• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Paul Merson Feels 'Sorry' For Harry Maguire. 'I Don't Think They Play To His Strengths'

Home> Football

Published 12:58 20 Feb 2022 GMT

Paul Merson Feels 'Sorry' For Harry Maguire. 'I Don't Think They Play To His Strengths'

The Manchester United defender has come under criticism this season.

Jack Kenmare

Jack Kenmare

Paul Merson says Harry Maguire's teammates at Manchester United are "letting him down" because he needs more protection.

The England international has been criticised throughout the season for a number of poor performances.

Last week, he was at fault for Burnley's equaliser after allowing new signing Wout Weghorst to turn and assist Jay Rodriguez, and days later, the centre-back struggled to deal with the pace and physicality of Che Adams and Armando Broja against Southampton.

Image credit: Alamy
Image credit: Alamy

Advert

Maguire has certainly had his critics but former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson sympathises with the United captain. "I feel sorry for Harry Maguire, I don't think they play to his strengths," he told Sky Sports.

"The players on the pitch are letting him down, he needs more protection.

"I know people say 'oh he's £80m' but I don't care - you get someone running at you on a consistent basis and it's a big old pitch Old Trafford, you don't want to be coming out."

Merson went on to criticise those sitting in front of Maguire in midfield. He added: "Harry Maguire, you know I said from day one, I thought it would be a little bit of a struggle playing on the half-way line.

Advert

"I thought he's not blessed with a lot of pace but at the end of the day he still has to get protection. I don't care who you are as a centre-half, their holding players don't sit as the sitters, they're all over the place.

"They're having a shot on the edge of the box, over on the left, right, you're a holding midfield player you sit in front and protect the back four.

"I don't care if you're the best centre-half in the world, if you keep getting run at and there's a lot of space in the channels you're going to have a hard time."

Image credit: Alamy
Image credit: Alamy

Advert

In regards to the "day one" comments made this week, Merson criticised Manchester United's decision to spend £80 million on the defender, weeks after Maguire joined the ranks at Old Trafford.

"Maguire for £80 million is ridiculous at the highest level," he stated on Gillette Soccer Saturday back in 2019.

"You have to remember he ripped it up for England in a three. And when you play in a three at the back, you do that for one reason only - the defenders are not good enough and you do not trust them. He done well at England.

"But you have to remember when he plays for Leicester, they play, they drop back and defend on the edge of their box, there is no space behind. The ball comes in the middle, he heads it out, he comes out running with the ball.

Advert

"He kicks off now with Man Utd and you are on the halfway line and all of a sudden you are playing against Arsenal and you are on the halfway line and balls are going over the top for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and for Man City for Sergio Aguero and it is pace, pace, pace."

Merson also said back in August that United duo Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane could forge a partnership reminiscent of the one between Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand.

The former Portsmouth midfielder went on to hail Varane as the "signing of the summer in the Premier League" and claimed that the Frenchman could transform United into title contenders.

Advert

Speaking in his column for The Daily Star, Merson wrote: "Raphael Varane will turn Manchester United into title contenders -- he's the signing of the summer in the Premier League.

"I think it's as tight as it's ever been this season and there's four teams who could win the league.

"United weren't one of them but Varane changes that. I think that's a major signing. With all the class and experience he brings with him from Real Madrid, I think he's going to have a massive impact."

Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports/Alamy

Topics: Paul Merson, Harry Maguire, Manchester United

Jack Kenmare
Jack Kenmare

Jack is a Senior Journalist who enjoys a long read. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of Football Manager wonderkids from 2005 to the present day, and has interviewed a handful of FM's finest, including Freddy Adu, Supat Rungratsamee and Mika Aaritalo.

X

@jackkenmare_

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Man United fans claim Harry Maguire should still be captain after seeing what he did at Carrington
  • Harry Maguire snubbed Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes AND Frank Lampard when naming his all-time England XI
  • Former teammate of Harry Maguire became a millionaire after winning the lottery but almost lost it all
  • Paul Merson begs Mikel Arteta to drop Arsenal player for Champions League clash with PSV or he'll live to regret it

Choose your content:

2 hours ago
9 hours ago
  • 2 hours ago

    Sir Alex Ferguson left 'furious' by 'careless' piece of commentary by Martin Tyler as full story revealed

    Martin Tyler angered Sir Alex Ferguson with his comment on commentary and apologised to the Manchester United legend.

    Football
  • 9 hours ago

    Thibaut Courtois calls out his own Real Madrid teammates as he makes outrageous claim after PSG defeat

    Real Madrid were eliminated from the Club World Cup following their crushing defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

    Football
  • 9 hours ago

    Real Madrid fans turn on two players after embarrassing defeat to PSG in FIFA Club World Cup

    Los Blancos were hammered 4-0 by the Champions League winners.

    Football
  • 9 hours ago

    PSG handed Club World Cup final blow as two players immediately banned for Chelsea clash

    Paris Saint-Germain will be without two key players for the Club World Cup final against Chelsea.

    Football