Harry Kane penalty.
However, Pope’s oversight that set Havertz up for a tap-in ensured that his transgressions would still command attention when a postmortem of England’s problems got underway.
Harry Maguire has Gareth Southgate’s support
After their 3-3 tie with Germany, England coach Gareth Southgate rejected criticism of Harry Maguire.
The defender was defended by the England manager, who referred to him as one of the team’s most crucial players.
When it came to energy and determination, Gareth Southgate got precisely what he needed from England, but he got exactly what he didn’t want from woeful Harry Maguire and goalkeeper Nick Pope.
The manager was trying England supporters’ patience when he said that the embarrassing loss in Italy was “a step in the right direction.”
But in their tense 3-3 draw with Germany in their final match before the World Cup in Qatar, his players showed grit and appeared to be playing for themselves and their coach.
Before the match on Monday, Southgate stated that he was willing to risk his “reputation” on the Manchester United captain. However, the coach got a very harsh payback from Maguire when the skipper made two costly mistakes that allowed Germany to score twice in a 3-3 draw at Wembley.
The Three Lions manager reaffirmed his commitment to his team while issuing a late warning that a further deterioration in play would cause him to reconsider.
“I know everyone will focus on Harry but there were some very significant moments that Harry produced in the two matches,” Southgate said in a post-game interview.
“Unless it’s untenable, we have to support our best and most seasoned players in these situations.”
After giving the ball to Jamal Musiala, Maguire attempted to get it back but hacked down Musiala, leading to the award of a penalty following a VAR intervention. Now, the question is, how bad can things get for Maguire for club and country?
