"That has affected his performances" - Jamie Carragher discusses reason behind Manchester United star's struggles

Jamie Carragher weights in Harry Maguire's struggles at Manchester United
Jamie Carragher weights in Harry Maguire's struggles at Manchester United

Manchester United and England star Harry Maguire has consistently been lambasted by fans and pundits alike in recent times due to his performances. Former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher became the latest person to criticize the Red Devils captain and said that Maguire's lack of authority in the dressing room at Old Trafford has affected his performances, causing him to fall short.

The 29-year-old defender was most recently booed and jeered by England fans ahead of and during the Three Lions' 3-0 international friendly win against Ivory Coast. England manager Gareth Southgate and several players have publicly backed Maguire in the aftermath.

However, former Liverpool man Jamie Carragher weighed in on the situation and believes that Maguire could indeed endure problems under the Red Devils' new manager next season.

The player-turned-pundit also claimed that Maguire's lack of authority in the dressing room is what's causing him problems at Manchester United. Discussing the matter in a column for the Telegraph (via Mirror), Carragher wrote:

"Maguire's difficulty in turning it around at Old Trafford is his lack of authority in the Manchester United dressing room.
"Since last summer, Maguire has been looking over his shoulder amid a debate as to whether he or Cristiano Ronaldo should be captain. Rather than reassert his leadership, he has fallen short. That has affected his performances."

He continued:

"Elite coaches are determined to play a high-line defence. Whoever takes over at Old Trafford this summer will do likewise.
"That does not suit Maguire, especially as there is so much malfunctioning in the United team he is regularly exposed. This will be a problem for him going forward. It is easier for a centre-back to hide their weakness in a team that defends deep. At the highest level, that is tougher and Maguire has become the easy scapegoat for a catalogue of Manchester United problems."

Arsenal legend Ian Wright backs Manchester United captain Harry Maguire to bounce back

Atletico Madrid v Manchester United: Round Of Sixteen Leg One - UEFA Champions League
Atletico Madrid v Manchester United: Round Of Sixteen Leg One - UEFA Champions League

After Harry Maguire was booed by England fans this week, Arsenal legend Ian Wright was among those who jumped to the Manchester United captain's defense. Wright lauded Maguire for his performance against Ivory Coast and said that the fans should be focusing on the positives. He further claimed that the same fans will be cheering when Harry Maguire scores a goal at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Wright said:

"We know, we saw, what the England fans are about.
"We saw them at the start of the Euro final, we saw them at the end of the final how they are. We're seeing Harry Maguire is getting a lot of stick and that comes from the fact that he plays for one of the biggest clubs in the world, so he's going to get that on top of it. The way Harry Maguire played, his pass for the second goal, that's what they should be focusing on, don't worry about those fans. When Harry Maguire scores in the World Cup, they'll be cheering!"

Quick Links

Edited by Aakanksh Sanketh