Manchester United had to settle for a point from their Premier League clash against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday.
It seemed like the Red Devils would lose three consecutive games until Matheus Cunha popped up to score a late equaliser.
It was yet another lax display from the away team, with the Cottagers outrunning them. The team’s fitness levels this season have been a joke.
The Brazilian attacker admitted the same after the game, yet Michael Carrick does not seem to agree. No wonder INEOS are considering a replacement.
United should have taken their chances in the first half
United had created chances galore in the first half, including two attempts which struck the post. Once again, the attackers failed to find that cutting edge while the backline keeps letting the team down.
MUTV caught up with Harry Maguire after the game and he revealed that the 20-time English league champions were simply not good enough in the second half.
“I think we’ve got to take our chances. We’ve got to take our moments. When you come away from home in the Premier League, it’s tough, and you’ve seen that with the results this year. Every Premier League team is a strong outfit now. They have good players and they’re organised.
“When we had those moments in the first half, they were big moments. When you have those moments away from home in the Premier League, you’ve really got to take them.
Harry Maguire lauded the team’s spirit
“So, listen, it was back and forth. I think in the first half, we’ve got to take our moment. At the start of the second half, we didn’t perform well enough and, without them really creating any chances, I felt like we were really solid defending the box in that moment. Then, obviously, it was a really unfortunate goal to concede.”
The former skipper praised the team’s reaction towards the end, but fans would have wanted the same impetus much earlier.
“But I must say our reaction was so much better, so much more positive than it was last week. To concede that goal with the way the week’s gone, falling behind here, I think the boys showed great spirit and a great reaction.
“After we conceded the goal, we pushed right back and the pressure was relentless. We needed a ball to drop for us, a ball to fall for us or to ricochet into the back of the net, and it did. It was just unfortunate. It wasn’t a little bit early because I felt like we really had the momentum to go and win the football match.”
United have been unlucky, claims Harry Maguire
The centre-back usually comes up with a sanitised explanation for everything and it is very rarely that he opts to open up on the difficulties within the squad.
It was the same on Sunday as the Englishman claimed that United were not too far away and have been unlucky in most games.
He does have a point, but saying the Old Trafford side are playing well overall is a huge stretch.
“Well, there’s always a lot of noise around this place. So, first and foremost, you’ve got to ignore the noise. Really believe and think about what we’ve done this year and what we need to work on and what we need to improve on.
“But we’re not far away. I mean, last week, an absolutely ridiculous goal changed the whole complexion of the game. The week before, the right-back sticks the ball in the back of the net from 30 yards, and we could be sat here looking at things a lot differently. That’s football. It’s fine margins.”
United players will be heading out on international duty and INEOS have three weeks to sort out this mess. But knowing the players and the co-owners, not too much is expected.
Feature image Michael Regan via Getty Images
