February 24th 2024.
Manchester United's captain, Harry Maguire, has expressed his disappointment with the team's performance in their 2-1 defeat against Fulham at Old Trafford on Saturday. In an interview with MUTV, Maguire criticized United's "naïve" approach and believes they should have been more cautious in their search for a late winner.
The game started off evenly matched, with both teams struggling to create any clear scoring opportunities. However, Fulham took the lead in the 65th minute through Calvin Bassey's goal. Maguire, who had already been booked for a challenge on Saka Lukic in the first half, was fortunate to stay on the pitch after another controversial challenge. He then went on to score the equalizer for United in the 89th minute.
Despite the late goal, United were unable to secure a win as Fulham caught them on the counter-attack in injury time, with Adama Traore providing the assist for Alex Iwobi's winning goal. This result leaves United eight points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa, and Maguire believes his team should have been more cautious in their pursuit of a winner.
In his post-match interview, Maguire acknowledged that the team's performance was disappointing and highlighted the impact of losing Casemiro early in the second half. He also admitted that the team was caught off guard by Fulham's strength in set plays, which ultimately led to their first goal.
Maguire praised the team's reaction to going a goal down, with everyone pushing and fighting to get back into the game. However, he also acknowledged that their eagerness to win may have left them vulnerable at the back, allowing Fulham to capitalize on the counter-attack and secure the victory.
Reflecting on the game, Maguire admits that in hindsight, they should have been more cautious and not left the middle of the pitch open. He believes that the team will assess the areas they need to improve on and learn from this defeat.
In the build-up to Fulham's winning goal, Maguire reveals that he considered deliberately getting a red card to stop Traore, who had just come on with fresh legs. However, he ultimately decided against it, as it would mean missing the next game.
Despite the disappointment of the loss, Maguire praises the team's effort and determination, and believes they could have started the game and the second half with more urgency. He also mentions the team's previous success in scoring late goals this season, which gave them the belief that they could still win the game.
In conclusion, Maguire expresses his disappointment with the result but also recognizes the positives from the team's performance. He remains optimistic and believes that they will learn from this defeat and come back stronger in their next game.
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