You’re right on the DDG point. Maguire isn’t perfect but for me he brings a lot to the side and with the right partner he’s good enough to be in the league winning side in my opinion. I’m not saying Lindelof is a bad player but he just doesn’t compliment Maguire‘s weaknesses. I’d actually prefer Smalling because he’s rapid and we’d be immense in the box both ends, Smalling has good goal threat too. I think the issue would be having AWB and Smalling on the right and we’d be poor at playing out. I think we need a pacey ball playing centre back. Tuanzebe was supposed to be that man but he’s looking like a crock.
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Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 55
- Clean sheets
- 24
- Goals
- 3
- Assists
- 1
- Yellow cards
- 9
- Status
But not the ONLY difference. Phil Jones would still be Phil Jones if he was playing in place of HM so would Rojo so would Smalling so would Bailly who next to Lindelof we`d be losing every aerial duel or high pressure away games where you need composure AWB is quality but he`s not Jesus Christ. Truth is quality wise HM is still much better than all our CBs its why Ole trusts him to the extent where he`s started every PL game and will continue to do so till the season ends.
He is doing decently in Italy not great, just his usual self not great not poor just above average just like his time with United.
I don't think that Smalling is the solution to anything. I also don't think that a better CB than Lindelof would stop Maguire being nutmegged (today) or looked like an absolute fool (Spurs).
Saying that I do agree that Lindelof is not the ideal partner for him. Mostly, cause both are slow (with lindelof being a bit faster). However, signing an 80m CB, and still needing to find a perfect partner for him is a bit ridiculous.
This is very informative, thanks. We have 10 fewer xGA on 5 matches remaining. Assuming that we average 1 per game (like we have been doing for the entire season), that would mean that our defense has improved for 5 xGA. While adding AWB and Shaw returning from injury to replace Valencia and Young.
Honestly, Maguire did not improve the defense based on what I see, and based on these stats. He improved the passing from the back (primarily cause Smalling was incompetent at it), but the defense is not better than it was.
How is getting nutmegged an error? Embarrassing yes but he was running over to cover after a good block. How do you propose he keeps his legs shut whilst remaining agile?
What about all the other seasons where we had one of the best defences in the league? Last season was a freak occurrence caused by a number of things happening together. Maguire replacing Smalling is probably the lowest in importance of those things improving this season.
As for VAR, you do realise the Italian league has VAR as well?
How is not getting nutmegged in your own box, not an error? Since when we are making these types of excuses?
How do you expect players to stand? If a player can skilfully play it through the gap that you have to leave whilst standing up then it’s credit to the attacker.
Yes. For a 80m defender, you expect him to carry and upgrade the defence instantaneously, not one who needs to be complemented by a certain partner all the time.
Ole was not happy with him at the Walter break after 0-1. Any video of it?
Getting dribbled in that position would have been a massive mistake. Getting dribbled by getting nutmegged, was both a massive mistake and embarrassing.
I expect defenders to be not dribbled in their own 6-yard box. Like they typically manage to do. If that error was done from Lindelof, the sharpened knives would have all been out.
He made a really good block before that and had to go and cover the other side of the box. He was caught short because of that. It wasn’t an egregious error or close to it in my opinion.
Before lockdown he was in superb form and a complete rock. I think he'll dust off the cobwebs and get back to that level soon
Maguire is the one Utd Defender who gets badly skinned every other game. Not impressive.
This is one really stinking signing, this lad has a howler a game in him and three absolute dingers today. We will never challenge for the title as long as Harry is in our team.
Not sure if Vic had an injury or what, but if he didn't I thought it extremely poor from Ole to hook him instead of Harry.
Harry was mugged off for the goal and Vic is the one who gets taken off? Actually thought Vic was far better today than Harry was.
Harry was mugged off for the goal and Vic is the one who gets taken off? Actually thought Vic was far better today than Harry was.
Lindelof was injured
He was injured.
I thought become a generational CB doesn't have to be good at defending. Like Ramos?
Is he generally a good player and defender? Yes I'd say so. Is he worth 80m pounds? Absolutely nowhere near. He's a good defender, don't think he's world-class and don't think he ever will be but the fee paid for him isn't his fault.
We all know he wasn't good enough for the first goal but the main thing that irritates me about him is the amount of time he labors on the ball deciding what he wants to do with it. Nobody seems to talk about it but not only is he generally slow in terms of circulating the ball but there are at least 5 times a game where he'll stand completely still for numerous seconds pondering the best decision and movement to make. I can see the argument that this is preferred to a defender who doesn't think proactively at all but for a player we have paid a premium for I'd expect he can at the very least carry the ball forward as he makes his mind up with what he wants to do with it - standing completely still has such a negative impact on our momentum and tempo at times.
We all know he wasn't good enough for the first goal but the main thing that irritates me about him is the amount of time he labors on the ball deciding what he wants to do with it. Nobody seems to talk about it but not only is he generally slow in terms of circulating the ball but there are at least 5 times a game where he'll stand completely still for numerous seconds pondering the best decision and movement to make. I can see the argument that this is preferred to a defender who doesn't think proactively at all but for a player we have paid a premium for I'd expect he can at the very least carry the ball forward as he makes his mind up with what he wants to do with it - standing completely still has such a negative impact on our momentum and tempo at times.
When he scores 130 goals, and captains his team to 4 or so UCLs, then yeah, like Ramos.
yeh. Not much about defending then.
We need pace in that defense and CDM. God that's a horrifying weakness. It is more pressing than a forward for me now.
I genuinely think Maguire is absolutely world class. Top 3 centre backs in the world for me.
Didnt Madrid have the best defensive record in Europe when the won the UCL recently?
If the staff could go back in time they'd make Bruno the 80m priority signing for the summer
Still don't know why we went from not willing to buy him for 65m to paying 80m upfront a year later. We already knew the fee was inflated. A bit disappointed we now need to go back to the transfer market yet again with a CB on our list
Still don't know why we went from not willing to buy him for 65m to paying 80m upfront a year later. We already knew the fee was inflated. A bit disappointed we now need to go back to the transfer market yet again with a CB on our list
I think he’s great. Good leader, really strong in the air, makes important blocks and a fantastic distributer of the ball (actually had the most passes today). He’s also pretty calm on the ball and generally knows when to run forward or stay back.
occasionally his lack of acceleration (I actually think he’s fast enough when he gets going) catches him out and his big frame leaves him a little exposed for things like what happened to him today. I still maintain that’s good forward play rather than bad defending - he made a great block, ran over to cover and in doing so got tricked - it happens/happened to every defender in the game, even Van Dijk, Rio, Maldini and any other great defender down the years.
I think with a faster partner of equal overall quality, we’d see him really shine. Gets a LOT of unnecessary stick.
occasionally his lack of acceleration (I actually think he’s fast enough when he gets going) catches him out and his big frame leaves him a little exposed for things like what happened to him today. I still maintain that’s good forward play rather than bad defending - he made a great block, ran over to cover and in doing so got tricked - it happens/happened to every defender in the game, even Van Dijk, Rio, Maldini and any other great defender down the years.
I think with a faster partner of equal overall quality, we’d see him really shine. Gets a LOT of unnecessary stick.
It could be. Also we have the 2nd best defence in the League, if we go by stats.
I think he's a great defender, certainly top 3 in the league. He's also by far our best centre back, so I don't see him getting replaced anytime soon. Didn't have the best game today, but he's only had 2-3 games out of 46 where I've thought he should have done better. He's still pretty consistent.
Funds permitting we need a forward, a DM and a pacey CB who is also good on the ball. Get those right and we will challenge next season. Maguire cost a ton of money so he won't be getting replaced any time soon.
They won the UCL and hardly conceeded big difference
Maguire had a good season for us, and a bad day at work does not change that. You could see that he struggled with his balance today, and even the simplest passes looked like a struggle.
He got mugged for that goal. I don't know anyone can downplay it and say it wasn't an error.
Hopefully he does better next game.
Hopefully he does better next game.
there were a catalogue of errors leading up to that goal tbh
1. Greenwood doesn’t close down to stop the cross coming in
2. Lindelöf doesn’t clear the ball when it comes into the box
3. AWB not getting back quick enough once ball comes into the box to stanislas
4.Maguire gets nutmegged then froze
5. DDG getting beat easily at his near post
All the blame shouldn’t be on maguire, none of these guys covered themselves in glory for the goal.
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Indeed. In a way, it was great to see us make so many mistakes against a team like Bournemouth, where we were going to create a number of chances (still had to take them mind). If it was complacency, then that was a reminder that any team in the Prem is dangerous, if it was just poor play/decisions, then hopefully the defence has got it out their system. I'm sure Ole will be replaying the two goals to the defenders from time to time.
Good analysis, we seemed to have switch off as a team.
No one has still satisfactorily answered the below points on the first goal. The situation was set up perfectly for Stanislas to apply the nutmeg as he had the luxury to wait for Maguire (who had no choice other than to quickly cover) to rush over. So Maguire couldn't exactly set himself to stop the ball from being put past him.
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