An apology to Harry Maguire

Chesterlestreet

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He’s absolutely crucial to us, but he’s not world-class. He’s a good and reliable defender that we’ve been missing for years, but he’s not capable of transforming the side in a way that Dias/Van Dijk transformed theirs.
That's a fair summary.
 

The United

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Nope. Stones plays with Dias because he complements him well and they have Laporte on the bench, whose top level was way closer to Van Dijk that Maguire’s ever was.

You’re probably right on Liverpool & the rest though.

As always, the opinions on Maguire seem to be overcompensating a lot for the sometimes overly harsh criticism that he receives. He’s absolutely crucial to us, but he’s not world-class. He’s a good and reliable defender that we’ve been missing for years, but he’s not capable of transforming the side in a way that Dias/Van Dijk transformed theirs.
Well, both of their squads were in a better shape than ours when Maguire came to us. Those teams just needed some solid addition of a CB. Maguire is not a world class but he would have similar effect to those teams.

Transforming a side needs more than one good player although one might complete it.
 

Reapersoul20

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i hate smalling more than anybody, but Maguire is levels beneath him. Put a healthy Smalling on this squad we still competing with the EPL with city. Maguire is still a huge problem, don't let the injury fool you.
....What?

Is this an actual, real opinion that someone who watches football holds? :lol:

Jesus H Christ. There's no white text.

There's no white text.
 

Valencia's Left Foot

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Maguire is the exact type of player our team needed and Ole knew it. Not only is he a damn good CB, but maybe more importantly, he's a leader and not afraid of the pressure that comes with playing at Manchester United. That's been the biggest problem we've had with transfers IMO, too many players brought in that simply couldn't handle the pressure and had no presence in the locker room. Lindelöf is one of those guys, he's a fine player, but doesn't have an ounce of leadership in his body.
 

Valencia's Left Foot

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i hate smalling more than anybody, but Maguire is levels beneath him. Put a healthy Smalling on this squad we still competing with the EPL with city. Maguire is still a huge problem, don't let the injury fool you.
That's funny, oh wait...I think he's actually serious.
 

Renegade

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Strange view. It's no coincidence that since we signed Maguire United have transformed from 6th to 3rd & 2nd, reached various semi finals and now a final.

You probably just don't like him because of his fee, size of forehead or holiday destination?
I like Maguire and think his a good defender. Not great or one of the best in the league mind. He and Lindelof have dropped some disasters this season though. That can’t be ignored. We need a CB better than him to play alongside him.
 

devilish

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If you replace a decent defender with a walking disaster and then play against a top side then the difference will be noticed from miles away. Don't forget that we also had DDG missing who was replaced by the English version of Taibi
 

Fridge chutney

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Shaw's been excellent all season, if you'd like to pretend he hasn't off the back of 1 match then by all mean feel free. It's not just RedCafe seeing as he made both Carragher and Neville's TOTS, and I suspect he'll also make the PFA one as well. But yes, only RedCafe rates him. Great post.
Yeah, what a shock that Shaw, off that back of 3 games in 8 days and a tough fixture schedule up until this point, had a single poor game. He must be shit and now Redcafe = RAWK.

The team looked out of sorts against the former champions in what was a must-win game for them, and a meaningless game for us (from a table standpoint). Yet this forum melts down and now all of our players and coaches are shit.

What a fecking joke.
 

SAFMUTD

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The fact that Bailly is poor an Lindelof is average doesnt make Maguire worldclass, he is a top CB. We paid a worldclass fee for him, no need to apologize for saying he's not worth what we paid for him.
 

krentz

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Nope. Stones plays with Dias because he complements him well and they have Laporte on the bench, whose top level was way closer to Van Dijk that Maguire’s ever was.

You’re probably right on Liverpool & the rest though.

As always, the opinions on Maguire seem to be overcompensating a lot for the sometimes overly harsh criticism that he receives. He’s absolutely crucial to us, but he’s not world-class. He’s a good and reliable defender that we’ve been missing for years, but he’s not capable of transforming the side in a way that Dias/Van Dijk transformed theirs.
Dias has transformed nothing. City since Pep's arrival have been a very solid team defensively:

season numbers of goal conceded
2020-21 29 goals (with 3 games to go)
2019-20 35 goals
2018-19 23 goals!! :eek:
2017-18 27 goals
2016-17 39 goals

City's team is also in better shape than when Maguire first came into our club. Dias slotted in into more stable club. Meanwhile we didnt even know who Maguire's best CB partner was (and still is), a new Right Back and question marks on Luke shaw. If anything I'd argue it was Maguire whose doing better job transforming the club, but of course another grass is always greener.


The fact that Bailly is poor an Lindelof is average doesnt make Maguire worldclass, he is a top CB. We paid a worldclass fee for him, no need to apologize for saying he's not worth what we paid for him.
the OP apologized for talking drivels about Maguire, downplaying his importance to our team, he mentioned nothing about his price tag.
 

SeeMe

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The fact that Bailly is poor an Lindelof is average doesnt make Maguire worldclass, he is a top CB. We paid a worldclass fee for him, no need to apologize for saying he's not worth what we paid for him.
Absolutely, he worth around 40-50 million maximum, he is nowhere near Dias/Van Dijk. His transfer fee could can get 2 top CB. Good defender, but simply over paid.
 

Karel Podolsky

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That comment by him is so ridiculous its worthy of revoking full member status. Never seen a defender who has to rotate his body 180 degrees in a mechanical manner just to make a simple sideways 5 yard pass.
I really want to see the proof (gif or vid) .... :lol:
 

Schmeichel's Cartwheel

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The fact that Bailly is poor an Lindelof is average doesnt make Maguire worldclass, he is a top CB. We paid a worldclass fee for him, no need to apologize for saying he's not worth what we paid for him.
He’s not world class but I called him & clumsy donkey and said Bailly was better. The apology was necessary.
 

Lentwood

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Absolutely, he worth around 40-50 million maximum, he is nowhere near Dias/Van Dijk. His transfer fee could can get 2 top CB. Good defender, but simply over paid.
I always have an issue with people trying to determine whether a player is worth a fee. There are so many variables, it's basically impossible and it's also largely irrelevant to their actual impact/ability on the pitch.

At the time we signed Maguire, who could we realistically have signed who would have had a bigger impact on our team? In my opinion...probably nobody. Therefore, Maguire is worth the money.
 

SAFMUTD

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I always have an issue with people trying to determine whether a player is worth a fee. There are so many variables, it's basically impossible and it's also largely irrelevant to their actual impact/ability on the pitch.

At the time we signed Maguire, who could we realistically have signed who would have had a bigger impact on our team? In my opinion...probably nobody. Therefore, Maguire is worth the money.
Resell value is usually a good indicator, could we sell Maguire at 80M? Not a chance.

Could we sell Bruno at 50M? Of course we could.

Easy.
 

Lentwood

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Resell value is usually a good indicator, could we sell Maguire at 80M? Not a chance.

Could we sell Bruno at 50M? Of course we could.

Easy.
That doesn't make any sense either though. Why is that any better of an indicator than just judging them on what they have bought to the team and what they have contributed on the pitch?

Of course there has to be some consideration for the 'opportunity cost' with regard squad building (i.e. what else could we have spent that £80m on and would that have made us better/worse) but in purely footballing terms, I don't get this obsession with 'over-paying'.

Case in point, we spent £80m on Rojo, Lindelof and Bailly. Are they 'bargains' or is it better to have one Harry Maguire at £80m? I'd certainly go for the latter
 

SAFMUTD

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That doesn't make any sense either though. Why is that any better of an indicator than just judging them on what they have bought to the team and what they have contributed on the pitch?

Of course there has to be some consideration for the 'opportunity cost' with regard squad building (i.e. what else could we have spent that £80m on and would that have made us better/worse) but in purely footballing terms, I don't get this obsession with 'over-paying'.

Case in point, we spent £80m on Rojo, Lindelof and Bailly. Are they 'bargains' or is it better to have one Harry Maguire at £80m? I'd certainly go for the latter
I'd go for the later as well if put in that situation, but you are comparing between getting a good player for a world class fee or 2 deadwood players and an average player for the same fee. Is not really optimal is it?

Of course the fee impacts the expectations on the player and judging weather the transfer was a success or failure.

Hypothetically let's say we signed Telles for 50M instead of 15M that would make a huge difference isn't it? Expectations come along with the price tag. Just as Cavani is seen as a bargain it would be totay different if somehow we had paid a premium fee for him.
 

Rood

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An amazing world when Harry Maguire gets not one but two mentions in the parliament of Ghana
 

Champ

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He’s so insecure it’s unreal :lol:
why is he even responding to this….
Why shouldn't he respond to it?

Why does it make him insecure accepting a public apology from a political figure?

I mean his acceptance was literally a joke social media post, but of course that makes Maguire insecure.... :houllier:
 

Ludens the Red

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If a Ghanaian MP insulted you in Parliament, would you stay silent?
Literally yes I would stay silent.

Why shouldn't he respond to it?

Why does it make him insecure accepting a public apology from a political figure?

I mean his acceptance was literally a joke social media post, but of course that makes Maguire insecure.... :houllier:
He is insecure, his historical media posting is massively calculated and shows him up to be quite defensive as do a lot of his press conferences and statements. The fact his mother is always getting involved says a lot too. Im sure it was a ‘joke’ but you can still be insecure and make a joke and that joke obviously stem from a place of insecurity.
 

MadDogg

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He is insecure, his historical media posting is massively calculated and shows him up to be quite defensive as do a lot of his press conferences and statements. The fact his mother is always getting involved says a lot too. Im sure it was a ‘joke’ but you can still be insecure and make a joke and that joke obviously stem from a place of insecurity.
I do agree that he does seem a bit insecure and defensive at times, but he did nothing wrong here. Acknowledging it, making a small joke and moving on was pretty much the perfect response.

Also regarding his mother 'always getting involved', didn't it happen just the once? And quite frankly she was correct when she said that the level of abuse that he was getting at the time was over the top and unacceptable. He was playing like shit but he was basically a laughing stock around the world.
 

Hughie77

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Sorry for what? Being a Utd player? Players make Errors granted this guy has had his fair share of them ...I'd give him Credit for knuckling down and getting on with it and we need him while others are injured, but I'd have rather sold him in the Summer..

Away to Seville, wow ..
 

evil_geko

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Sorry for what? Being a Utd player? Players make Errors granted this guy has had his fair share of them ...I'd give him Credit for knuckling down and getting on with it and we need him while others are injured, but I'd have rather sold him in the Summer..

Away to Seville, wow ..
For constant over the top abuse. Strange how you have to even ask for what.