‘Ruben Amorim has saved my Man Utd profession – I wanted to search out one thing to remain’
Harry Maguire has lauded new boss Ruben Amorim for changing his fortunes at Manchester United after he admitted he was close to leaving Old Trafford having struggled under Erik ten Hag
Harry Maguire has laid down the law to Manchester United‘s FA Cup heroes.
And he’s told them to forget about basking in the glory of their third round win at Arsenal – because the league table remains an “embarrassment” to the fallen giants. Ruben Amorim‘s side defied the odds to beat Arsenal on penalties – despite finding themselves down to 10 men with 30 minutes of normal time remaining following Diogo Dalot’s sending off.
The win comes on the back of United securing a 2-2 draw at title favourites Liverpool the week before. But Maguire has been around long enough to appreciate how a season is not built on two positive results. And the England defender admits that despite being in the fourth round, one quick look at the Premier League table still feels humiliating.
Just six wins from 20 games have left United languishing in 13th place, with Amorim admitting his team is in a relegation scrap, a position Maguire insists is not acceptable.
He said: “Obviously, we’ve had four tough away games under this manager and I feel like in all four, Arsenal (twice), Manchester City and Liverpool, we’ve competed in all of them. I think it’s important that we stick together. But we also have to realise that we are still where we are in the league table.
“We’ve got big games coming up, and we can’t rest because the league table, to look at, is embarrassing. So we’ve got kick on from this.”
United host struggling Southampton on Thursday, and Maguire says there are no excuses for being so low in the table. “We know we can perform in these big games, but we’ve got to maintain our consistency. This year it has been really poor,” he said.
“We’ve got good experienced players who’ve had good careers. We all have belief that we should be a lot higher in the table. We know that. To be sat where we are in the Premier League, it’s nowhere near good enough for this squad. But it’s down to us to change it.”
Maguire endured a torrid time under former managers Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag, leaving him close to quitting United for a new club. But he has rediscovered his mojo under Amorim, answering his manager’s call to become a leader again. Maguire has been outstanding in recent weeks, and believes he is getting back to some of the best form of his United career.
“I’m 31 now, coming up to 32 in a couple of months, but I’m getting back to that level,” he added. “There’s no doubt I had a tough year in my third season when Ralf took over. I wasn’t at my best. I knew that.
“I knew I needed to find something to stay at this club, because it demands high standards, and I feel like I’ve found something. Mentally and physically I feel good.
“Ruben’s given me confidence and belief that they want me at the club and part of this project and I’m happy to be here. I want this club to be back fighting for titles and not fighting where we are in the table right now.”
