Jamie Carragher has warned Harry Maguire that if his present form continues, he will not be a Manchester United player for long.
United captain Harry Maguire followed up his own goal against Tottenham on Saturday with a Champions League exit on Tuesday night, raising concerns among analysts Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes. Even elements of the home support cheered sarcastically when the England international was replaced as Ralf Rangnick’s team sought an equalizer.
Carragher empathized with the 29-year-old, recognizing the difficulties that arise when a player experiences a spell in which nothing goes right. However, the former Liverpool man reminded Maguire that he must improve his performance in order to keep his United career alive.
“He’s having the worst season of his career… and we’ve all been there,” Jamie Carragher said on CBS Sports’ Golazo Show. “I can imagine it now, when I was playing, and it felt as though no matter what I did in a game, how well I prepared for it, or how well I played, the one thing I’d get wrong would result in the ball going into the back of the net.
“I’ll never forget when it was, or the phase of my career, and this is what Harry Maguire is currently experiencing. He needs to get out of it quickly or he will be forced to leave the club, as the standards at Manchester United are extremely high.”
Carragher lauded Maguire’s outstanding efforts for England throughout the summer’s Euro 2020 qualifiers. However, in light of the Manchester United man’s recent troubles, he claimed that the season’s conclusion cannot come fast enough.
“As a player, I’ve always admired Harry Maguire,” Carragher concluded. “I believe he has had an excellent career; he is criticized because he cost £80 million and Liverpool paid £75 million for Virgil van Dijk. Van Dijk is the best defender in the world; he is a phenomenon, but Harry Maguire is not.
“He had a fantastic summer with England at the Euros, reaching the final, but this season has been a catastrophe for him, and he practically has to wait until the end of the season to forget about football and move away. He’s going through a difficult moment, and he’s probably overthinking every action he takes. He’s almost attempting too much.”
Former Manchester United player Owen Hargreaves previously said that simplicity could be the key to Maguire’s success. The £80m player has had his moments this season, including a memorable goal against Atalanta in October, but his recent misfortunes are not isolated.
