He was our nightmare last night,If not for Him we could have finished them from the first Half”, Fulham coach reveals the One Man United player that gave Him tough time yesterday – Not Rashford,Not Garnacho and Not Zirkzee
Manchester United got off to a perfect start with a victory over Fulham thanks to a 87th minute winner from Joshua Zirkzee.
Joshua Zirkzee’s goal sent fans wild at Old Trafford as his late strike saw off a determined Fulham side.
Zirkzee and fellow new boy Noussair Mazraoui caught the eye, and deserve all the credit they get. But there was one player who deserves a little praise too.
Harry Maguire earned the win
Harry Maguire has not had an easy ride since he joined Manchester United five years ago, losing the captaincy last year.
One player he joined with, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, has just been sold, and if a substantial bid came in for Maguire, it would be one the club would consider.
When Leny Yoro returns from injury, Maguire might find himself as fourth choice centre-back.
For now, the defender has a prominent role while Matthijs de Ligt gets up to speed, and he is not in a hurry to give up his spot.
Maguire was a titan at the back for United against Fulham, fighting for the cause, and he might have saved the team on two occasions.
In the second half he was left two-versus-one trying to defender Fulham counter-attack, and managed to tidy up the situation by cutting out former teammate Andreas Pereira’s pass
Another big moment came inside the six yard box as Maguire shielded the ball to deny a goalscoring opportunity and looked to get hurt in the process.
He was substituted soon afterwards, with United making a double change in defence. Maguire had done his bit for the cause.
Maguire had 69 touches in total, making one block, two interceptions and five clearances. He also won four of five aerial duels he contested.
The England defender has been at United half a decade now, it’s been that long, and he may only have a year or so left. But that won’t stop him fighting for the shirt.
On a night where the shiny new players will take the praise, deservedly, Maguire’s contribution should not be overlooked.
Maguire substitution a precaution
Erik ten Hag was delighted after the game when he declared there were no new injuries to report among his Manchester United squad.
When asked about Maguire specifically, Ten Hag told Sky Sports that Maguire felt a knock and he was substituted as a precaution, to prevent an injury.
United do have a few injuries in defence at present, but there is also a little depth now after the Mazroui and De Ligt arrivals.
We saw that Harry Maguire is going to fight for his place, and having a little competition is going to be healthy for United.
