Maguire, Fernandes & Lindelof

Maybe Maguire is actually peak Baresi but he’s just burnt out and needs a rest

comment by The Post Nearly Man. 20times, 20legend (U1270)
posted 9 hours, 3 minutes ago
comment by rosso - it’s not good enough to be right; you have to be effective (U17054)
posted 6 minutes ago
Harry Maguire 2020/21 vs all other PL CBs:

Interceptions - 29 (1st in league)
Clearances - 48 (16th)
Blocks - 6 (joint 36th)
Aerials won - 56 (1st)
Aerial dual %age - 80% (1st)

Dispossessed - 1 (joint 1st)
Errors leading to goal - 1

Accurate long balls - 56 (5th)
Accurate short passes - 648 (9th)
Pass completion - 86% (13th)

Key passes - 2 (joint 19th)
Offensive dribbles - 4 (joint 10th)
Goals - 1 (joint 10th)
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He's good at interceptions but not blocks....

No pace to get back, but reads the game well?
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No pace or acceleration to get across to the ball

Lindelof and AWB have made more blocks and did last season too.

But yes, Harry reads the game very well, and he’s an intelligent player. You can see this in his FKs: although he gives a relatively high number away, they’re almost always in less dangerous areas. He knows when it’s a safe option and when instead to leave alone.

comment by Greg- (U1192)
posted 8 hours, 41 minutes ago
I'm sorry but 'errors leading to goals 1' ?

That stat is the biggest lie I've ever seen

Love to know what is classed as an error in those stats.

He's been directly at fault for a number of goals this season.
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You probably class failing to win a header in an aerial dual, failing to make a block, or being beaten in a one-on-one as an ‘error’, right?

comment by rosso - it’s not good enough to be right... (U17054)
posted 54 minutes ago
comment by Greg- (U1192)
posted 8 hours, 41 minutes ago
I'm sorry but 'errors leading to goals 1' ?

That stat is the biggest lie I've ever seen

Love to know what is classed as an error in those stats.

He's been directly at fault for a number of goals this season.
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You probably class failing to win a header in an aerial dual, failing to make a block, or being beaten in a one-on-one as an ‘error’, right?
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Depends how you view it.

If you get beaten in a 1 on 1 in the most easiest of fashions, which Maguire has been a victim of many times, I class that as shiet defending and an error.

If you tower above everyone else on the pitch because you're so tall and still fail to win aerial duels, it's not exactly great.
Evra was a midget, and won so many aerial duels against people far taller than himself.

Failing to block, not really an error but I've seen Maguire give the ball away multiple times this season, which has been the catalyst for a couple of our goals, he may not be directly responsible for the goal, but for sure has been one of the main reasons it happened in the first place.

I've noticed he lets the ball run across him as well from low crosses into the box.
Did it against Leipzig and did it against Leeds. Fortunately against Leeds it did not lead to a goal, could have easily done though.

Against Sheffield.
I bet his pathetic pass back to Henderson wasn't classed as his error was it?
Yes Henderson dilly dallied on the ball, but you have to cut hendo some slack. First pl start, he's a kid in his early 20s starting for Man Utd, he's back at Sheffield. Maguire plays you a dodgy pass and puts you under incredible pressure.
Henderson should have never been in that position because Maguire should not have played that pass.

Anyway I tire of talking about Maguire, he'd need a season of little mistakes for me to be able to trust him as our main man at the back.
Perhaps he will improve, who knows..
Perhaps he gets nervous playing for such a huge club and in a season or whatever he will calm down and become the captain we all want him to be. One can hope.

comment by Greg- (U1192)
posted 48 minutes ago
comment by rosso - it’s not good enough to be right... (U17054)
posted 54 minutes ago
comment by Greg- (U1192)
posted 8 hours, 41 minutes ago
I'm sorry but 'errors leading to goals 1' ?

That stat is the biggest lie I've ever seen

Love to know what is classed as an error in those stats.

He's been directly at fault for a number of goals this season.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You probably class failing to win a header in an aerial dual, failing to make a block, or being beaten in a one-on-one as an ‘error’, right?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Depends how you view it.

If you get beaten in a 1 on 1 in the most easiest of fashions, which Maguire has been a victim of many times, I class that as shiet defending and an error.

If you tower above everyone else on the pitch because you're so tall and still fail to win aerial duels, it's not exactly great.
Evra was a midget, and won so many aerial duels against people far taller than himself.

Failing to block, not really an error but I've seen Maguire give the ball away multiple times this season, which has been the catalyst for a couple of our goals, he may not be directly responsible for the goal, but for sure has been one of the main reasons it happened in the first place.

I've noticed he lets the ball run across him as well from low crosses into the box.
Did it against Leipzig and did it against Leeds. Fortunately against Leeds it did not lead to a goal, could have easily done though.

Against Sheffield.
I bet his pathetic pass back to Henderson wasn't classed as his error was it?
Yes Henderson dilly dallied on the ball, but you have to cut hendo some slack. First pl start, he's a kid in his early 20s starting for Man Utd, he's back at Sheffield. Maguire plays you a dodgy pass and puts you under incredible pressure.
Henderson should have never been in that position because Maguire should not have played that pass.

Anyway I tire of talking about Maguire, he'd need a season of little mistakes for me to be able to trust him as our main man at the back.
Perhaps he will improve, who knows..
Perhaps he gets nervous playing for such a huge club and in a season or whatever he will calm down and become the captain we all want him to be. One can hope.
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👏👍

Maguire was one of the best CBs in the league last season.

That’s recognisable statistically; by listening to analysts, managerial and coaching professionals, and his contemporaries; or simply by watching enough PL games.

United fans have come to expect and demand the kind of performances we saw delivered by Stam, Ferdinand and Vidic. It would be great if players like that came along more than four or five times in a generation. Sadly they don’t, and there’s no point in pining for something unattainable.

Looking across the PL I see a very, very small number of CBs I’d without hesitation say I recognise as more competent and consistently more effective than Harry. In fact, there’s one. That’s a matter of opinion, obviously, but it isn’t a leftfield barmy view.

I’ve asked the question god knows how many times on here when people have rubbished our CBs and dismissed them as clowns/idiots/Championship level players: “Which two would you prefer to have?”

If there aren’t a good number of alternatives that spring into people’s minds, maybe they might think about whether they’re demanding a little too much.

Defense is such a complex issue to get right.

We want our fullbacks to bomb forward, but they're often caught out of position if they do (Leipzig game). If you play like that you need midfielders that'll cover the space they leave. But just leaving a sitting midfielder in front of the two CBs doesn't do that. Then the CBs get pulled all over covering space they shouldn't.

Or do we just ask the fullbacks to stay at home and play narrow?

I'm no tactician, I've no idea, but like Rosso says, it's a lot more complex than just an assumption that the defenders are shiiit. I'm sure the coaching team are fully aware of all this though (it's not just the manager on his own formulating the team's shape).

They do make too many mistakes though.

comment by The Post Nearly Man. 20times, 20legend (U1270)
posted 3 minutes ago
Defense is such a complex issue to get right.

We want our fullbacks to bomb forward, but they're often caught out of position if they do (Leipzig game). If you play like that you need midfielders that'll cover the space they leave. But just leaving a sitting midfielder in front of the two CBs doesn't do that. Then the CBs get pulled all over covering space they shouldn't.

Or do we just ask the fullbacks to stay at home and play narrow?

I'm no tactician, I've no idea, but like Rosso says, it's a lot more complex than just an assumption that the defenders are shiiit. I'm sure the coaching team are fully aware of all this though (it's not just the manager on his own formulating the team's shape).

They do make too many mistakes though.
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Can’t argue with any of that

I rate the current Evans higher than Maguire.
I think Evans has improved massively in the last couple of years, probably 'matured' into the role more so than when he was at United.

He's got a lot more experience than Maguire, so I'm not surprised he's better.
Maybe Maguire will be there in a couple years.

I also think Michael Keane is rock solid. While neither two are amazing defenders, from what I see they're both fairly decent all round centre backs.

We also crazily got rid of probably our best defender since Rio and Vidic, smalling. While smalling was quite well known to hoof the ball the nobody in here time here, there's no doubt that his actual defending ability was a level above Maguire's, he also chipped in with goals .

Rosso you're right. I look in the PL and don't see that many good defenders.
Defence seems to be a weak point for a lot of teams these days.

There must be good cbs about somewhere. Our scouts don't always do a great job these days, apart from Bruno of course.

It's maybe just a different type of CB needed to partner Maguire rather than a 'better' one, someone with pace who won't get bullied.

If Axel can stay fit he could be the man, sadly we've only been able to see him in flashes, so no-one really knows.