Manchester United legend-turned-pundit Rio Ferdinand has questioned the leadership skills of defender Harry Maguire during the club’s recent 2-0 Premier League defeat to Burnley at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils had the perfect chance to return to winning ways in the top-flight but they squandered the opportunity with some poor finishing from the likes of Anthony Martial and Juan Mata.
On the other hand, there were a few blemishes in the defending and that cost the club dearly with the Clarets scoring with both of their attempts on target during the game.
Jay Rodriguez’s strike in the second half can be regarded as more of a freak goal but the same was definitely not the case with Chris Wood’s opener where Maguire allowed the striker with space to turn and find the net.
This has certainly not pleased Ferdinand, who had a dominating presence at the back during his Old Trafford days, he told BT Sport, as relayed by The Sun: “It’s terrible. Maguire you’re the captain, you’ve got the armband, go and be commanding.
“What are you doing there, Maguire? He doesn’t anticipate it. You can’t be that far off and allow that space. [He is] not close enough and [gets punished]. That’s too easy.”
Maguire has had a number of standout performances for United this season but in between this, he has come up with a few displays, where his positioning and decision-making has been frustrating to watch.
Meanwhile, he has barely provided a threat from set-pieces compared to his time at Leicester City. Hopefully, he can find the consistency on both ends of the field during the backend of the current campaign.
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